Meditation Wisdom and Liberation: Reexamining the Essence of Buddhist Practice in Theravada and Mahayana
International Journal of Versatile Research and Analysis October 1, 2026 DOI: 10.56975/ijvra.v4i10.711388 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative comparative textual analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Key findings | Argues that Theravāda and Mahāyāna Buddhism share the goal of liberation from ignorance but diverge in method and ultimate model: Theravāda pursues analytical self-refutation through samatha and vipassanā toward the Arhat ideal and a nirvāṇa of equanimous peace, while Mahāyāna emphasizes śūnyatā, bodhicitta, and the Bodhisattva path toward apratiṣṭhita-nirvāṇa. |
Abstract
This paper offers an extensive comparative analysis of the twin practically and philosophically fundamental tenets of Buddhismsamādhi/dhyāna (meditation), paññā/prajñā(wisdom) and vimutti/mokṣa (liberation)as demonstrated respectively in the twin traditions of Theravāda and Mahāyāna. The kāyanagara because of this formed signifies that both coalesced from the teachings of the historical Buddha on nirvāṇan as the cessation of suffering, but have gone on to grow very different soteriological, epistemological, and practical ways. This qualitative comparative textual analysis has sought to highlight how Theravāda comes out as the model of analytical self-refutation through samatha and vipassanā meditation to attain the Arhat ideal and nirvāṇan of equanimous peace, while Mahāyāna has widened the Buddhist way of thinking into that of śūnyatā bodhicitta and_Bodhisattva envisagement as apratiṣṭhita-nirvāṇa. The paper concludes that despite differences in method and ultimate existential model, both traditions are conjointly infused with the shared soteriological strivings to become free from all traces of ignorance.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists Western Buddhist meditation practitioners and experts in Theravāda, Zen, and Tibetan... | 2017 | Qualitative study with mixed-methods | |
| A phenomenology of meditation-induced light experiences: traditional buddhist and neurobiological perspectives American Buddhist practitioners | 2014 | Qualitative study | |
| Common Core Thesis and Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Mysticism in Chinese Buddhist Monks and Nuns Chinese Pure Land and Chan Buddhist monks and nuns | 2011 | Mixed-methods study | n = 139 |
| Anger regulation in traumatized Cambodian refugees: the perspectives of Buddhist monks. Buddhist Cambodian monks in Massachusetts | 2011 | Qualitative study | n = 6 |
| The Lived Experiences of Experienced Vipassana Mahasi Meditators: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Experienced Vipassana Mahasi meditators | 2018 | Qualitative study |