Within the early schools, movements honoring new sutras and the bodhisattva path gather force and come to call themselves the Mahayana, the Great Vehicle; the Perfection of Wisdom texts open the movement, which grows beside the older schools rather than replacing them in India.
The Event
- Date
- 1st century CE (approximate)
- Era
- Early Buddhism; Standard periodization of Buddhist history
- Location
- India; today India
- Traditions
- Buddhism
- Streams
- Mahayana
- Key texts
- Prajnaparamita sutras
Primary Sources
- Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita
Secondary Sources
- Harvey, An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices (Cambridge, 2nd ed. 2013)
- Lopez, The Story of Buddhism: A Concise Guide to Its History and Teachings (HarperOne, 2001)
Provenance: HIST-0406; confidence 0.85; accessed 2026-10-27.
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