Lesser Vehicle; Inferior Vehicle Comment: The term ""Lesser Vehicle"" has its origin in the writings of Great Vehicle (theg chen, mahāyāna) authors and was, of course, not used by those to whom it was ascribed. Substitutes such as non-Mahāyāna,"" ""Nikāya Buddhism,"" and ""Theravādayāna"" have been suggested in order to avoid the pejorative sense of ""Lesser."" However, ""Lesser Vehicle"" is a convenient term in this particular context for a type of tenet system or practice that is seen in Tibetan scholarship to be surpassed but not negated by a ""higher"" system. The ""Lesser Vehicle"" is not despised, most of it being incorporated into the ""Great Vehicle.""""
lesser/fundamental vehicle
lower vehicles; inferior spiritual approaches
{rang don 'ba zhig pa'i khur chung ngu dang ldan pa}, {theg pa dman pa} Hinayana, lesser / individual vehicle; Hinayana, lesser / individual vehicle. Syn {theg pa dman pa}