Nirvana is the final state of liberation a monk
attains after spending
years meditating upon the Four Noble Truths and
practicing sincerely the Eightfold Path. When the monk attains
this state after passing through the initial three paths, he or she
beccomes completely free from all becoming. Nirvana or "nibbana"
as it is popularly called, is liberation from the evils of impermanence,
change and samsara and the dissolution of the transmigrating
individual ego.
It is a condition where nothing actually happens,
moves, changes or becomes. Is it a state of bliss. Well actually we do
not know. because in that state there is no experience, no knowing and
no knower and observer either.
When the Arhat or the holy one passes away, he
attain the realm where there is nothing, "neither
solid nor fluid, neither heat nor motion, neither this world nor any
other world, neither the sun nor the moon."
This is called the cessation of becoming which is
"neither arising, nor passing away, neither standing still nor
being born, nor dying." It is Nirvana, which is unborn, without
source, uncreated and unformed real into which escape is possible for
the beings through cessation of craving.
The Buddha did not encourage speculation by the
initiates on the condition of Nirvana, because of the purely
subjective nature of the experience. But an understanding of Nirvana
was considered essential for the monks to continue their practice on
the Eightfold path.
If we go by the sermon of flame delivered by the
Buddha, Nirvana is the extinction of lust, of aversion, of delusion
(raga, dvesha and moha), and of the urge to live. We are also told
that when Nirvana is attained all becoming comes to an end. The notion
of "I" and the "conceit of self-reference"
disappears, since all notions of individuality have gone.
We are not sure whether Nirvana is a state of bliss
or not, unlike in Hinduism where we are explicitly told that
Self-realization leads to the experience of unbound bliss (Brhamananda).
We are also not sure what happens when an Arhat who has attained
Nirvana passes away. Does he continue to exists or cease to exist? The
Buddha did not encourage any speculation on this and did not reveal
anything about it, because in his opinion such knowledge in no way
would contribute to the absence of passion, sorrow or attainment of
Nirvana.
Another question regarding Nirvana that is
difficult to answer is whether an Arhat who has
attained Nirvana would remain continuously in that state while he
still remains in this world, or moves in and out of it from time to
time.
We are also not sure, what happens when an Arhat
leaves this world. Whether he continues to exist and if he exists at
all in what manner he exists even the Buddha did not consider it fit
to answer.
Probably in order to resolve this confusion, the
followers of Mahayana Buddhism proposed the concept of Bodhisattvas
deferring their salvation for the welfare of the people. These
Bodhisattvas are beings of great merit who can attain Nirvana at will.
But because of their unbound compassion, they sacrifice their own
liberation and work for the liberation of others. The Buddhist
pantheon grew out of this argument.
"This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of
all fabrications, the relinquishment of all acquisitions, the
ending of craving;
dispassion; cessation; Nibbana." — Anguttara Nikaya III.32
There's no fire like passion,
no loss like anger,
no pain like the aggregates,
no ease other than peace.
Hunger: the foremost illness.
Fabrications: the foremost pain.
For one knowing this truth
as it actually is,
Unbinding
is the foremost ease.
Freedom from illness: the foremost good fortune.
Contentment: the foremost wealth.
Trust: the foremost kinship.
Unbinding: the foremost ease. - Dhammapada 202-205
The enlightened, constantly
absorbed in jhana,
persevering,
firm in their effort:
they touch Unbinding,
the unexcelled safety
from bondage. - Dhammapada 23
"There is that dimension where there is neither earth, nor
water, nor fire, nor wind; neither dimension of the infinitude of
space, nor dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, nor
dimension of nothingness, nor dimension of neither perception nor
non-perception; neither this world, nor the next world, nor sun,
nor moon. And there, I say, there is neither coming, nor going,
nor stasis; neither passing away nor arising: without stance,
without foundation, without support [mental object]. This, just
this, is the end of stress." — Udana VIII.1
"There is, monks, an unborn — unbecome — unmade —
unfabricated. If there were not that unborn — unbecome —
unmade — unfabricated, there would not be the case that
emancipation from the born — become — made — fabricated
would be discerned. But precisely because there is an unborn —
unbecome — unmade — unfabricated, emancipation from the born
— become — made — fabricated is discerned." — Udana
VIII.3
Where water, earth, fire, & wind have no footing:
There the stars do not shine,
the sun is not visible,
the moon does not appear,
darkness is not found.
And when a sage,
a brahman through sagacity,
has known [this] for himself,
then from form & formless,
from bliss & pain,
he is freed. — Udana I.10
Then the Blessed One, picking up a little bit of dust with the
tip of his fingernail, said to the monks, "What do you think,
monks? Which is greater: the little bit of dust I have picked up
with the tip of my fingernail, or the great earth?"
"The great earth is far greater, lord. The little bit of
dust the Blessed One has picked up with the tip of his fingernail
is next to nothing. It's not a hundredth, a thousandth, a one
hundred-thousandth — this little bit of dust the Blessed One has
picked up with the tip of his fingernail — when compared with
the great earth."
"In the same way, monks, for a disciple of the noble ones
who is consummate in view, an individual who has broken through
[to stream-entry],
the suffering & stress that is totally ended &
extinguished is far greater. That which remains in the state of
having at most seven remaining lifetimes is next to nothing: it's
not a hundredth, a thousandth, a one hundred-thousandth, when
compared with the previous mass of suffering. That's how great the
benefit is of breaking through to the Dhamma, monks. That's how
great the benefit is of obtaining the Dhamma eye." —
Samyutta Nikaya XIII.1
[Aggivessana Vacchagotta:] "But, Master Gotama, the monk
whose mind is thus released: Where does he reappear?"
[The Buddha:] "'Reappear,' Vaccha, doesn't apply."
"In that case, Master Gotama, he does not reappear."
"'Does not reappear,' Vaccha, doesn't apply."
"...both does & does not reappear."
"...doesn't apply."
"...neither does nor does not reappear."
"...doesn't apply."
"How is it, Master Gotama, when Master Gotama is asked if
the monk reappears... does not reappear... both does & does
not reappear... neither does nor does not reappear, he says,
'...doesn't apply' in each case. At this point, Master Gotama, I
am befuddled; at this point, confused. The modicum of clarity
coming to me from your earlier conversation is now obscured."
"Of course you're befuddled, Vaccha. Of course you're
confused. Deep, Vaccha, is this phenomenon, hard to see, hard to
realize, tranquil, refined, beyond the scope of conjecture,
subtle, to-be-experienced by the wise. For those with other views,
other practices, other satisfactions, other aims, other teachers,
it is difficult to know. That being the case, I will now put some
questions to you. Answer as you see fit. What
do you think, Vaccha: If a fire were burning in front of you,
would you know that, 'This fire is burning in front of me'?"
"...yes..."
"And suppose someone were to ask you, Vaccha, 'This fire
burning in front of you, dependent on what is it burning?' Thus
asked, how would you reply?"
"...I would reply, 'This fire burning in front of me is
burning dependent on grass & timber as its sustenance.'"
"If the fire burning in front of you were to go out, would
you know that, 'This fire burning in front of me has gone
out'?"
"...yes..."
"And suppose someone were to ask you, 'This fire that has
gone out in front of you, in which direction from here has it
gone? East? West? North? Or south?' Thus asked, how would you
reply?"
"That doesn't apply, Master Gotama. Any fire burning
dependent on a sustenance of grass and timber, being unnourished
— from having consumed that sustenance and not being offered any
other — is classified simply as 'out' (unbound)."
"Even so, Vaccha, any physical form by which one
describing the Tathagata would describe him: That the Tathagata
has abandoned, its root destroyed, like an uprooted palm tree,
deprived of the conditions of existence, not destined for future
arising. Freed from the classification of form, Vaccha, the
Tathagata is deep, boundless, hard to fathom, like the sea.
'Reappears' doesn't apply. 'Does not reappear' doesn't apply.
'Both does & does not reappear' doesn't apply. 'Neither
reappears nor does not reappear' doesn't apply.
"Any feeling... Any perception... Any mental
fabrication...
"Any consciousness by which one describing the Tathagata
would describe him: That the Tathagata has abandoned, its root
destroyed, like an uprooted palm tree, deprived of the conditions
of existence, not destined for future arising. Freed from the
classification of consciousness, Vaccha, the Tathagata is deep,
boundless, hard to fathom, like the sea." Majjhima Nikaya 72
"Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done.
There is nothing further for this world." — Samyutta Nikaya
XXII.59
Some are born in the human womb,
evildoers in hell,
those on the good course go
to heaven,
while those without effluent:
totally unbound. — Dhammapada 126
