Nirvana

4...Nirvana

Lord Buddha says; “Nirvanam Param Sukham –Nirvana is the ultimate eternal bliss.” 

In Lanka-Avatara Sutra, it is said, “Nirvana means seeing things as they are.” 

Nirvana is Satya –truth, Santi –peace and Moktsa -absolute freedom.  It is a positive and absolute state of being that is Nitya –eternal, without beginning and end. 

Nirvana is the state of being beyond intellect and objectivity that is unborn, uncreated, infinite, eternal and subjective. 

No words can adequately describe the state of Nirvana owing to the fact that we cannot perceive Nirvana with our worldly knowledge, which is finite and objective.  

Nirvana as the ultimate and absolute state of being can only be experienced; not described because it is ineffable.  One can only describe the qualities of the experience, but never the substance of it. 

In Nirvana, nothing is created or eternalized, nor is anything annihilated besides ignorance and negative emotions.  With Nirvana, the suffering, which is a state of being, is transcended over to another state of being, the happiness and bliss. 

Sariputra says; “Nirvana is a state of profound peace, at which the mind will only generate thoughts when needed and generates only the positive thoughts. 

At Nirvana the illusion of “I” is completely destroyed.  With Nirvana, we live fully on present moment and realise that we have the power to determine our state of being with our action.” 

Vasubandhu says, “Nirvana is the Parinishpanna Swabhava –true self-nature of being.”

Nirvana is the state of being in pure consciousness, being the embodiment of pure consciousness itself that is eternal and ever existing in all being.

Nirvana is the truth experienced by mind completely filled with selfless benevolence.  It is a supra-mundane state achievable in this present life. 

Nirvana means Bhava-nirodha, no more Bhava –becoming, not changing, not suffering, and no more un-satisfactoriness, because there is no cause to be Bhava. 

Nirvana means being eternally in bliss of perfect peace, having attained unconditioned state of being free of clinging and craving.

Nirvana is an utterly peaceful and happy state of being that awaits those who renounce craving and come out of ignorance.

Nirvana is a resultant of corporeal and transcendental factors:

1...Nirvana is a state of permanent emancipation, bliss, and purity, resulting from complete freedom from illusion, ignorance and attachment.  

2...Nirvana is a state of being free from Ahankara –Ego; I, me and mine.

3...Nirvana is a state of absolute perfection attainable with complete emancipation from ignorance and extinction of all forms of attachment.

4...Nirvana is the reality of righteousness, the essence of righteousness that emits radiation of wisdom, the pure perception, the selfless motif, love, and compassion. 

One should know that being spiritual means being righteous. 

5...Nirvana is an experience beyond all concepts upon transcending conditioned phenomenon. 

Nirvana is unconditioned state of being. 

6...Attaining Nirvana means:

i..    Extinction of worldly desire with cessation of longing and withdrawal from all that is worldly.

ii..   Extinguishing the flame of five poisons: anger, hatred, greed, lust, and jealousy; and all other negative emotions.

iii..  Realization of Sunyata with complete de-personalization of self.

iv..   Highest state of mind, being the knower of the ultimate truth.

v..    Selfless love and compassion towards all beings completely without any expectation or attachment to the result.

vi..   Liberation from Samsara, the cycle of birth and death characterize by Dukkha –suffering and un-satisfactoriness.

The Samsara and Nirvana are not entirely independent of each other and at the same time not the same but co-exist and co-arise.  Within that macrocosm, Nirvana is the state of non-duality; a state where the illusion of a false sense of separateness of independent “I” does not exist. 

Human beings are bound to Samsara by illusion and ignorance.  When one extinguishes the flame of illusion and ignorance, and all other negative emotions, one attains Nirvana. 

Lord Buddha says; “Nirvana is attained upon completely emptying causal Karmic potentials thus far accumulated and thereby being the embodiment of pure consciousness.”

Everyone has Buddha Dhatu -Buddha like faculty; and Buddha Bhav –the Buddha Nature, the Divine Nature.  When that Buddha Nature, that divinity, is fully awakened one is enlightened, and when an enlightened being fully devotes for enlightenment of others, he attains Nirvana.

Not knowing or ignoring the true nature of things which are by nature impermanent and dependent, as permanent and independent is ignorance.  So long we make mistake of considering things to be other than what they really are and then acting on that false presumption, we remain bound to Samsara. 

Attaining Nirvana means attaining transcendental wisdom by completely transforming the eight consciousnesses; the five senses, the mind, the feeling, and the Alaya Consciousness, into wisdom. 

One who has attained Nirvana is free from hope, grief and worry.  Hope creates anxiety and stress, which has negative impact on one’s being. 

Grief means expectation.  Having attached to something that is not natural or bound to happen, and not wanting it to happen or grief as it happens, is ignorance. 

To worry means to live in fear.  To worry means loss of self-confidence.  Without self-confidence life can only be doomed. 

One who is longing for Nirvana will have trust and confidence on one’s own Atma –self, no matter what happens in life.  With Nirvana one will have the inner strength to create good out of every situation.  Albert Einstein (1879-1955) says, “In the middle of difficulty, there is opportunity.”  If one has self confidence, Nirvana is accessible and attainable to everyone.

For Nirvana, one must rise above five Skandhas: (i) Name and form, (ii) Feeling or sensation, (iii) Perception or awareness, (iv) Emotional reaction, and (v) Ordinary consciousness. 

For Nirvana one needs to perfect the knowledge of relationship between subject and object.

For Nirvana, one must realise the Buddha Nature –the pure consciousness, by purifying the consciousnesses completely and permanently. 

Buddha Nature eternally exists in us and every corporeal existence.  With the manifestation of Buddha Nature, Nirvana is attained as eternal happiness and bliss. 

Nirvana is not something attainable after death.  It is a supra-mundane state of being and attainable by everyone in this present life for which one has to walk the path of righteousness. 

Theravada recognises Atma -worldly transitory self, but does not consider it as part of Param Atma –higher eternal self.  Theravada reveres Anatta -not self philosophy ardently and believes in destroying the lower elemental worldly transitory self and thereby discovering the Buddha Nature -higher eternal self within. 

Mahayana at large support blissful transformation of worldly transitory self into universal eternal pure self and sees Nirvana as progressive realization of the emptiness of self-hood -the egoistic personality; and oneness with the boundless being.

Theravada considers that complete extinction of elemental worldly transitory self is prelude to Nirvana.  Nirvana means complete destruction of the individual self which is nothing but Ahangkar –Ego, which comes into being with aggregation of five Skandhas, propels life in illusion till death, and dissolves with disaggregation of five Skandhas at death.

Theravada holds on to its conviction on destroy and discover.  Destroy all that is Anatta -not self, and discover the Buddha Nature –the divine nature within.  There is no such thing as union with divine or transforming something that is not eternal into eternity or divinity.

In Samayutta Nikaya (IV 251), Lord Buddha says; “Nirvana is the extinction of passion, aversion, and confusion.”  This description introduces the idea of Nirvana as the extinction of negative emotion. 

Theraveda scriptures say, “Nirvana is the detachment, the end of suffering, the harbour of refuge, the place of bliss, the holy city, the ineffable liberation, the tranquil, the calm, the immaterial, the imperishable, the supreme joy, the supreme reality, the absolute state of being, beyond all finite things.

Nirvana is changeless, timeless, supra-personal, ultimate good, and indescribably blissful.” 

Lord Buddha says; “Excited by Lobha -greed, furious with Dosha -anger, blinded by Moha -delusion, with mind overwhelmed, with mind enslaved, man reproduce their own misfortune, man reproduce misfortune of others, and man experience mental suffering and anguish.

If however, greed, anger and delusion are done away, man reproduces neither misfortune nor mental suffering and anguish.

Brothers, Nirvana is visible in this life and not merely in the future.  It is inviting, attractive and accessible to the wise disciples.” 

Passion and the feeling of deprivation put a man on flame and burn him throughout his life.  It is Nirvana that puts off the flame of passion and the feeling of deprivation and brings eternal peace and happiness. 

Lord Buddha once delivered a sermon to Bhikkus when he was staying in Gaya. 

Lord Buddha says:

“All things, O Bhikkus, are on fire.  And what are all these things which are on fire.

The eye, O Bhikkus, is on fire.  The eye consciousness is on fire.  The impressions received by the eye are on fire; and whatever sensation, pleasant, unpleasant, or indifferent, that originates in dependence on that impression, that is also on fire.  All forms are on fire.

And with what are these on fire?

The passion of I, hatred, infatuation; birth, old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, misery, grief and despair are on fire.

The ear is on fire.  The sounds are on fire; the nose is on fire; odours are on fire; the tongue is on fire; the testes are on fire; and the body is on fire.

The ideas are on fire; and whatever sensation, pleasant, unpleasant, or different, that originates in dependence on impression received by the mind, that also is on fire.

Perceiving this, O Bhikkus, the learned and noble conceives an aversion.  And in conceiving this aversion, he becomes divested of passion, and by the absence of passion he becomes free, and when he is free he becomes aware that he is free.”

Passion that binds us to Samsara falls under three groups: (1) Moha -craving and attachment, (2) Dosha -antipathy, and (3) Avidya –ignorance.  The first and second relates to emotions, attitudes and feelings towards other beings, while the third relates to spiritual knowledge and sincere endeavour for Nirvana.  The moment we are free from the sway of our passion we are on the way of achieving Nirvana. 

Those who attain Nirvana, while still alive, will attain Parinirvana when the material existence comes to an end; when the composite body is dead and all perception stopped, all sensations dead and consciousness leaves the corpse. 

Nirvana means ultimate eternal happiness while alive but Parinirvana means complete extinction. 

Nirvana is another name for living a righteous life.  This was made clear by Lord Buddha to Radha.

Once Radha came to Lord Buddha, saluted to the Exalted One and sat down on one side.  So seated Radha addressed to Lord Buddha: “Pray Lord, what for is Nirvana?”

“Nirvana means release of passion,” replied the Lord.

“But Nirvana, Lord,-what is the aim of it?”

“Rooted in Nirvana, Radha, the righteous life is lived.  Nirvana is its goal.  Nirvana is its end,” replied the Lord.

Sariputra also made clear that Nirvana does not mean extinction.

Once, Lord Buddha was staying in Shravasti at Anathapindika’s Ashram, where Sariputra was also staying.  Lord Buddha, addressing the congregation, said: “Almsmen, be ye partakers not of the world’s goods but of my doctrine.  In my compassion for you all I am anxious to ensure this.”  Thus spoke the Lord, who thereupon rose and proceeded to his chamber.  Sariputta was there and he was asked to explain what Nirvana is.  

Sariputta said: “Brethren, know ye that greed is vile, and vile is resentment.  To shed this greed and this resentment, there is the Middle Way.  That Middle Way gives us eyes to see, makes us know, and leads us on to peace, insight, enlightenment and Nirvana.  Nirvana is no other than Eightfold Noble Path, which itself is Nirvana, which itself is Middle Way.”  

The very idea underlying Nirvana is that it is the path of righteousness.  No one should mistake Nirvana for anything more than complete annihilation of negative attitudes and emotions, and establish everything that is positive.  

From metaphysical point of view, Nirvana is the truth experienced by mind upon transcending Ego, negative emotions, attachment and ignorance.  From ethical point of view, Nirvana is living a righteous life, and from spiritual point of view, Nirvana is the awakened state of pure consciousness.

Nirvana is not situated in any place nor is it a kind of heaven.  Nirvana is a state of being and it is dependent upon our body itself and it is within the reach of all of us.  

Lord Buddha only taught the practical way to achieve Nirvana but did not describe it.  Some scholars have defined Nirvana as annihilation of individual self while others as eternal existence in a state of bliss.  In either case the definition could potentially be wrong which is understood differently by different scholars and described according to their perception. 

To some Nirvana is a state of permanent emancipation, bliss and purity.  While some describe Nirvana as the progressive realisation of Sunyata -a perfect state of equanimity where there is no object-subject polarity.  To others Nirvana is Dharmakaya -the essence of Buddha, Dharma Dhatu -the ultimate reality, and Tatha-ta -the ultimate actuality.  

Yet others say Nirvana is the complete extinction of Ahankara -the Ego, the I, me and mine; and Avidhya –ignorance, and thereby becoming a boundless being, boundless in four immeasurable: (1) Metta -loving kindness, (2).Karuna -compassion, (3) Mudita -appreciative joy, and (4) Upekkha –equanimity.  All of them are the state of mind. 

Loving kindness avoids hatred and fills one’s heart with good will towards all without limit, and identifies self with all beings.  Compassion generates commitments and vows to alleviate the suffering of others. 

Appreciative joy enables us to feel happy when another person is happy.  It is a happy acquiescence or joining another person’s feeling of satisfaction.  With equanimity one does not sway with sense objects and enables us to view things impartially. 

Above all the preludes, Nirvana is the highest state of intellectual development and emotional maturity.  At the end what matters most is to become a better human being, doing everything with a smile and making life a happy experience for everyone while journeying towards liberating life from Samsara. 

Raymond Van-Over in Eastern Mysticism: Volume 1 writes that there is a high level of closeness between the mystical elements of Buddhism and the Mystical philosophies of Upanishads of Hinduism.  The Buddhist philosophy of Nirvana has its roots in the mystical Hindu philosophy of Moktsa, which also means liberation from Samsara.  

The Vedas and Upanishads say, “The Param Atma –the higher self resides in us.  It is pure, enduring, unchanging and eternal, and besides that everything is impermanent and ever changing.  It is higher than mind and intellect and beyond all material components.  But it is Atma –individual self, deluded and individualized by Ego that enlivens us, galvanises, moves and directs our body, mind and senses. 

The ultimate goal of human life is to recognise and realise the Param Atma -the higher self within.  We should perceive Param Atma within our body, mind and intellect. When we recognize the higher self within, we attain Moktsa –freedom, Nirvana –liberation, and see the higher self in all beings, and become the embodiment of equanimity, peace, compassion and loving kindness.” 

Atharva Veda says, “Man has to seek all means of discovering the meaning of life because without knowing it, he is lost; he wonders from birth to birth.

Everything and every being around us are impermanent and changing with time.  Time ripens and dissolves all beings into the Brahmn -the great self.” 

In Bhagvad Gita (6.25) Krishna says, “By keeping our mind fully absorbed in the Param Atma, by means of a well trained mind and intellect, and thinking nothing else other than higher self, the supreme ideal, we attain highest state of being.” 

Shankaracarya says; “Attaining Nirvana means attaining Nirguna Brahmn –the absolute without any attributes, which is indeterminate and ultimate reality. 

Liberating our Atma –individual self, from ignorance, being empty of ignorance, and being empty of Maya –illusion construed by ignorance, is Nirvana.

Prajnanam Brahmn -the Brahmn, the absolute, is Prajna -pure consciousness.  Attaining the state of pure consciousness means attaining Nirvana.

Upon attaining Nirvana one is spiritually existing and experiencing Sunyata at Nirvana.  Nirvana does not mean total extinction but total dissolution of individual self and knowing oneself as the Brahmn -the universal self.”

The theologies of Hinduism say, “Nirvana is the state of being eternally existing in us in the form of Sat-Citta-Ananda. 

Nirvana does not mean non-existence but existence in Sat-Citta-Ananda -pure state of consciousness eternally existing in us. 

Nirvana is a state self illumination at which the individual identity looses itself in one’s own fullness.  At that state one is free from illusions and ignorance but suffused with magnanimity of positive attitudes. 

Nirvana is Dhruva -the eternal, Subha -the desirable, and Sukkha -the happiness.”

Lord Buddha attained Nirvana in Nirmanakaya.  Lord Buddha, as he was enlightened, he attained Nirvana.  One may attain Nirvana in Nirmanakaya, living physically an ordinary human life for which death is not a prerequisite.