Mahayana literally Great Vehicle; is one of the major branches of Buddhism. Scholars believe that Mahayana (chin.: dachengfojiao大乘佛教) as a distinct movement began around the 1st century BCE, in the North-western Indian subcontinent, estimating a formative period of about three centuries before it was transmitted in a highly evolved form to China in the 2nd century CE.
The first known Mahayana texts (chin.: fojing 佛经) are translations (chin.: yichu 译出) made into Chinese by the Kushan (chin.: Guishuang 貴霜) monk Lokaksema (chin.: Zhi Lou Jia Chen 支娄迦谶) in the Chinese capital of Luoyang (洛阳 - A city in east central China; the capital of ancient China during several dynasties) between 178 and 189 CE.
The Pratyutpanna Sutra contains the first known mentions of the Buddha Amitabha and his Pure Land, said to be at the origin of Pure Land practice in China:
Bodhisattvas (chin.: pusa 菩萨) hear about the Buddha Amitabha and call him to mind (chin.: ji 记) again and again(chin.: zai 再) in this land. Because of this calling to mind, they see the Buddha Amitabha. Having seen him they ask him what dharmas (chin.: fa 法) it takes to be born in the realm of the Buddha Amitabha. Then the Buddha Amitabha says to these bodhisattvas: If you wish to come and be born in my realm, you must always call me to mind again and again, you must always keep this thought in mind without letting up, and thus you will succeed in coming to be born in my realm.
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