(Sanskrit: “Lesser Vehicle”), the more orthodox, conservative schools of Buddhism; the name Hīnayāna was applied to these schools by the followers of the Mahāyāna (Mahayana) Buddhist tradition in ancient India. The name reflected the Mahāyānists' evaluation of their own tradition as a superior method, surpassing the others in universality and compassion; but the name was not accepted by the conservative schools as referring to a common tradition.

In one sense, all of the so-called 18 schools of ancient Buddhism are Hīnayānist, in that they predate the emergence of Mahāyāna ideas as a separate doctrine. The modern upholders of the ancient Hīnayāna tradition are the Theravādins (followers of the Way of the Elders), who are but one of the 18 ancient schools. See Theravāda (Theravada).