Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism are distinguished mainly by the scope of their spiritual aspirations, the former only seeking personal enlightenment while in the latter the practitioner helps others to become Buddhas before entering the blissful state of Nirvana.
大、小乘的差別主要在於發心的大小，小乘只求自己證悟，大乘行者則在助人成佛後，才進入不再受輪迴之苦的涅槃。