ˌhēnəˈyänə, -ēnēˈ(y)ä- noun
( -s )
Usage: capitalized
Etymology: Sanskrit hīnayāna, literally, lesser vehicle, from hīna left behind, inferior, lesser (from hīyate he is left) + yāna action of going, vehicle, from yāti he goes; akin to jahāti he leaves — more at go , janitor
: the smaller more conservative branch of Buddhism dominant in Ceylon, Burma, Thailand, and Cambodia and characterized by adherence to the Pali scriptures and to the nontheistic nonspeculative ideal of self-purification to nirvana through contemplative and moral effort especially as an arhat — called also Little Vehicle, Pali Buddhism, Southern Buddhism, Theravada ; compare mahayana