A BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATABASE ON BUDDHISM
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Mahayana

The origins of Mahayana Buddhism lie somewhere in ancient India, a collection of practices and texts that reified the bodhisattva ideal, a being who foregoes complete awakening (nirvana) until all beings are saved. Mahayana Buddhism spread across Asia but became the dominate form of the tradition in China, Korea, and Japan, often designated "northern Buddhism" by early western scholars. Sanskrit is the language early Mahayana texts.

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Texts	Society	Geography	Traditions
Non-Sutra Literature Sutra Literature	Buddhism and Acculturation Buddhism and Other Religions Buddhism and Society Buddhism and the Family Buddhism and the natural world Mysticism Social, Political, and Economic Aspects The Arts	Places (temple complexes, sacred mountains) Regions Temples Transregional studies	Bön Mahayana Modern Buddhist Movements The Eighteen Schools and the Early Councils Theravada Vajrayana
Persons	Philosophy	Rituals	Time Periods
Arhats and Bodhisattvas Buddhas Devas, deities, and demons Monks, nuns, and laypersons Scholars	Academic Discipline Buddhist Logic Cosmology Dreams Ethics Major Topics and Foundational Doctrines Monastic education and study	Calendric Rituals and Festivals Chanting and recitation Conversion to Buddhism Healing Rites, Divination, and Magical Protection Life-Cycle Rituals Meditation, Visualization, Awakening Merit-making and rituals of piety Monastic rituals Pilgrimage and Tourism Rituals of Power	China India Japan Korea Sri Lanka The West Tibet Vietnam