Mahāyāna centers upon the bodhisattva ideal, in which the path to awakening is framed not as a solitary ascent but as a compassionate commitment to all sentient beings. Rather than aiming solely at individual liberation, the practitioner aspires to Buddhahood as a way of most effectively aiding others. This orientation transforms spiritual practice into a vow: enlightenment is sought not as a private attainment, but as a means of universal benefit. The heart of this vision is an unshakable resolve that no being be left behind in suffering.

Within this framework, compassion and wisdom are cultivated as twin virtues that guide every step of the path. Compassion opens the practitioner to the suffering of all beings, while wisdom discerns the nature of reality that makes liberation possible. These two are not treated as separate attainments, but as mutually reinforcing aspects of the same awakening. The bodhisattva path thus becomes a disciplined training in both clear seeing and boundless care.

A distinctive feature of this ideal is the willingness to postpone final, complete enlightenment until all beings can be brought to liberation. This does not deny the reality or value of enlightenment; rather, it redefines its purpose in profoundly relational terms. The bodhisattva’s vow expresses a readiness to remain engaged with the world of suffering for as long as beings are in need. In this way, the highest spiritual goal is inseparable from an all-embracing responsibility for others.

Ultimately, the focus of Mahāyāna can be understood as a vision of awakening that is inherently shared. Buddhahood is sought not as an escape from the world, but as the fullest capacity to respond to it with wisdom and compassion. The bodhisattva path invites practitioners to see their own liberation and the liberation of others as a single, unified endeavor.