History shows that as Buddhism spread throughout the Asian world in the early 1st century, it was occasionally modified to fit the specific needs and beliefs of the people it touched. Mahayana Buddhism is one such example of this gradual evolution. It was primarily a movement started and kept alive by monks that slowly gained popularity among lay people but was in no way a unified movement. Mahayana Buddhism still adheres to the core beliefs presented in the Pali Canons, however the Sutras often expand these basic ideas and traditions to answer the questions of a later generation. After a closer study of the Mahayana texts, “A Sutra for Long Life” and “The Universe of the World as Sutra,” it seems evident that, although Mahayana Buddhism is based on the teachings of the traditional Pali Canon, it places greater emphasis on philosophical investigations; and ultimately creates a more accessible version of enlightenment, and the Buddhist faith in general, for everyone. In their own ways, both Sutras highlight the fact that Mahayana Buddhism is more of an all-encompassing faith, arguably friendlier to laypeople, than traditional Pali. Canon that often favors or is oriented towards monks and nuns. The clearest example of this is presented in the “Sutra of the Entire Universe,” which states that all beings possess the knowledge and enlightenment of Buddhahood within themselves. This pure core is simply buried beneath or shrouded in the deluded minds of the imperfect being (The World Universe as Sutra, 107). In other words, every being is capable of attaining Buddhahood as the truth resides within each individual, however, it can only be achieved when they “abandon their deluded and contrary views.” Only then was the act... halfway through the document, present at the heart of the Mahayana tradition, also expanded to answer the philosophical questions that the Pali Canons ignored. Mahayana Buddhism introduces the idea of ​​“inner Buddhism”, compassionate Bodhisattvas, dharma as emptiness, and finally can also encourage some attachment to reciting and repeating its dharma. However, the above mentioned still emphasizes the teachings of the Buddha outlined in the Pali Canons, the existence of dukkha and awakening as a way to overcome it, and in particular the Noble Eightfold Path. Mahayana Buddhism is simply a representation of the Buddhist faith that is adapted to make it more all-encompassing and strives to provide everyone, not just the clergy, with a closer connection to the Buddha and his teachings. Works Cited A Sutra for Long Life The World The Universe as a Sutra