mahayana mahaparinirvana sutra  the mahāyāna mahāparinirvāṇa sūtra is one of the tathāgatagarbha sūtras of mahāyāna buddhism. it originated in the first century ce in southern india, and was substantially expanded by the chinese translator dharmakṣema in the fifth century ce. its teachings on the buddha-nature, and the possibility for all sentient beings to attain buddhahood, had a great impact on east-asian buddhism.