Mahayana Buddhism also values "insight" (which they call Vipashyana in Sanskrit), the practice is much more diverse than in Theravada. In Mahayana, meditation is not just about observing the self; it often involves active visualization, the use of sound, and philosophical contemplation.¹

Because Mahayana Buddhism spread to China, Japan, Tibet, and Vietnam, it developed distinct "brands" of practice.

1. Zen (Chan) Buddhism²

Zen is perhaps the most famous Mahayana meditation school. It prioritizes direct experience over scriptural study.

• Zazen (Just Sitting): Unlike Vipassana, which often involves "noting" sensations, Zen (specifically the Soto school) practices Shikantaza. You sit without a specific object of focus, simply remaining alert and "open" to whatever arises without engaging it.
• Koans: In the Rinzai school, practitioners meditate on paradoxical riddles (e.g., "What is the sound of one hand clapping?") to break through logical thinking and reach a sudden "awakening" (Satori).

2. Pure Land Buddhism

This is the most popular form of Buddhism for laypeople in East Asia. The primary practice is Nembutsu.

• Chanting: Practitioners repeat the name of Amitabha Buddha (Namo Amituofo).³
• Goal: The focus is less on personal psychological insight and more on "Other-Power"—relying on the grace of Amitabha to be reborn in his "Pure Land," where enlightenment is guaranteed.

3. Vajrayana (Tibetan Buddhism)⁴

A subset of Mahayana, this "Diamond Vehicle" uses highly "active" meditation techniques.

• Visualization (Deity Yoga): Instead of just observing the body, you mentally construct a complex, colorful image of a Buddha or Bodhisattva and then "dissolve" yourself into that image to realize your own Buddha-nature.⁵
• Mantras and Mudras: Using sacred sounds (like Om Mani Padme Hum) and ritual hand gestures to engage the body and speech in the meditative process.

4. Analytical Meditation

In schools like the Gelug (Tibetan), practitioners use logic during meditation. They might pick a philosophical point—such as Sunyata (Emptiness)—and rigorously analyze it until they have a "felt sense" of the truth, which then settles into a stable, non-conceptual insight.

Comparison: Theravada vs. Mahayana Practice

Feature	Theravada (Vipassana)	Mahayana (General)
Object of Focus	Physical/mental sensations	Buddhas, emptiness, or "no-object"
Primary Goal	Self-liberation (Arhat)	Liberation for all beings (Bodhisattva)
Style	Observational / Analytical	Visionary / Devotional / Direct
Key Text	Satipatthana Sutta	Heart Sutra, Lotus Sutra

While a Vipassana practitioner looks inward at the mechanics of the mind, a Mahayana practitioner often looks outward (at a Buddha or the universe) to realize that the "inward" and "outward" are actually the same thing.