▁ant agon ism ▁and ▁conflict ▁between ▁the ▁bod his att va ▁and ▁ś r ā v aka ▁ide als . ▁The ▁sequence ▁of ▁terms ▁then ▁began ▁with ▁the ▁term ▁Bod his att v ay ā na ▁" b od his att va - ve h icle ", ▁which ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁ep ith et ▁Mah ā y ā na ▁" Gre at ▁Ve h icle ". ▁It ▁was ▁only ▁later , ▁after ▁att itudes ▁toward ▁the ▁bod his att va ▁teach ings ▁had ▁become ▁more ▁critical , ▁that ▁the ▁term ▁H ī n ay ā na ▁was ▁created ▁as ▁a ▁back - formation , ▁contrast ing ▁with ▁the ▁already ▁established ▁term ▁Mah ā y ā na . ▁The ▁earliest ▁Mah ā y ā na ▁texts ▁often ▁use ▁the ▁term ▁Mah ā y ā na ▁as ▁an ▁ep ith et ▁and ▁syn onym ▁for ▁Bod his att v ay ā na , ▁but ▁the ▁term ▁H ī n ay ā na ▁is ▁compar atively ▁rare ▁in ▁early ▁texts , ▁and ▁is ▁usually ▁not ▁found ▁at ▁all ▁in ▁the ▁earliest ▁transl ations . ▁Therefore , ▁the ▁often - per ce ived ▁symmetry ▁between ▁Mah ā y ā na ▁and ▁H ī n ay ā na ▁can ▁be ▁de cept ive , ▁as ▁the ▁terms ▁were ▁not ▁actually ▁co ined ▁in ▁relation ▁to ▁one ▁another ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁era . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Paul ▁Williams , ▁" the ▁deep - root ed ▁mis con ception ▁concerning ▁an ▁un fail ing , ▁u bi quit ous ▁fier