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There is, bhikkhus, a not-born, a not-brought-to-being, a not-made, a not-conditioned. If, bhikkhus, there were no not-born, not-brought-to-being, not-made, not-conditioned, no escape would be discerned from what is born, brought-to-being, made, conditioned. But since there is a not-born, a not-brought-to-being, a not-made, a not-conditioned, therefore an escape is discerned from what is born, brought-to-being, made, conditioned. (Sutta pitaka , khuddaka nikaya , udana 8:3)

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That is Nibbana, and not god or Brahman or any kind of Ultimate Reality. It is that which is experienced by the mind, when it is completely free of all fetters and defilements.

I quote from this answer below. Please see that answer for details.

So, Nibbana is not a thought of the mind, not a concept of the mind, not a state of the mind, not a state of consciousness and also not a feeling. However, when the mind experiences this Nibbana, which is not conditioned, not compounded, not suffering, not impermanent, not arising, not ceasing and not changing, it experiences bliss. The mind can therefore experience Nibbana, but it cannot feel it or think about it.

Sukha or happiness for an unenlightened person is experienced when encountering pleasant feelings (from the six senses) or when encountering the cessation of painful feelings (from the six senses). But for an arahat, sukha or bliss (in this context) is experienced when encountering neutral feelings, no feelings and Nibbana.

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  • Does mind even still exist during nibbana ?
    – user646989
    May 26, 2020 at 17:56
  • @user646989 Mind exists during and after Nibbana, but it is free from defilements. If you read this sutta, it says "Luminous is the mind. And it is defiled by incoming defilements." The mind is however completely calm and silenced in higher jhanas. Also, see this answer for examples of thoughts entering the Buddha's mind.
    – ruben2020
    May 27, 2020 at 14:40
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It is similar, Maimonides of the Hebrew faith also ended up saying that God could only be described through negation, and the Hindus say Brahman is 'neti neti' - 'not this, not that'.

However the difference between nibbana and God is that God is Ultimate Reality, which is where the term differes from nibbana.

If God is seen as a '1' to the '0' of our daily experience, then nibbana is the '0' to the '-1' of our daily experience. It is perhaps more melancholy, but it is less contrived, as no 'thing' needs to be pulled out of a hat.

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  • What do you mean by ultimate reality ? The atma in Hinduism is unborn too
    – user646989
    May 26, 2020 at 8:28
  • Just really the last paragraph. Actually, I would say not '0', but '[ ]' - an empty set for nibbana, if being pedantic. Atman however, is an attempt to build a '1' into things. That thing, existing independent of individual experience. nibbana does not exist, it does not not exist, it is not conditioned, by any thing. May 27, 2020 at 6:03
  • No. God you're talking about is a personification of nature. Also logics or Boolean logic or set theory doesn't have anything to do here. Misleading answer.
    – XPD
    May 27, 2020 at 18:54
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God, is not neccesary. Buddha didnt said, it exist, doesnt, both or neighther. Birth is the origination of dependant phenomenon. Its like Electric field is always present with magnetic disc around it. Magnetic disc can be called as dependent origination, as it attract the Iron. Iron can be term as 5 khandas and when one attain nibbana, it cease to that magnetic disc. Know for sure, that magnetic disc never ceases, it always accompanied by electric field. Magnetic field can be term as anatta. You are asking about electric field, the source of life. If you see above statements, then question of electric field is not neccessary. Real question likes in how to attain cessation!

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  • What's khandas ? Is there any similar concept of khanda in Hindu or Islam ? ,Is the electric field god ?
    – user646989
    May 26, 2020 at 8:19
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    5 Khanda mean complex of 5 elements with feeling, sensation, perception, counciousness to form being. In hinduism khanda is synonymous with Brahman. Veda stumbled into it as they term it as Supreme one, but an error. Although impermanent, they call it permanent. They cling to it. They not crossed to other shore, but remain tied to this end. Why? They didn't surrendered! To the eightfold path, a pool of coolness and purity. Electric field cannot be call by any name. It's not Worthy. It's not produce will to detachment. It's only called as place of cessation of all sufferings! May 26, 2020 at 8:39
  • what do you think about Islam then ? Your religion is very different from them
    – user646989
    May 26, 2020 at 9:16
  • I belong to no religion. Nor here any wish to change others. Buddhism is not religion, it's way of pure life lived here and now. There is history religion changes over time from one to another, replacing with one belief to another. I don't have any belief. I don't think only Buddhism teaches the truth, others not. May 26, 2020 at 9:32
  • can you reconcile both Islam and Buddhism ? Do you find similarity between them ?
    – user646989
    May 26, 2020 at 9:33
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There is no god, creator of all. Nibbana is the cessation of the manifested, cessation of perception of the manifested, and cessation of the memory of the manifested. Nothing remains of mind as you know it. Nibbana is unborn. It creates nothing. The question is, how does manifestation come into being?

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