The expression “Greater Vehicle,” or Mahāyāna, designates a broad path of Buddhist practice and understanding that presents itself as a vehicle capable of carrying countless beings to enlightenment. Here, “vehicle” (yāna) is a metaphor for the body of teachings and practices that transports beings across the ocean of suffering (saṃsāra) to the shore of liberation (nirvāṇa). It is called “greater” because its scope is not confined to the liberation of a single practitioner, but extends to the awakening of all sentient beings. This expansive orientation is central to how Mahāyāna understands its own identity within the wider Buddhist tradition.

At the heart of this “Greater Vehicle” stands the bodhisattva ideal. Rather than seeking only personal liberation, the bodhisattva aspires to full Buddhahood specifically so that all beings may be freed from suffering. In this vision, compassion and wisdom are inseparable: the realization of truth naturally expresses itself as a commitment to guide others toward the same awakening. The bodhisattva is even described as willing to postpone final liberation so that no being is left behind on the path to enlightenment.

Mahāyāna also portrays itself as “greater” in terms of its inclusivity and adaptability. It embraces a wide range of skillful means (upāya), recognizing that different beings require different approaches according to their capacities and dispositions. This flexible, accommodating character is understood as another expression of compassion, allowing the teachings to meet beings exactly where they are. In this way, the “Greater Vehicle” signifies not only a goal—the liberation of all—but also a method that can encompass diverse practices and temperaments.

In contrast, Mahāyāna texts speak of a “Lesser Vehicle” (Hīnayāna), a polemical label for earlier Buddhist schools that are characterized as primarily oriented toward individual liberation and the attainment of arhatship. By setting itself against this more narrowly defined aim, the “Greater Vehicle” underscores its own emphasis on universal liberation and the bodhisattva path. The term thus reflects both a doctrinal stance and an ethical commitment: a vision of awakening that seeks to carry all beings, without exception, to the far shore of nirvāṇa.