The Distinction Between Mahayana and Hinayana Is Fundamentally Based on the Mind

There is a saying: When a virtuous person employs an evil method, the evil method becomes virtuous; when an evil person employs a virtuous method, the virtuous method becomes evil. The key lies in the human mind and human wisdom. Cultivating the Hinayana with a Bodhisattva heart makes the Hinayana equivalent to the Mahayana; cultivating the Mahayana with a selfish heart makes the Mahayana equivalent to the Hinayana. The distinction between Mahayana and Hinayana is based on the mind, not the method. The Dharma itself has no distinction of size; it is the scope of the mind that determines its scale. Thus, the relative "size" of the Dharma being cultivated becomes clear.