釋氏要覽 2.246

2.246

梵云。摩訶衍此云大乘。大者。簡小之稱。乘者。運載為義○十二門論。龍樹菩薩問云。何名摩訶衍。答於二乘為上故。諸佛最大。是乘能至故。諸佛大人乘是乘故。能盡諸法。邊底故。名大乘○菩薩地持經云。有七種大名大乘。一法大。謂。方廣藏。最上大故。二心太。謂。發阿耨菩提心故。三解大。謂。解菩薩方等藏故。四淨心大。謂。過行解地故。五眾具大。謂。福德眾具故。六時大。謂三阿僧祇劫故。七得大。謂。得無上菩提故。

In Sanskrit called mahāyāna, translated here as 'great vehicle'. 'Great' is a designation to distinguish it from the small; 'vehicle' has the meaning of conveying and carrying. In the Twelve Gate Treatise, Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna asks: 'What is named the mahāyāna?' He answers: 'Because it is superior to the two vehicles; because the Buddhas are the greatest and this vehicle can reach [their state]; because the great persons, the Buddhas, ride this vehicle; and because it can exhaust the limits and depths of all phenomena, it is named the Mahāyāna.' The Bodhisattva-bhūmi-dhāra-sūtra says there are seven kinds of greatness that define the Mahāyāna: 1. Greatness of Dharma, meaning the Vaipulya treasury, because it is the supreme and greatest; 2. Greatness of mind, because of generating the mind of anuttarā bodhi; 3. Greatness of understanding, because of understanding the bodhisattva's vaipulya treasury; 4. Greatness of pure mind, because of transcending the stage of practice and understanding; 5. Greatness of requisites, because of the requisites of merit; 6. Greatness of time, because of three asaṃkhyeya-kalpas; 7. Greatness of attainment, because of attaining unexcelled bodhi.