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小乘. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
小乘, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
小乘 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
小乘 you have here. The definition of the word
小乘 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
小乘, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Chinese
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small; tiny; few small; tiny; few; young
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ride; mount; make use of ride; mount; make use of; take advantage of; multiply; to avail of; to ride
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trad. (小乘)
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小
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乘
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simp. #(小乘)
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小
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乘
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Literally: “small vehicle”.
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Etymology
Calque of Sanskrit हीनयान (hīnayāna, “lesser vehicle”).
Pronunciation
Noun
小乘
- (Buddhism, originally derogatory, now usually neutral) Hinayana (early Buddhism; Theravada Buddhism)
Usage notes
- This term is applied by some Mahayana Buddhists, but is not accepted as proper by Theravada Buddhists.
- In 1950 the World Fellowship of Buddhists declared that this term should not be used when referring to any form of Buddhism existing today.
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