Nirvana

This article is about the religious concept. For the American grunge band, see Nirvana (band). For other uses, see Nirvana (disambiguation).

Translations of
Nirvana
Sanskritनिर्वाण
(IAST: nirvāṇa)
Palinibbāna
Burmeseနိဗ္ဗာန်
(MLCTS: neɪʔbàɰ̃)
Chinese涅槃
(Pinyin: nièpán)
Indonesiannirwana
Japanese涅槃
(Rōmaji: nehan)
Khmerនិព្វាន
(UNGEGN: nĭpvéan)
Korean열반
(RR: yeolban)
Monနဳဗာန်
([nìppàn])
MongolianНирваан дүр
(nirvaan dür)
Shanၼိၵ်ႈပၢၼ်ႇ
([nik3paan2])
Sinhalaනිර්වාණ [si]
(nivana)
Tibetanམྱ་ངན་ལས་འདས་པ།
(mya ngan las 'das pa)
Tagalognirbana
Thaiนิพพาน
(RTGS: nipphan)
Vietnameseniết bàn
Glossary of Buddhism
Translations of
Nirvana
Englishfreedom, liberation
Sanskritनिर्वाण
(IAST: nirvāṇa)
Bengaliনির্বাণ
(nirbanô)
Hindiनिर्वाण
(nirvāṇa)
Javaneseꦤꦶꦂꦮꦤ
(nirwana)
Kannadaನಿರ್ವಾಣ
(nirvāṇa)
Malayalamനിർവാണം
(nirvanam)
Marathiनिर्वाण
(nirvāṇa)
Nepaliनिर्वाण
(nirvāṇa)
Odiaନିର୍ବାଣ
(nirbaana)
Punjabiਨਿਰਬਾਣ / نِرْبَاݨ
(nirbāṇa)
Tamilவீடுபேறு
(Veeduperu)
Teluguనిర్వాణం
(nirvaanam)
Urduنِرْوَان
(nirvān)
Gujaratiનિર્વાણ
(nirvāṇa)
Glossary of Hinduism terms

Nirvana (/nɪərˈvɑːnə/ neer-VAH-nə, /-ˈvænə/ -⁠VAN-ə, /nɜːr-/ nur-;[1] Sanskrit: निर्वाण nirvāṇa [nɪrʋaːɳɐ]; Pali: nibbāna; Prakrit: ṇivvāṇa; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp[2]) is a concept in the Indian religions of Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism that refers to the extinguishing of the passions which is the ultimate state of salvational release and the liberation from duḥkha ('suffering') and saṃsāra, the cycle of birth and rebirth.[3][4][5]

In Indian religions, nirvana is synonymous with moksha and mukti.[note 1] All Indian religions assert it to be a state of perfect quietude, freedom, highest happiness as well as the liberation from attachment and worldly suffering and the ending of samsara, the round of existence.[8][9] However, non-Buddhist and Buddhist traditions describe these terms for liberation differently.[10] In Hindu philosophy, it is the union of or the realization of the identity of Atman with Brahman, depending on the Hindu tradition.[11][12][13] In Jainism, nirvana is also the soteriological goal, representing the release of a soul from karmic bondage and samsara.[14] In Buddhism, nirvana refers to the abandonment of the 10 fetters, marking the end of rebirth by stilling the "fires" that keep the process of rebirth going.[10][15][16]

  1. ^ "nirvana" Archived 8 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.
  2. ^ Richard Gombrich, Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo. Routledge
  3. ^ Chad Meister (2009). Introducing Philosophy of Religion. Routledge. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-134-14179-1. Buddhism: the soteriological goal is nirvana, liberation from the wheel of samsara and extinction of all desires, cravings and suffering.
  4. ^ "Donald S. lopez Jr., Nirvana, Encyclopædia Britannica". 29 September 2023. Archived from the original on 4 May 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  5. ^ Kristin Johnston Largen. What Christians Can Learn from Buddhism: Rethinking Salvation. Fortress Press. pp. 107–108. ISBN 978-1-4514-1267-3. One important caveat must be noted: for many lay Buddhists all over the world, rebirth in a higher realm – rather than realizing nirvana – has been the primary religious goal. [...] while many Buddhists strongly emphasize the soteriological value of the Buddha's teaching on nirvana [escape from samsara], many other Buddhists focus their practice on more tangible goals, in particular on the propitious rebirth in one's next life.
  6. ^ "IN THE PRESENCE OF NIBBANA:Developing Faith in the Buddhist Path to Enlightenment". What-Buddha-Taught.net. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  7. ^ "The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism, vimoksha". Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  8. ^ Gavin Flood, Nirvana. In: John Bowker (ed.), Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
  9. ^ Anindita N. Balslev (2014). On World Religions: Diversity, Not Dissension. SAGE Publications. pp. 28–29. ISBN 978-93-5150-405-4.
  10. ^ a b Loy, David (1982). "Enlightenment in Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta". International Philosophical Quarterly. 22 (1). Philosophy Documentation Center: 65–74. doi:10.5840/ipq19822217. What most distinguishes Indian from Western philosophy is that all the important Indian systems point to the same phenomenon: Enlightenment or Liberation. Enlightenment has different names in the various systems – kaivalya, nirvana, moksha, etc. – and is described in different ways...
  11. ^ Brian Morris (2006). Religion and Anthropology: A Critical Introduction. Cambridge University Press. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-521-85241-8. There has been some dispute as to the exact meaning of nirvana, but clearly the Buddhist theory of no soul seems to imply quite a different perspective from that of Vedantist philosophy, in which the individual soul or self [atman] is seen as identical with the world soul or Brahman [god] (on the doctrine of anatta [no soul] ...
  12. ^ Gwinyai H. Muzorewa (2000). The Great Being. Wipf. pp. 52–54. ISBN 978-1-57910-453-5. Even the Atman depends on the Brahman. In fact, the two are essentially the same. [...] Hindu theology believes that the Atman ultimately becomes one with the Brahman. One's true identity lies in realizing that the Atman in me and the Brahman – the ground of all existence – are similar. [...] The closest kin of Atman is the Atman of all living things, which is grounded in the Brahman. When the Atman strives to be like Brahman it is only because it realizes that that is its origin – God. [...] Separation between the Atman and the Brahman is proved to be impermanent. What is ultimately permanent is the union between the Atman and the Brahman. [...] Thus, life's struggle is for the Atman to be released from the body, which is impermanent, to unite with Brahman, which is permanent – this doctrine is known as Moksha.
  13. ^ Fowler 2012, p. 46: "Shankara interpreted the whole of the Gita as extolling the path of knowledge as the best means to moksha, and a total identity of the atman with Brahman...,
  14. ^ John E. Cort (1990), MODELS OF AND FOR THE STUDY OF THE JAINS, Method & Theory in the Study of Religion, Vol. 2, No. 1, Brill Academic, pages 42–71
  15. ^ Collins 1990, pp. 81–84.
  16. ^ Peter Harvey (2001). Buddhism. Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 98–99. ISBN 978-1-4411-4726-4. [Nirvana is] beyond the processes involved in dying and reborn. [...] Nirvana is emptiness in being void of any grounds for the delusion of a permanent, substantial Self, and because it cannot be conceptualized in any view which links it to 'I' or 'mine' or 'Self'. It is known in this respect by one with deep insight into everything as not-Self (anatta), empty of Self.


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