The vehicles focussed on contemplation of the four noble truths and the twelve links of dependent origination for the sake of individual liberation.

"Hinayin", or 'Small Vehicle', Buddhist sect.

'small vehicle' paths/schools which aim for personal enlightenment.

The "Lesser Vehicle". One of the two major schools of Buddhism also called Therevada (Way of the Ancients) by its followers. It is considered to represent the more original form of Buddhist beliefs. Hinayana Buddhism has spread to many countries of south and South-East Asia. The Historical Buddha retains a central position and a person seeking salvation tries to attain the state of an Arhat.

A term exclusively used from the perspective of the Mahayana to denote the fact that the followers of this vehicle lay emphasis on their individual liberation from the cycle of existence, not so much on the benefit of others. Since the contents of this vehicle in great parts do not differ very much from those of the Mahayana, it actually should be called Theravada, the Vehicle or Way of the Older Ones, as the followers of this vehicle calls themselves like that.

Lesser Vehicle. According to Walshe, this term was originally coined by Mahayana polemicists to distinguish their path (seen as a 'greater vehicle' with room for all) from the path of the Sarvastivadins (seen as a 'lesser vehicle' with room for only one at a time). Over time, it came to be applied to the only surviving member of the original 'eighteen schools' of Southern Buddhism, Theravada (q.v.). Many Buddhists prefer the term Theravada, because 'Hinayana' is perceived to have negative connotations.

an offensive name for Theravada Buddhism

"Lesser vehicle" Somewhat derogatory term for early schools of Buddhism and their followers, applied by the followers of the MAHAYANA q.v.

The "Lesser Vehicle" of Buddhism, a system of teachings and practices for those whose goal is personal liberation from all forms of suffering.

also called Small Vehicle or Liberated Vehicle, which refers to Sravaka and Praetyka-Buddha. It is a school of Buddhism, popular in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, hence also known as Southern Buddhism, in contrast with Northern Buddhism or Mahayana, the form mainly prevalent from Nepal to Japan. Hinayana is sometimes described as self-benefiting, and Mahayana as self-benefiting for the benefit of others. Another difference is that Pali is the general literary language in Hinayana while Sanskrit of Mahayana. Hinayana is nearer to the original teaching of the Buddha. For further details, please refer to Section 3-A A Glimpse in the Scope of Buddhism in Vol. 1 No. 4 of Buddhist Door.

Literally, "small vehicle." A term used by the Mahayanists to describe earlier orthodox sects of Buddhism (Theravada School). Their scriptures are written in Pali, an ancient Indian language. See also Theravada and Vajrayana

Lit., a small vehicle; designates Buddhist tradition of southeast Asia; replaced by the term Theravada.

"Inferior Vehicle," a pejorative term, coined by a group who called themselves followers of the Mahayana, the "Great Vehicle," to denote the path of practice of those who adhered only to the earliest discourses as the word of the Buddha. Hinayanists refused to recognise the later discourses, composed by the Mahayanists, that claimed to contain teachings that the Buddha felt were too deep for his first generation of disciples, and which he thus secretly entrusted to underground serpents. The Theravada school of today is a descendant of the Hinayana.

Literally, the lesser vehicle. The only surviving school of Hinayana is Theravada, the Buddhism of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, and other countries of Southeast Asia. The highest ideal of the Theravadins is the arhat, one who has attained personal liberation. The collected texts of the Theravadins are incorporated in the Pali Canon.

"The Small Vehicle Buddhism."

The term literally means "the Little Way." It is a derogatory term put onto Theravada Buddhism by those who follow Mahayana, which means "the Great Way (or vehicle, or raft)." Jataka Tales of the Buddha's former lives.

(Skt.): Lesser/lower vehicle (as opposed to MAHAYANA). Buddhist path leading to individual LIBERATION from CYCLIC EXISTENCE (as SHRAVAKA or PRATYEKABUDDHA).

Literally, Small, or Lesser, Vehicle. It is one of the two general divisions of Buddhism. Hinayana practitioners' motivation for following the Dharma path is principally their intense wish for personal liberation from conditioned existence, or samsara. Two types of Hinayana practitioner are identified: hearers and solitary realizers. Cf Mahayana; see also Theravada.

(Pronunciation: "HEE-nah-yah-nah") Literally "The Lesser Vehicle;" the form of Buddhism as evolved in Southeast Asia. Also called Theraveda.

( Skt.): Literally, “small vehicle." In the vajrayana system, the first of the three yanas or vehicles. Hinayana emphasizes individual liberation from conditioned existence or samsara. Hinayana is subdivided into the shravakayana and pratyekabuddayana.

(Skt); theg pa dman pa (Tib). One of the three Buddhist ‘vehicles’ or yanas. Hinayana is the vehicle which stresses individual liberation (moksha) from suffering. It describes a self-oriented vehicle. See also Theravada.

literally, "small raft" or "small vehicle," in reference to the sect of Buddhism that places emphasis upon the responsibility of the individual disciple, or Arahant, to attain his/her own enlightenment. the focus therefore tends to be more on the virtues of the monastic community than the laity. While much more in accordance with the original intent of the Buddha's teachings on the virtues and disciplines of the monastic life, Hinayana is something of a predjudicial term applied to its followers by the more widespread and "popular" Mahayana tradition. Hinayana Buddhism (or more properly, Theravada Buddhism) is found primarily in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. See also Bodhisattva and Theravada.

(xiao-sheng): Literally the lesser or lower path, so called because it holds as its goal the lesser goal of becoming an arhat and not a buddha. It is based on the literal words spoken openly while the Buddha lived in India. This was the first wave of Dharma exported from India that became the dominant form in most of South-east Asia. Only the Theravadan School survived which is often known in the West as vipashyana or Insight Meditation.

Hīnayāna (Chinese: 小乘 Xiǎoshèng; Japanese: Shōjō; Vietnamese: Tiểu thừa; Thai: หีนยาน, Maha Yan) is a Sanskrit term literally meaning, "the low vehicle" or "the inferior vehicle", where "vehicle" (yāna) means "a way of going to enlightenment". It is a term coined by Mahāyāna Buddhists, which appeared publicly around the 1st century CE. There are differing views on the use and meaning of the term, both among scholars and within Buddhism.