Hinayana

"Hīnayāna" is a Sanskrit term that was at one time applied collectively to the Śrāvakayāna and Pratyekabuddhayāna paths of Buddhism. This term appeared around the first or second century. Hīnayāna was often contrasted with Mahāyāna, which means the "great vehicle".

Early Western scholars fell into using the term Hīnayāna to describing the early doctrine of Buddhism (with Mahāyāna following later).

Modern Buddhist scholarship has deprecated the pejorative term, and instead uses the term Nikaya Buddhism to refer to early Buddhist schools.

Hinayana has also been inappropriately used as a synonym for Theravada, which is the main tradition of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia.

In Sanskrit, "Hīnayāna" (/ˌhiːnəˈjɑːnə/, हीनयान) is a term literally meaning the "small/deficient vehicle" or "small path." Adherents of non-Mahayana traditions were said to be obliged to adhere to only the Five precepts.