Mahayan Traditions

Mahayana traditions claim that they have the real teachings of the Buddha and that the Theravada tradition is the corruption of Buddhist teachings. The Theravada traditions believe the same about Mahayana traditions. Mahayana Buddhism is more main stream. The creation of Mahayana tradition came from people living in the domestic life. They created this tradition because they wanted nirvana without having to leave home and because of emotional reasons.
In the Theravada traditions, nirvana is very difficult to achieve. Very few people are actually saved through the three step path through the Theravada tradition. The Mahayana tradition did not like this challenge in the Theravada tradition. The Mahayana traditions believe that nirvana is everywhere, that it is limitless, and that it is infinite. Since nirvana is everywhere, people are already in the power of nirvana. Unlike the Theravada traditions, in Mahayana traditions, nirvana is not a goal because everyone has already achieved it therefore everyone is saved. Another argument Mahayana traditions have against Theravada is that they are selfish. In order to achieve nirvana in the Theravada tradition, one must leave their family and carry out the three step path. To the Mahayanas, this is considered self-occupied and too much of a commitment. The Theravada tradition also argues that the Buddha is the “well-gone” one; this is how they deal with the Buddha’s death. In the Mahayana tradition, they believe three bodies of the Buddha are living above in a heavenly realm.
According to the Mahayanas, nirvana and samsara are the same. The Theravada tradition disagrees with this in saying the two are not the same. The Mahayanas also believe that emptiness or no-self is everywhere. The Mahayanas believe that the five skandhas are emptiness and are equivalent to nirvana. They deny any distinction between true and false, good and bad, and therefore nirvana and samsara. They make this distinction to prove the point that