According to Jan Nattier, the term Mahayana "Great Vehicle" was originally even an honorary synonym for Bodhisattvayana "Bodhisattva Vehicle." The Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra, an early and important Mahayana text, contains a simple and brief definition for the term bodhisattva: "Because he has enlightenment as his aim, a bodhisattva-mahasattva is so called."
Is there an answer to this question (If it cannot be answered, say "unanswerable"): The Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra is an important text of what type?
Mahayana