mˌæheɪˈɑːnə lˈɪɾɚɹᵻtʃɚ tˈɛndz tə ɹˈɛkəɡnˌaɪz fˈoːɹ pɹˈaɪmɚɹi lˈiːdɚz, hˌuːz baɪˈɑːɡɹəfiz ɑːɹ ɛksplˈeɪnd ɪn diːtˈeɪl ɪn bˈoʊθ ðɪ ˈɛs ɐ dˈiː dˈiː ˈeɪtʃ ɐ ˈɑːɹ ˈɛm ɐ ˈɛs ˈɛm lˌɛɾɚwˈʌnˈiːfˈaɪvbˈiː tˈiː wˈaɪ jˈuː pˈiː ɐ ˈɛs tˈiː ˈeɪtʃ ˌeɪmˈækɹˌɑːn ˈɛn ɐ sˈʌtɹə ænd ðə dˈæsɐbhjˌuːmɪkə sˈʌtɹə.
Mahayana literature tends to recognize four primary leaders, whose biographies are explained in detail in both the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna Sūtra and the Daśabhūmika Sūtra.