28
votes
If I start doing Vipassana now, how long will it take me to achieve Nirvana?
There is a lovely zen saying, a dialogue between new student and master:
"Master, if I put in great effort every day to attain awakening, how long will it take?"
The master replies, "20 years."
"...
27
votes
How can Nirvana (Nibbana) be permanent?
There is a famous set of verses of the Buddha that go as follows:
“All conditioned things are impermanent” – when
one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from
suffering. This is the path ...
- 23.8k
21
votes
Is Nirvana the goal for all Buddhist?
No, Nirvana is not the goal of all Buddhists. According to Sakya and Nyingma schools of Tibetan Buddhism, Buddhist liberation methodologies can be divided in three major classes, corresponding to ...
- 55.2k
19
votes
Where does a person go after attaining Nirvana?
In one sense he continues just as we do. Once he attained nirvana under the Bodhi tree, the Buddha carried on teaching for another 50 years. It was only on the death of his physical body that he ...
- 20.8k
16
votes
Accepted
What is required to achieve Nirvana in Buddhism?
To answer your question let me draw an analogy. What is required to become a professor?
According to Wikipedia, "A professor is a highly accomplished and recognized academic, and the title is in most ...
- 55.2k
15
votes
Buddhism broke up my marriage
I don't suppose that any of us are qualified to advise you on your marriage or the optimal duration of it.
In theory, I really don't think it's fair to say that Buddhist love is non-romantic. The ...
- 151
13
votes
If there's nobody to get enlightened, why bother?
This linguistic terminology generally has caused a lot of miscommunication and misunderstanding.
The notion of not self is that is there no:
unchanging everlasting component which we can identify as ...
13
votes
If I start doing Vipassana now, how long will it take me to achieve Nirvana?
The Buddha himself gave the answer in the Maha Satipatthana Sutta—The Greater Discourse on Steadfast Mindfulness or the Great Discourse on the Establishing Awareness (DN22):
"Indeed, bhikkhus, ...
- 2,224
12
votes
Where does a person go after attaining Nirvana?
There was no person existing in the 1st place to cease to exist. What you mistake as a person is just the 5 aggregates of clinging. They are just natural processes of causes and effects. Once you ...
- 25.6k
12
votes
If I start doing Vipassana now, how long will it take me to achieve Nirvana?
Call me an over-enthusiast but presently, the highest priority in my life is to achieve the object of Nirvana or moksha.
This is good! You need enthusiasm to stay motivated in your practice.You also ...
- 3,042
12
votes
Are there pictures/paintings of Nirvana?
Nirvana isn't a heaven, but a state or condition where there is no
death, because there is also no birth, no coming into existence,
nothing made by conditioning, and therefore no time.
See ...
- 7,383
11
votes
Is Nirvana the goal for all Buddhist?
In the grand scheme of things, ending suffering and with it the endless cycle of rebirth is the ultimate goal of all forms of Buddhism.
However, while Theravada Buddhism focusses on personal ...
- 1,495
11
votes
Where does a person go after attaining Nirvana?
As I understand it, Crab Bucket is correct that this is a question to which an answer is never given. I will contribute some source and try to flesh out this answer a bit:
According to the Avyakata ...
- 2,534
10
votes
Accepted
If Dalai Lama is enlightened, why he keeps coming back?
This is a fundamental premise of Mayayana, that the goal is not to be extinguished and leave samsara like an Arhat, but to stick around until everyone is enlightened.
Here is the zen formulation of ...
- 7,016
10
votes
What is Nirodha?
Nirodha is a term that is normally translated as 'cessation' or 'stopping'. It's what happens to suffering in the 3rd noble truth, dukkhanirodha (cessation of suffering) and to all of the other ...
- 3,716
10
votes
Are there pictures/paintings of Nirvana?
On traditional bhavachakra images, Nirvana in its "peace of mind" aspect is symbolized by the full moon.
While sentient beings down in the realms of Samsara are busy chasing desires and experiencing ...
- 55.2k
10
votes
What is the relation between Nirvana and Parinirvana?
What the Buddha experienced at 35 was called sa-upādisesa-nibbāna - nirvana with remainder. What he experienced at 80 was called anupādisesa-nibbāna - nirvana without remainder:
“dvemā, bhikkhave, ...
- 23.8k
10
votes
If Buddhas don't feel bliss, what is the purpose of attaining nirvana?
From AN 9.34:
Ven: Sariputta: “Reverends, extinguishment (Nibbana) is bliss!
Ven. Udayi: “But Reverend Sāriputta, what’s blissful about it, since
nothing is felt?”
Ven. Sariputta: “The fact that ...
- 33.6k
9
votes
Accepted
What are the differences between "Nirvana" in Buddhism and "Moksha" in Hinduism?
Moksha and Nirvana are the same in that:
The cycle of live, death and rebirth is broken
once attained, one is free from Samsara
It's attainable through practise
Meditation techniques are employed in ...
- 1,495
9
votes
Enlightenment vs nibbana/nirvana
Enlightenment, or Bodhi, refers to coming to a direct realization of the truth. Nibbana is the timeless state of perfect peace and happiness which occurs as a result of attaining Enlightenment, and it ...
- 7,356
9
votes
Accepted
How is Nibbana unconditioned?
The practice of the eightfold noble path leads to the experience of nibbāna, just like the act of adverting the mind to the eye door leads to seeing light. Light, the object of seeing, is saṅkhata (...
- 23.8k
9
votes
If there is no self how can Nirvana be described as bliss?
According to Buddhism, even when I am typing these words and seeing the screen, there is no one there. The 'person' isn't an existing thing, it is just a label we put on things to describe how things ...
- 7,356
8
votes
Accepted
Nibbāna in The Progress of Insight
This passage is according to the abhidhamma treatment of the attainment of nibbana. The two to three mind moments (yes, that's what it means) are called anulomañāṇa ("anuloma~naa.na") - ...
- 23.8k
8
votes
How can there be Happiness without suffering?
Light vs darkness is a better analogy to wisdom vs ignorance than happiness vs suffering. What you describe as happiness and suffering are just experiences. They belong to the Sankhara group in the ...
- 25.6k
8
votes
Enlightenment vs nibbana/nirvana
[A Mahayana perspective]
There are two components to Enlightenment: Realization (insight, awakening, Bodhi) and Liberation (unbinding, Nirvana, loss of form).
Very strong and talented people, with ...
- 55.2k
8
votes
Does being in a commited married life make it impossible to attain Nirvana? If not, how can one progress towards Nirvana?
how someone can be in a commited relationship and at the same time achieve nibbana
I had a dream recently in which my wife went out for the evening without me: I was jealous, craving her and self-...
- 43.1k
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