Questions tagged [nirvana]
Nirvāṇa (Sanskrit: निर्वाण; Pali: निब्बान nibbāna ; Prakrit: णिव्वाण) literally means "blown out", as in a candle. In the Buddhist context nirvana refers to the imperturbable stillness of mind after the fires of desire, aversion, and delusion have been extinguished.
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Is Nibbana a state of mind or an element (dhamma)?
I have four parts of this question,
Is Nibbana a state of mind or a dhamma?
If Nibbana is a state of mind, is it merely the uprooting of craving?
If the answer for the second question is "Yes", then ...
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Comparison of Nirvana, Tao and Brahman/Atma
Nirvana is described in Samyutta Nikaya 43 as
"the unfabricated (unborn?), the uninclined, the truth, the far shore,
the subtle, the very difficult to see, the unaging (eternal?), the
stable, ...
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How did the suffering of Gautama Buddha arise or co-arise?
As per my understanding during his lifetime, Gautama Buddha, had attained Nibbana with residue. And after death he attained Parinibbana (or Nibbana with no residue).
Nibbana with residue is defined ...
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Enlightenment vs nibbana/nirvana
What is the difference between enlightenment/awakening and nibbana/nirvana? And how do these terms relate to parinibbana/parinirvana?
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Buddhism is kind of depressing
Please correct me if I'm misguided about this but I was doing some reading which seemed to be saying that life on this earth is nothing but suffering. That while we are ignorant we wander around in ...
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What is Nirodha?
I came across the concept of Nirodha in the book The Meditative Mind by Daniel Goleman. I think it's originally from the Visuddhimagga. In the book it seems to be placed above Nirvana in the path of ...
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Can you explain "nirvana"?
Can anybody explain to me about "nibbana" and how it is different form "nirvana"?
Are there views about it and ways to get to it?
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Does Nibbana mean not self?
I have found a text which states that
nibbāna is a description meaning not-self.
The meaning of the text is clear. Nibbana is nothing but not-self.
Moreover I have also found a sutta(SN22.45) ...
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Does Nibbana lie within The All or not?
The Sabba Sutta (SN 35.23) (trans. Thanissaro) states:
The Blessed One said, "What is the All? Simply the eye & forms, ear &
sounds, nose & aromas, tongue & flavors, body & ...
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Is suicide similar to Nibbana?
I read a comment on this forum, which said:
why do you even need to work hard attain Nibbana? Why not just commit suicide when things get tough?
This comment gives me the impression the writer ...
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Where does a person go after attaining Nirvana?
After attaining Nirvana, what happens to the person(conscious) after death?
Does the person cease to exist?
If not, does the person go to some peaceful place?
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If there's nobody to get enlightened, why bother?
It seems the goal of Buddhist practice is to become an Arahant - someone who won't take a rebirth, and therefore will be eternally relieved from suffering.
But WHO is this someone who doesn't get ...
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How is samsara nirvana?
How is samsara nirvana? I have heard this mentioned in a couple books recently, but they never go into much detail.
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Difference between abiding nirvana and non-abiding nirvana?
In Mahayana Buddhism, what is the difference between abiding nirvana and non-abiding nirvana?
Are there official Sanskrit terms for "abiding nirvana" and "non-abiding nirvana"? What are they?
When a ...
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Does any real existent or genuine person end with parinibbana?
Does modern Theravada accept that no real person ends with the break up of the body of a realized one? That the moment after the break up of the body of a realized one is the same as the moment before?...
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How is Nibbana unconditioned?
It is often said that Nibbana is unconditioned. But isn't Nibbana to be attained through practice of the Noble Eightfold Path (abandoning desire, meditation, realizing paticcasamuppada etc)? Aren't ...
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How should I stop thinking that I am even slightly enlightened?
I don't know how else to phrase this question, but please advise. I have this constant irritating feeling that I am kind of enlightened. It is confusing.
I don't really know if it is my ego which is ...
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What is Nirvana (mahayana)?
...as per the title.
In the Theravada literature, the Buddha is seen as someone who found an end to suffering and taught that for all his life, urging his disciples to apply themselves to it, to not ...
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What Gautam Buddha said about "self", in Chapter Three of the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra?
From this site, I found the following saying of Buddha:
"You, monks, should not thus cultivate the notion (samjna) of impermanence, suffering and non-Self, the notion of impurity and so forth, ...
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Is Nirvana eternal? [duplicate]
In the book, What the Buddha Taught, Walpola Rahula writes on page 65, "It is the vague feeling 'I AM' that creates the idea of self which has no corresponding reality, and to see this truth is to ...
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What do secular Buddhists say about Nirvana?
What is 'secular Buddhism', and what does it say about Nirvana?
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Parinibbāna in secular Buddhism
I take it that an important claim of secular Buddhism is that the Buddha never actually taught literal rebirth.
What happens during parinibbāna according to secular Buddhism? How is it different from ...
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Awakened Great Zen Master Seung Sahn - is it possible he lost the state of Nibbana?
From my understanding of awakening (and also according to answers here like Is it possible to become UNenlightened?), it is an irreversible process. It makes sense in theory as, once one awakens, ...
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Is a via positiva, cataphatic definition of Nibbāna possible?
When Time is conditioned, when Space is also supposedly conditioned, when all ‘phenomena’, in the strictest philosophical sense of the word, are conditioned, how can the unconditioned Nibbāna be ever ...
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Are there pictures/paintings of Nirvana?
I´m writing an article about pictures of the afterlifes/havens in different religions. But I wasn´t able to find pictures/paintings/artworks that picture Nirvana on the internet. So my question is: ...
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Does being in a commited married life make it impossible to attain Nirvana? If not, how can one progress towards Nirvana?
Married life is a form of attachment. If one is in a commited relationship he/she is bound to have a multitude of attachments like a wife, children, personal belongings, wealth etc. But Buddha has ...
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What are the differences between "Nirvana" in Buddhism and "Moksha" in Hinduism?
A few days ago, I came across an article on Buddhism primarily about "Nirvana."
After I read the article, I started to wonder because "Nirvana" sounds similar to Hinduism's "Moksha." Does anyone ...
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What is required to achieve Nirvana in Buddhism?
Nirvana is considered by many religions the pinnacle to strive for. What do I need to do to achieve Nirvana? Are there different perceptions of the requirements held by different sects?
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Consciousness in Nibbana
In the Abhidhamma, it makes mention to 89 and 121 states of consciousness. It says there are four ultimate realities namely
Consciousness
Mental Factors
Matter
Nibbana.
The first three are ...
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Is it necessary for a Buddhist to believe that existence is suffering?
It appears that Buddhism depends on a central premise -- that all worldly existence = suffering / dukkha.
Are there Buddhist teachers or traditions that teach a joyous approach to worldly life?
Are ...
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Is Nirvana redundant?
I'm confused over Buddhism's lack of afterlife, yet belief in rebirth.
If there is no soul, how can there be rebirth?
What happens to the five aggregates after death?
Consciousness in Nibbana
From ...
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If there's no "self" then why should I care about the future lives and nirvana?
English is my second language.
If there's no "self', and "I am" is just a "flow" or "mix" of information (dharma, karma, etc.); and if, when I die, "I" (body, illusory self, soul) will die but this ...
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Is Buddhist practice a form of suicide?
I don't presume to understand Buddhism very well, but I'm trying to increase my understanding of the Dhamma, so please don't take what I write the wrong way. I'm not being disrespectful, because even ...
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If someone was an Once-returner in last life how can he know that ?
There are 4 stages in the path to nirvana. one of them is called "Once-returner" and they will be born only once as a human. So my question is , If Someone was an once-returner in last life , how can ...
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Why choose to attain Nirvana when we can become Brahmas (or Bodhisattvas)?
As I understand, once someone attains Nirvana and passes away, there is no more dependant arising, meaning this person no longer manifests as a person or being in any realm. This also means that this ...
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How can you translate nibbida?
How can you translate or define nibbida in English?
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How do you know if you have attained Nibbana?
You read the suttas, understand their meaning, and put the teachings into practice. At the end of the day, how do you know if you have attained Nibbana? I think this is an important question because ...
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Should I decrease the amount of time I practice concentration meditation?
I have been following buddhist practices for little over three years now, and samadhi - or concentration, as you prefer - meditation was obviously part of my practice. As I was often taught from some ...
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After Nibbana, can one be reborn again in Samsara?
Is Nibbana final? Or if you attain Nibbana, can you be reborn again in Samsara if you wish?
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Is Anapanasati a complete path? Does it, by itself, lead to nirvana?
I have been doing meditation of various forms (Goenka body-scanning, anapanasati, just sitting, kaya, citta, and vedana nupassana, etc.) but am trying to figure out something about anapanasati in ...
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If there is no self how can Nirvana be described as bliss?
I've heard Nirvana described as a state of bliss, but if there is no self then how can it be described as bliss when nobody is there to experience it?
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If Dalai Lama is enlightened, why he keeps coming back?
Assuming the result of enlightenment is attainment of Nirvana, and assuming Dalai Lama is enlightened, why does he keep on getting reborn?
Could it mean that Nirvana means something else, for example ...
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What is the physics of the 'phenomena' of Nirvana?
Although a lot has been said and written on the internet about Nirvana, the physics behind it seems to be an obscure and elusive area.
Human experience seems to be summed up in five-skandhas, ...
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Odds of nirvana
What are the odds of getting nirvana during this lifetime? I suppose, given a worldwide population of 8-9 billion, of that what percentage is likely?
an arahant whose effluents are ended, who has ...
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Whats the path towards enlightenment?
I'm pretty new to Buddhism, so I'm not very knowledgeable about what's most commonly considered as the path towards enlightenment. I already have a pretty subjective idea of it - I have to unify my ...
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How do you reach Nirvana when you are craving Nirvana?
They say once you reach Nirvana you remove craving. However, don't we need to crave the state of Nirvana in order to reach it? Doesn't that contradict everything an enlightened person who reached ...
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Has Buddha attained Nirvana after death?
It is said that the Buddha attained Nirvana after his death. But how do we know that it is true? Are there any physical signs to recognize?
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How to get to Nirvana?
I am very new to Buddhism.
What would be the most accurate way to practise and reach to Nirvana?
Did Lord of Buddha show us?
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How will I know that this state of no suffering will last forever?
Suppose I have reached a state of no suffering. Then what is the proof that suffering won't arise again ? How can I be sure that state of Nirvana doesn't change or decay ?
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What is actually Nirvana -- what are some Tripitaka sources?
What do you know about the Nirvana?
Most of this community people are from all around the world, and may have different teachers, and level of knowledge may vary.
A brief explanation, with reference ...