▁the ▁term ▁' H in ay ana ▁Buddh ism ,' ▁which ▁is ▁found ▁off ensive ▁by ▁some ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Ther av ada ▁tradition ." ▁ ▁Within ▁Mah ay ana ▁Buddh ism , ▁there ▁were ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁interpret ations ▁as ▁to ▁whom ▁or ▁to ▁what ▁the ▁term ▁Hin ay ana ▁referred . ▁Kal u ▁R in po che ▁stated ▁the ▁" less er " ▁or ▁" gre ater " ▁design ation ▁" did ▁not ▁refer ▁to ▁economic ▁or ▁social ▁status , ▁but ▁concerned ▁the ▁spiritual ▁capac ities ▁of ▁the ▁pract ition er ". ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁The ▁word ▁h ī n ay ā na ▁is ▁formed ▁of ▁h ī na : ▁" l ittle ", ▁" po or ", ▁" in fer ior ", ▁" ab andon ed ", ▁" def ic ient ", ▁" def ect ive "; ▁and ▁y ā na ▁( य ा न ): ▁" ve h icle ", ▁where ▁" ve h icle " ▁means ▁" a ▁way ▁of ▁going ▁to ▁en light en ment ". ▁The ▁P ali ▁Text ▁Society ' s ▁P ali - English ▁Dictionary ▁( 1 9 2 1 – 2 5 ) ▁defines ▁h ī na ▁in ▁even ▁stronger ▁terms , ▁with ▁a ▁semantic ▁field ▁that ▁includes ▁" po or , ▁miser able ; ▁v ile , ▁base , ▁ab ject , ▁cont empt ible ", ▁and ▁" des pic able ". ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁was ▁translated ▁by ▁K um ā raj ī va ▁and ▁others ▁into ▁Class ical ▁Chinese ▁as