History of Mahāyāna Buddhism: Innovation and Perfection

We’ll take a quick overview of the history of Mahāyāna Buddhism, beginning with its earliest developments and how it separated from the rest of mainstream Buddhism. Then we’ll look at a few of its later developments that came to define the Mahāyāna approach. It’s a huge topic so this video only can provide an introduction!

Sutta mentioned:

Uttara on Failing (AN 8.8)

Other references:

Anālayo, “The Genesis of the Bodhisattva Ideal”

Johannes Bronkhorst, Buddhist Teaching in India

Rupert Gethin, Foundations of Buddhism

Richard Gombrich “How the Mahāyāna Began” in Paul Williams Buddhism: Critical Concepts in Religious Studies (Routledge, 2005).

Jayarava, “Early Mahāyāna: Everything You Know is Wrong.”

Paul Williams, Mahāyāna Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations, 2nd Ed.

Paul Williams, et al., Buddhist Thought

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