What is the real meaning of Nirvana?
Nirvana, which literally means ‘blown away’ can be understood in two ways. One interpretation is the breaking of the cycle of life and death and therefore ending suffering through personal extinction. I don’t support this view.
What best describes nirvana as a goal of Buddhism?
The Goal Of Buddhism is called Nirvana. The Sanskrit word “nirvana” means “quenching” or “blowing out”. And accurate definition of Nirvana might be that it represents the liberation from samsara and the cycle of rebirth. Buddhists define Nirvana as the extinction of the 3 “fires” or “poisons”.
What must Buddhists do in order to reach Nirvana?
the 8fold list a Buddhist must follow in order to possibly achieve nirvana 1. right view 2. right intention 3. right speech 4. right action 5. right livelihood 6. right effort 7. right mindfulness 8. right concentration the threefold training wisdom (prajna)- right view and right intention
What religion is associated with Nirvana?
Nirvana' (Sanskrit: निर्वाण; Pali: निब्बान) is the state of being free from suffering in sramanic thought. In Pāli, "Nibbāna" means "blowing out" — that is, blowing out the fires of greed, hatred, and delusion. It is a central concept in Buddhism and Jainism. The Buddha described Nirvana as the perfect peace of the state of mind that is free from craving, anger ...
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What happens when you reach nirvana in Buddhism?
This is a trick question. Nirvana is not a place or a process. It is neither being nor not being, which is a very difficult concept to understand....
Does nirvana mean death?
Nirvana does not mean death. Nirvana is when a person, characteristically an enlightened Buddhist monk, has spent all their karma and will no longe...
What is nirvana according to Buddhism?
Nirvana is neither being nor not being. It is removing oneself from the framework of existence so entirely that it can't even be talked about in th...
What does Nirvana mean?
While the person still "exists" in a complex spiritual sense, the personal self ceases to exist. Nirvana literally means "blowing out" or "quenching," as in extinguishing a candle. To achieve this, a Buddhist must eliminate all desire—positive, negative, physical, mental, and emotional.
What is the ultimate goal of Buddhism?
The ultimate goal of Buddhism is to reach the state of Nirvana. Nirvana is a conceptual state in which one has realized his or her oneness with the universe and escapes all suffering in the world. Such a person will no longer experience the cycle of reincarnation.
Is it biblical to rid yourself of all desires?
Having a goal of ridding oneself of all desire is not biblical. God even tells us He will grant the desires of our hearts when we delight in Him ( Psalm 37:4 ). And, in opposition to Nirvana, heaven is a place of pleasure, contentment, and where desires are fulfilled ( Psalm 16 ).
Is Buddhism a parallel to Christianity?
But Buddhism and Christianity are not parallel. Buddhism does not identify wrong desire as sin or violation against a divine moral code. Instead, it aims for the elimination of all desire (which, coincidentally, is self-defeating as one must have the desire to eliminate desire).
Does Buddhism believe in Nirvana?
Rather, salvation comes only through putting our faith in Jesus Christ, who, by His grace, has provided a means of forgiveness and new life ( John 3:16–18; 14:6; Ephesians 2:8–10 ). Nirvana, Buddhism teaches, is attainable by one's own efforts. It is not a place, but a state of being, unlike heaven which is an actual place where Christians will ...
What does Buddhism teach about Nirvana?
Also, Buddhism teaches that a person who arrives at the state of Nirvana loses all personal identity, all desire, and even his or her body. The Bible teaches that heaven is an actual place, not a state of mind, in which we retain our personal identities and inhabit resurrected bodies.
What is the meaning of nirvana?
Nirvana, according to Buddhism, is a complex conceptual state of being in which a person escapes the suffering of the world and realizes his or her oneness with the universe. The person whose consciousness enters Nirvana can eventually leave behind the cycle of reincarnation to exist spiritually, albeit impersonally. The word Nirvana literally means “blowing out” or “quenching,” but the meaning, when applied to a person’s spiritual life, is more complicated. Nirvana can refer to the act of quenching—either gradually being extinguished or rapidly (like blowing out a candle). The final goal of Buddhism is Nirvana, when the “quenching” of all desire is complete, and the person is transformed into another state. Imagine a candle burning and then being extinguished. Its energy is not destroyed, but it turns into another type of energy. This is a basic illustration of what happens when a soul reaches Nirvana.
What is the ultimate goal of Buddhism?
The final goal of Buddhism is Nirvana, when the “quenching” of all desire is complete, and the person is transformed into another state. Imagine a candle burning and then being extinguished. Its energy is not destroyed, but it turns into another type of energy.
Does Buddhism believe in sin?
Buddhism does not see sin as the violation of a divine moral code; rather, it recommends the elimination of all desires, which of course is self-defeating—in order to get rid of all desire, one must desire to have it gone.
Is Nirvana a Bible teaching?
The concept of Nirvana is opposed to the Bible’s teaching of heaven. Scripture says there is no way to work out our own path to heaven ( Romans 3:20 ). No amount of meditation, self-denial, or enlightenment can make one righteous before a holy God. Also, Buddhism teaches that a person who arrives at the state of Nirvana loses all personal identity, ...
Where did the term "nirvana" come from?
The origin of the term nirvana is probably pre-Buddhist,. It was a more or less central concept among the Jains, the Ajivikas, the Buddhists, and certain Hindu traditions.
When did Buddha reach nirvana?
Peter Harvey has written that Buddha attained enlightenment, or awakening at age c.35, and final nirvana on his death. The Theravada School sees nirvana as being attained in the non-returner stage of the four stages of enlightenment .
What is nirvana in the Pali Suttas?
Peter Harvey has defended the idea that nirvana in the Pali suttas refers to a kind of transformed and transcendent consciousness or discernment ( viññana) that has "stopped" ( nirodhena ). According to Harvey this nirvanic consciousness is said to be "objectless", "infinite" ( anantam ), "unsupported" ( appatiṭṭhita) and "non-manifestive" ( anidassana) as well as "beyond time and spatial location". Rune Johansson's The Psychology of Nirvana also argued that nirvana could be seen as a transformed state of mind ( citta ).
What is the ultimate spiritual goal of Buddhism?
Nirvana is the ultimate spiritual goal in Buddhism and marks the soteriological release from rebirths in saṃsāra. Nirvana is part of the Third Truth on "cessation of dukkha " in the Four Noble Truths, and the summum bonum destination of the Noble Eightfold Path.
What is the meaning of the nirvana carving?
Aniconic carving representing the final nirvana of a Buddha at Sanchi. Nirvana ( Sanskrit: nirvāṇa; Pali: nibbana, nibbāna) is the goal of the Buddhist path. The literal meaning of the term is "blowing out" or "quenching". Nirvana is the ultimate spiritual goal in Buddhism and marks the soteriological release from rebirths in saṃsāra.
How many stages are there in Nirvana?
There are two stages in nirvana, one in life, and one final nirvana upon death; the former is imprecise and general, the latter is precise and specific. The nirvana-in-life marks the life of a monk who has attained complete release from desire and suffering but still has a body, name and life.
What is the cosmology of Jainism?
In the cosmology of Jainism, another sramana tradition like Buddhism, liberated beings abide in an actual place (loka) associated with nirvana. Some scholars have argued that originally, Buddhists held a similar view.
What does Nirvana mean in Buddhism?
In the spiritual definition, nirvana (or nibbana in Pali) is an ancient Sanskrit word that means something like "to extinguish," with the connotation of extinguishing a flame. This more literal meaning has caused many westerners to assume that the goal of Buddhism is to obliterate oneself. But that's not at all what Buddhism, or nirvana, is about. The liberation entails extinguishing the condition of samsara, the suffering of dukkha; Samsara is usually defined as the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, although in Buddhism this is not the same as the rebirth of discreet souls, as it is in Hinduism, but rather a rebirth of karmic tendencies. Nirvana is also said to be liberation from this cycle and dukkha , the stress/pain/dissatisfaction of life.
What does the word "nirvana" mean?
The word nirvana is so prevalent for English speakers that its true meaning is often lost. The word has been adopted to mean "bliss" or "tranquility.". Nirvana also is the name of a famous American grunge band, as well as of many consumer products, from bottled water to perfume.
Why is nirvana not considered in Mahayana?
In at least some schools of Mahayana, because everything inter-exists, "individual" nirvana is not even considered . These schools of Buddhism are very much about living in this world, not leaving it. Some schools of Mahayana Buddhism also include teachings that samsara and nirvana are not separate.
What is Nirvana about?
Nirvana is also said to be liberation from this cycle and dukkha , the stress/pain/dissatisfaction of life. In his first sermon after his enlightenment, the Buddha preached the Four Noble Truths. Very basically, the Truths explain why life stresses and disappoints us.
What is the bodhisattva vow?
One of the distinguishing characteristics of Mahayana Buddhism is the bodhisattva vow. Mahayana Buddhists are dedicated to the ultimate enlightenment of all beings, and thus choose to remain in the world in assistance to others rather than move on to individual enlightenment.
What is the meaning of Samsara in Buddhism?
The liberation entails extinguishing the condition of samsara, the suffering of dukkha; Samsara is usually defined as the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, although in Buddhism this is not the same as the rebirth of discreet souls, as it is in Hinduism, but rather a rebirth of karmic tendencies.
Why is the Buddha saying "now the embers are cool"?
The Buddha taught that this state is neither existence—because that which can be said to exist is limited in time and space—nor non-existence. This seeming paradox reflects the difficulty that comes when ordinary language attempts to describe a state of being that is indescribable.
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Overview
Nirvana (Sanskrit: निर्वाण, nirvāṇa; Pali: nibbāna) is "blowing out" or "quenching" of the activities of the worldly mind and its related suffering. Nirvana is the goal of the Buddhist path, and marks the soteriological release from worldly suffering and rebirths in saṃsāra. Nirvana is part of the Third Truth on "cessation of dukkha" in the Four Noble Truths, and the "summum bonum of Bud…
Meaning and etymology
The origin of the term nirvana is probably pre-Buddhist. It was a more or less central concept among the Jains, the Ajivikas, the Buddhists, and certain Hindu traditions.
It generally describes a state of freedom from suffering and rebirth. The ideas of spiritual liberation using different terminology, is found in ancient texts of non-Buddhist Indian traditions, such as in verse 4.4.6 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad of Hinduism.
Interpretations of the early Buddhist concept
Most modern scholars such as Rupert Gethin, Richard Gombrich, Donald Lopez and Paul Williams hold that nirvāṇa (nibbana in Pali, also called nibbanadhatu, the property of nibbana), means the 'blowing out' or 'extinguishing' of greed, aversion, and delusion, and that this signifies the permanent cessation of samsara and rebirth.
Synonyms and metaphors
A commonly used metaphor for nirvana is that of a flame which goes out due to lack of fuel:
Just as an oil-lamp burns because of oil and wick, but when the oil and wick are exhausted, and no others are supplied, it goes out through lack of fuel (anaharo nibbayati), so the [enlightened] monk … knows that after the break-up of his body, when further life is exhausted, all feelings which are rejoiced in here will become cool.
In the Theravada School
In the Theravada-tradition, nibbāna is regarded as an uncompounded or unconditioned (asankhata) dhamma (phenomenon, event) which is "transmundane", and which is beyond our normal dualistic conceptions. In Theravada Abhidhamma texts like the Vibhanga, nibbana or the asankhata-dhatu (unconditioned element) is defined thus:
In other Buddhist schools
The later Buddhist Abhidharma schools gave different meaning and interpretations of the term, moving away from the original metaphor of the extinction of the "three fires". The Sarvastivada Abhidharma compendium, the Mahavibhasasastra, says of nirvana:
As it is the cessation of defilements (klesanirodha), it is called nirvana. As it is the extinction of the triple fires, it is called nirvana. As it is the tranquility of three characteristics, it is called nirva…
In Mahayana Buddhism
The Mahāyāna (Great Vehicle) tradition, which promotes the bodhisattva path as the highest spiritual ideal over the goal of arhatship, envisions different views of nirvāṇa than the Nikaya Buddhist schools. Mahāyāna Buddhism is a diverse group of various Buddhist traditions and therefore there is no single unified Mahāyāna view on nirvāṇa. However, it is generally believed that remaining in s…
See also
• Ataraxia
• Bodhi
• Enlightenment (religious)
• Moksha
• Nibbāna: The Mind Stilled
The Meaning of Nirvana
Nirvana Is Not A Place
- So, once we're liberated, what happens next? The various schools of Buddhism understand nirvana in different ways, but they generally agree that nirvana is not a place. It is more like a state of existence. However, the Buddha also said that anything we might say or imagine about nirvana would be wrong because it is utterly different from our ordinary existence. Nirvana is beyond sp…
Nibbana in Theravada Buddhism
- Theravada Buddhism describes two kinds of nirvana—or Nibbana, as Theravadins usually use the Pali word. The first is "Nibbana with remainders." This is compared to the embers that remain warm after flames have been extinguished, and it describes an enlightened living being or arahant. The arahant is still conscious of pleasure and pain, but he or she is no longer bound to them. Th…
Nirvana in Mahayana Buddhism
- One of the distinguishing characteristics of Mahayana Buddhism is the bodhisattva vow. Mahayana Buddhists are dedicated to the ultimate enlightenment of all beings, and thus choose to remain in the world in assistance to others rather than move on to individual enlightenment. In at least some schools of Mahayana, because everything inter-exists, "individual" nirvana is not ev…