4. Mahāyāna Buddhism: The Bodhisattva Path & Universal Compassion

While Early Buddhism preserved the core words and monastic structures of the historical Buddha, a profound spiritual movement later emerged across India, China, Japan, Tibet, and beyond: Mahāyāna Buddhism (The Great Vehicle). Today, Mahāyāna forms the spiritual foundation for the majority of Buddhist practitioners across East Asia. In this episode, we bridge the gap between Early Buddhism and the Mahāyāna tradition: The historical shift: From monastic seclusion to the universal Bodhisattva ideal Core philosophical evolutions: The concept of Emptiness (Śūnyatā) and Buddha-Nature (Tathāgatagarbha) Major texts: The Prajñāpāramitā (Heart/Diamond Sutras), Lotus Sutra, and Pure Land teachings Continuity vs. Development: How early Buddhist principles like Dependent Origination and Compassion were expanded into the Great Vehicle #Mahayana #Buddhism #Bodhisattva #Emptiness #Zen #PureLand #TibetanBuddhism #Philosophy