Mahayana Sutras

The Mahāyāna Sūtras are a broad genre of Buddhists Sutra scriptures that are accepted as canonical and as buddhavcana ("Buddha word") in Mahayana Buddhism. Mahāyāna sūtras, especially those of the Prajnaparamita genre, teach the importance of the practice of the six perfections (paramita) as part of the path to Buddhahood, and special attention is given to the perfection of wisdom (prajñāpāramitā) which is seen as primary. The importance of developing bodhichitta, which refers to a mind that is aimed at full awakening (i.e. Buddhahood) is also stressed. Another central practice advocated by the Mahāyāna sūtras is focused around "the acquisition of merit, the universal currency of the Buddhist world, a vast quantity of which was believed to be necessary for the attainment of Buddhahood".