Step 1: Understanding Mahāyāna Buddhism.
Mahāyāna Buddhism is one of the two major traditions of Buddhism, alongside Theravāda. Mahāyāna schools focus on the Bodhisattva ideal, which emphasizes the goal of attaining Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. They tend to place a greater emphasis on metaphysical speculation, idealism, and altruistic practices.
Step 2: Identifying Mahāyāna schools.
The two main schools listed that belong to Mahāyāna Buddhism are:
(A) Mādhyamika: Founded by Nāgārjuna, this school asserts the doctrine of śūnyatā (emptiness), which holds that all phenomena are empty of intrinsic existence.
(B) Yogācāra-Vijňānavāda: This school emphasizes consciousness and the idea that the external world is merely a projection of the mind.
Step 3: Contrasting with Theravāda schools.
On the other hand, (C) Sarvāstivāda and (D) Sautrāntika are part of early or Hinayāna schools of Buddhism, which focus more on individual liberation and do not fully embrace the metaphysical aspects characteristic of Mahāyāna.