1. Hinayana - Noun
2. Hinayana - Proper noun
an offensive name for the early conservative Theravada Buddhism; it died out in India but survived in Sri Lanka and was taken from there to other regions of southwestern Asia
a major school of Buddhism teaching personal salvation through one's own efforts
Source: WordNetWe must begin our practice by walking the narrow path of simplicity, the hinayana path, before we can walk upon the open highway of compassionate action, the mahayana path. Chogyam Trungpa
At the same time, scholars have objected to the pejorative connotation of the term Hinayana and some scholars do not use it for any school. Source: Internet
Because Hinayana was disliked and the terms Śrāvaka-Bodhisattva or Pratyekabuddha-Bodhisattva were not used generally, usage of the term bodhisattva had expanded over time. Source: Internet
Two belong to the older path referred to as the Hinayana : * Vaibhāṣika ( Wylie : bye brag smra ba ) * Sautrāntika ( Wylie : mdo sde pa ) The primary source for the former is the Abhidharma-kośa of Vasubandhu and its commentaries. Source: Internet
It is essentially a Hinayana text, and its world is that of Mathura and North-west India. Source: Internet
That is why most current scholars tend to avoid the terms 'Hinayana' and 'Mahayana' in the context of Ajanta. Source: Internet