Religion assignment
The Vehicles (yāna)
Mahāyāna, The Great Vehicle
As opposed to
Hīnayāna, The Lesser Vehicle
BUT
Theravāda is The Doctrine (vāda) of Elders
claiming superiority by ancestry
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theravada#/media/File:Buddhist_sects.png
Some more vehicles -
Tantrayāna, tantric vehicle
or
Vajrayāna, diamond vehicle
offshots of the Northern Mahāyāna Buddhist schools
Types of Practitioner Buddha(s)
arhat (S) arahant (P), worthy, capable
śrāvaka (S) sāvaka (P), disciple, ‘listener’
pratyeka-buddha, partially-awakened
bodhisattva, devoted to realization
(vows to disseminate realization)
samyak-sambuddha, perfectly-awakened
tathāgata, thus-gone, thus-came
(a synonym of buddha)
What’s the Difference?
The plurality and omnipresence of Buddha(s)
Textual transmission
Variations in meditational practices
Variations in formulation of Buddhist precepts
A Buddha and Bodhisattvas
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Buddha_Amitayus_attended_by_bodhisattvas_11th_century._Metmuseum.jpg
The Bodhisattva ready to set forth for enlightening sentient beings
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bodhisattva_Avalokitesvara-BMA.jpg
Avalokiteśvara Downward-Looking God
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Avalokite%C5%9Bvara_-_Padmapani,_Ajanta_Caves_(4243433392).jpg
The many-headed and many-handed representation of Avalokiteśvara
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eleven-faced_Avalokitesvara,_Tibet,_modern_times_-_Sichuan_Provincial_Museum_-_Chengdu,_China_-_DSC04516.jpg
Śūnyatā, Emptiness
dharma, an object, a phenomenon
sva-bhava, own-nature (≈ Self)
All phenomena are devoid of an inherent, permanent and essential nature of their own, therefore, all phenomena are empty
Prajñāpāramitā The Surpassing Wisdom
gate gate para-gate para-saṃ-gate
O, you [f.] who is gone-gone
Gone over, gone over and beyond
Bodhi svāhā!
Hail, you Wisdom!