But we’ve paid for a ticket! The Mahayana, which arose in the 1st century, is called the Greater Vehicle because its approach opened the way of liberation to ordinary people as well as monks. Seeing themselves as the sole preservers of the word of the Buddha, the monastic community had degraded ordinary householders to the status of mere almsgivers. The monks were given an opportunity to lead a relatively privileged life, but instead of helping the lay community, began to isolate themselves. Teachings related to meditation and more psychological subjects were taught only among the monks. The
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