Consider the following :
- 1.Deification of the Buddha
- 2.Treading the path of Bodhisattvas
- 3.Image worship and rituals
Which of the above is/are the feature/features of Mahayana Buddhism?
Show answer
Answer: D. Statement 1 is correct: Mahayana treated the Buddha as a divine figure. Statement 2 is correct: it stressed the Bodhisattva ideal, compassionate beings who delay their own nirvana to help others. Statement 3 is correct: image worship and rituals became common in Mahayana. So all three are features.
Watch for: Students think the Buddha rejected rituals and images, but that describes early (Hinayana) Buddhism, not Mahayana.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because the Bodhisattva ideal and image worship are also Mahayana features.
- B. Wrong because image worship and rituals were also part of Mahayana.
- C. Wrong because deification of the Buddha is a core Mahayana feature.
Source to check: NCERT Class 12 Themes in Indian History Part I, Chapter 4 'Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings'
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.