Mahayana is one of the two big families of Buddhism. The name means “great vehicle” in the old Indian language Sanskrit: the picture is a large cart that can carry many people toward being free from suffering, not only monks. It grew out of earlier Buddhist teaching from about the first century on.

Mahayana is one of the two big families of BuddhismMahayana是佛教兩大體系之一。The name means 'great vehicle' in the old Indian language Sanskrit這個名字在古印度語梵文裡的意思是「大乘」：the picture is a large cart that can carry many people toward being free from suffering, not only monks畫面是一輛大車，能載著很多人——不只是出家人——一起走向脫離苦難。It grew out of earlier Buddhist teaching from about the first century on它是從大約西元一世紀開始，從更早的佛教教義發展出來的。

Most of the Buddhism you see in China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam is Mahayana. Tibet’s Buddhism is often named separately as Vajrayana, though actually that path sits inside the Mahayana family.

Most of the Buddhism you see in China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam is Mahayana你在中國、台灣、日本、韓國和越南看到的佛教，大部分都是Mahayana。Tibet's Buddhism is often named separately as Vajrayana西藏的佛教常常被另外稱為Vajrayana（金剛乘），though actually that path sits inside the Mahayana family不過其實那個支派是在Mahayana這個大家庭裡面的。

In Mahayana, people pray to figures such as Guanyin, and they talk about bodhisattvas — people who could leave the world of suffering but stay to help others.

In Mahayana在Mahayana裡，people pray to figures such as Guanyin人們會向像觀音這樣的神明祈禱，and they talk about bodhisattvas也會談到bodhisattvas（菩薩）——people who could leave the world of suffering but stay to help others那些本來可以離開苦難的世界，卻選擇留下來幫助別人的人。

The older school, often called Theravada, is stronger in places like Thailand and Sri Lanka. Some old books call that school Hinayana, “small vehicle,” but that name is unkind, and many Buddhists do not like it.

The older school, often called Theravada,比較古老的一派，常被稱為Theravada（上座部），is stronger in places like Thailand and Sri Lanka在泰國和斯里蘭卡這樣的地方比較盛行。Some old books call that school Hinayana, 'small vehicle,'一些舊書把那個學派叫做Hinayana，意思是「小乘」，but that name is unkind, and many Buddhists do not like it但這個名字帶有貶意，很多佛教徒並不喜歡它。

In English, Mahayana is used as a name and also before another noun: Mahayana Buddhism, a Mahayana temple.

In English, Mahayana is used as a name and also before another noun在英文裡，Mahayana可以當作名稱單獨用，也可以放在另一個名詞前面：Mahayana Buddhism, a Mahayana templeMahayana Buddhism（大乘佛教）、a Mahayana temple（一座大乘寺廟）。