Within the Mahāyāna tradition, enlightenment is understood as full Buddhahood, a complete awakening that unites profound wisdom with boundless compassion. Rather than being a merely private escape from suffering, it is a state in which insight into reality and active concern for all beings are inseparable. Enlightenment is described as the realization of emptiness (śūnyatā), the direct seeing that all phenomena lack inherent, independent existence. From this vision of emptiness arises great compassion (mahākaruṇā), because the boundaries between self and others are understood as ultimately insubstantial. The enlightened one thus embodies both perfect understanding and tireless responsiveness to the needs of others.

A distinctive feature of this vision is the bodhisattva ideal. Instead of aiming solely at personal nirvāṇa, the practitioner generates bodhicitta, the resolve to attain Buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings. Out of this resolve comes the vow to postpone final nirvāṇa, remaining within the cycle of rebirth in order to guide and support others. This path is cultivated through the six perfections (pāramitās)—generosity, ethics, patience, energy, meditation, and wisdom—and is often mapped as a gradual unfolding through stages (bhūmis). Enlightenment, in this light, is not an isolated attainment but the flowering of a long, altruistic journey.

Mahāyāna also teaches that all beings possess Buddha-nature (tathāgatagarbha), an inherent capacity for such awakening. Enlightenment is therefore not the acquisition of something foreign, but the uncovering of a purity that has always been present yet obscured by ignorance and afflictive emotions. This universal Buddha-nature grounds the confidence that every sentient being can, in principle, realize Buddhahood. It also underlies the Mahāyāna emphasis on skillful means (upāya), the compassionate use of diverse methods and teachings adapted to the varied capacities of beings.

From the standpoint of this tradition, the enlightenment of a Buddha is sometimes contrasted with the liberation of an arhat, which is regarded as more limited because it centers on one’s own release from saṃsāra. Buddhahood, by contrast, is portrayed as omniscient awareness expressed through unceasing activity for others’ welfare. This enlightened presence is articulated through the doctrine of the three bodies of the Buddha (trikāya): the truth body (dharmakāya), the enjoyment body (sambhogakāya), and the emanation body (nirmāṇakāya). Through these dimensions, the Buddha remains fully free from suffering while still appearing in the world, a dynamic state sometimes described as a non-abiding nirvāṇa that does not withdraw from the realm of beings but continually engages it for their liberation.