Buddhism FAQ0 >> 22.Nirvana,Moksha,Jivan-Mukti
Buddhism FAQ[]
(Frequently Asked Questions About Buddhism)
22. How the final objective Nirvana,Moksha,Jivan-Mukti described in Buddhism?[]
Nirvanic State is Infinite Ocean of Light Into Which All Enlightened Ones Merge Forever
Ans :[]
Introduction: All creatures are supposed to be in the trap of rebirths (after their death) into different worlds of many dimensions, where equipped with sense organs, they live out their lives but actually experience pain & suffering as the true remainder. This trap or cycle operates due to the own desires of the creatures as well as due to the evil spiritual entity which Buddha called as Maar, the Lord of death,disease, decay as well as of wealth, pleasure and attractions of worlds(what other religions call as satan or shaitan). Nirvana(moksha) is the attainment of freedom from the cycle of rebirths leading to eternal bliss & eternal life, the final objective to be attained in Buddhism, also called the other shore. The Nirvana state is considered most superior , higher even from attaining heaven because in heavens the creature may attain blissful lives of millions of years, but after that they again need to have rebirth which could be any, as per their character and event of leaving heaven is itself suffering. It has been difficult to explain the Nirvana state earlier as few achieved it being out of world which cannot be described in terms of material realm nor in terms of sense experience, being beyond these. But the Buddhas are born to teach the path leading to experience of this highest state of Nirvana/Moksha which they themselves experienced (in meditation).
Scripture:In Digha Nikaya at the end of Kevaddha Sutta , Buddha has described the eternal state of Nirvana(or Moksha/Jivan-mukti) :
"Where do water, earth, fire, & wind have no footing?"
"Where are long & short, coarse & fine, fair & foul, mind & form brought to an end? "
And the answer to that is :
"Consciousness without feature, without end, luminous all around.
Here water, earth, fire, & wind have no footing.
Here long & short, coarse & fine, fair & foul, mind & form are all brought to an end.
With the cessation of [the activity of] consciousness each is here brought to an end. "
Pali Version[]
‘Kattha āpo ca pathavī, tejo vāyo na gādhati;
Kattha dīghañca rassañca, aṇuṃ thūlaṃ subhāsubhaṃ;
Kattha nāmañca rūpañca, asesaṃ uparujjhatī’ti.
‘‘Tatra veyyākaraṇaṃ bhavati –
‘Viññāṇaṃ anidassanaṃ, anantaṃ sabbatopabhaṃ;
Ettha āpo ca pathavī, tejo vāyo na gādhati.
Ettha dīghañca rassañca, aṇuṃ thūlaṃ subhāsubhaṃ;
Ettha nāmañca rūpañca, asesaṃ uparujjhati;
Viññāṇassa nirodhena, etthetaṃ uparujjhatī’ti.
‘कत्थ आपो च पथवी, तेजो वायो न गाधति।
कत्थ दीघञ्च रस्सञ्च, अणुं थूलं सुभासुभं।
कत्थ नामञ्च रूपञ्च, असेसं उपरुज्झती’ति॥
‘‘तत्र वेय्याकरणं भवति –
‘विञ्ञाणं अनिदस्सनं, अनन्तं सब्बतोपभं।
एत्थ आपो च पथवी, तेजो वायो न गाधति॥
एत्थ दीघञ्च रस्सञ्च, अणुं थूलं सुभासुभं।
एत्थ नामञ्च रूपञ्च, असेसं उपरुज्झति।
विञ्ञाणस्स निरोधेन, एत्थेतं उपरुज्झती’ति॥
More from Abhidhamma[]
More of the treatment of explanation of Nibbana/Nirvana can be found in
Abhidhamma-Patthana : Patthana-Ver.2-Chapter4
Reproduced here:
Chapter 4 - Nibbana
Or Absolute Peace
There are citta, cetasika, rupa, and nibbana as ultimate realities. No other things are realities. Only these four are real in their ultimate sense and they are always true at any given time and at anywhere. In the previous pages, citta, cetasika, and rupa have been discussed in some detail. There is a fourth ultimate realities. It is nibbana.
Nibbana the term derives from nivana or nirvana. Ni means nikkhanta or liberated from vana or binding. Vana is the dhamma that bind various different lives in the samsara. So nibbana means liberated from binding in the samsara. This binding is tanha.
Even though there is a single nibbana as its nature, nibbana is talked to have two different forms, saupadisesa nibbana and anupadisesa nibbana. Saupadisesa nibbana is nibbana when sattas are still in the samsara are when they are alive. This nibbana is only present in arahats or anagams while they are in nirodha samapatti. Nirodha means disappearance and samapatti means to be in a state of. Anupadisesa nibbana is the state immediately after cuti citta of arahats.
Immediately after cuti citta of arahats, there is no more kammaja rupa, cittaja rupa and aharaja rupa. That state from the sattas just gone to nibbana is said to be the state of nibbana called anupadisesa nibbana as there is no trace of so called satta that is no citta, no cetasika, no kammaja rupa, no citta rupa, and no aharaja rupa. Utuja rupa just left is like other bahiddhika rupa and not attached to any satta. So such nibbana is a complete and absolute peace. This is the state all Buddhists are trying to attain after their paccima bhava or final life .
From view point of contemplation, there are three kinds of nibbana. They are sunnata nibbana, animitta nibbana, and appanihita nibbana.
Sunnata nibbana means nibbana is free of arammana for tanha to arise. There is no atta or ego in ultimate sense. Nibbana is free of attajiva or any self or any life. So as there is free of such life, self or anything, the nibbana is called sunnata nibbana or voided emptiness of peace. When ariya to be was contemplating on dhamma as anatta, then the nibbana that he saw when magga citta arose is called sunnata nibbana. Because as he was viewing as anatta, and as there is no atta and free of atta, then the nibbana that he saw is called sunnata nibbana.
Animitta nibbana means nibbana is free of raga, kilesa and it is free of bases and causal things. When ariya to be was viewing dhamma at magga citta, if he saw dhamma as anicca, then the nibbana that he saw is called animitta nibbana. Because there is no nicca or permanent nimitta in dhamma. So his nibbana is animitta nibbana.
Appanihita nibbana means nibbana is not to be craving for as in cases of tanha, raga, kilesa, etc etc. When ariya to be was viewing dhamma at magga citta, if he saw dhamma as dukkha or suffering then the nibbana that he saw is called appanihita nibbana. Because nibbana is free of tanha, raga, and any defilements. Even though these are contemplated, there is only a single nibbana in terms of its character and in ultimate sense.
Nibbana is an absolute peace. This peace can be understood by viewing absence of any fire or any suffering. When not in nibbana or not in the state of nibbana, then sattas will be in the domain of sankhata dhamma. This means that they all will be in loka that includes kama loka or kama realms or sensual sphere, rupa loka or rupa brahma realms or fine material sphere and arupa loka or arupa brahma realms or immaterial sphere.
As long as satta are in these realms that is 31 realms, then they all will be in their samsara and they will be suffering from different kinds of suffering. These sufferings are called fires. When fires are all totally extinguished, the absence of fires in the presence of which are hot and disagreeable, will make complete peace and free of suffering. By comparison its absence can be realised as absolute peace while its presence is hot, making restless and peaceless.
Nibbana is not rupa dhamma. It is nama dhamma. Nibbana is not a khandha or aggregate. But nibbana can be arammana or object of mind. Nibbana is dhammarammana. Nibbana can be ayatana. It is dhammayatana. Ayatana are dhamma or nature that are the cause of arising of citta by being arammana or object or by being dvara or door. Citta, cetasika, and rupa are constituted in 18 kinds of dhatu or dhamma elements. Nibbana can be dhamma dhatu. But nibbana is not sankhata dhatu as in cases of citta, cetasika, and rupa. Nibbana is asankhata dhatu.
Sankhata dhatu are those whose arising and existence are influenced by one of four causes namely kamma, citta, utu, and ahara. Nibbana cannot be influenced by these four causes. Nibbana is asankhata dhatu. It is absolute peace and free of any suffering and any fire. So nibbana is what all Buddhists are intended as their destination.
Explanation(of Kevaddha Sutta)[]
First we need to make a distinction between what is worldly
and that which is out of world which we can call as 'divine'.
The final state of Nirvana is stated by Buddha as :
Consciousness (here divine consciousness ) is meant to be the ultimate & infinitely luminous , where the puny, worldly concept of 'self' ends but rather becomes self everywhere i.e. omnipresent & omnipotent self but unseen.
(what people of other religions call as God)
It has no worldly featues, beyond worldly concept of mind(nam sans. man), ie. consciousness withount mind so no thoughts, no thinking .
It has no shape(rupa), so no body so no persona.
It has no dimensions so no long nor short, no big nor small.
It has no earthly(pathavi sans. prithvi) feature i.e. no heaviness so no gravitation.
It has no fire feature i.e. no heat nor coldness.
It has no air nor water feature i.e. not gaseous so no pressure, no flow.
Viññāṇassa nirodhena , here worldly consciousness (as in body) is stopped , all these without remainder(asesaṃ sans. ashesham)
and yet infinitely glowing , illuminated , radiant .
How to achieve it?
Meditation is the method to still the thoughts emotions mind & body.
When a person becomes thus still & inwardly focussed then one day
rapture occurs and that person becomes detached from the worldly(bodily) awareness
and wakes up within and experience trance states (samadhi)
and with every transition of understanding of higher trance, a person's
understanding of self changes from small to universal then nothing and finally
transcendental (beyond worldly) & thus at end, the person abandons the concept of self.
Not Perceptive Yet Perceptive[]
AN11.18 Samadhi(Self Absorption/Trance)
(In this discussion Lord Buddha informs that a person in Nibbanic Samadhi state is not perceptive to worldly but rather becomes perceptive to only Nibbana/Nirvana)
Then a number of bhikkhus(monks) approached the Lord(Buddha), paid homage' to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:
"Bhante(Lord), could a bhikkhu(monk) obtain such a state of samadhi(self absorption/trance) that :
(1) he would not be perceptive of earth in relation to earth;
(2) of water in relation to water;
(3) of fire in relation to fire;
(4) of air in relation to air;
(5) of the sphere(ayatana) of the infinity of space in relation to the sphere(ayatana) of the infinity of space;
(6) of the sphere(ayatana) of the infinity bf consciousness in relation to the sphere(ayatana) of the infinity of consciousness;
(7) of the sphere(ayatana) of nothingness in relation to the base of nothingness;
(8) of the sphere(ayatana) of neither-perception(sanna/sangya)-nor non-perception in relation to the sphere(ayatana) of neither-perception(sanna/sangya) nor-non-perception;
(9) of this world in relation to this world;
(10) of the other world in relation to the other world;
(11) of anything seen, heard, sensed, cognized, reached, sought after, and examined by the mind, but he would still be perceptive?"
"He could, bhikkhus." [354]
"But how, Bhante, could he obtain such a state of samadhi(self absorption/trance)?"
"Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu is perceptive thus: "This (nibbana) is peaceful, this is sublime, that is, the stilling of all activities, the relinquishing of all acquisitions(upadhi/self describing titles), the destruction of craving(tanha/trishna), dispassion(viraga), cessation, (this is)nibbana(nirvana). It is in this way, bhikkhus, that a bhikkhu could obtain such a state of samadhi(self absorption/trance) that he would not be perceptive of earth in relation to earth; not perceptive of water in relation to water; not perceptive of fire in relation to fire; not perceptive of air in relation to air; not perceptive of the sphere(ayatana) of the infinity of space in relation the base of the infinity of space; not perceptive of the sphere(ayatana) of the infinity of consciousness in relation to the sphere(ayatana) of the infinity of consciousness; not perceptive of the sphere(ayatana) of nothingness in relation to the sphere(ayatana) of nothingness; not perceptive of the sphere(ayatana) of neither-perception(sanna/sangya)-nor-non-perception in relation to the sphere(ayatana) of neither-perception(sanna/sangya)-nor-non-perception; not perceptive of this world in relation to this world; not perceptive of the other world in relation to the other world; not perceptive of anything seen, heard, sensed, cognized, reached , sought after, and examined by the mind, but he would still be perceptive(of nibbana state)."
Pali
‘‘Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṃsaññī hoti – ‘etaṃ santaṃ etaṃ paṇītaṃ, yadidaṃ sabbasaṅkhārasamatho sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggo taṇhākkhayo virāgo nirodho nibbāna’nti. Evaṃ kho, bhikkhave, siyā bhikkhuno tathārūpo samādhipaṭilābho yathā neva pathaviyaṃ pathavisaññī assa, na āpasmiṃ āposaññī assa, na tejasmiṃ tejosaññī assa, na vāyasmiṃ vāyosaññī assa, na ākāsānañcāyatane ākāsānañcāyatanasaññī assa, na viññāṇañcāyatane viññāṇañcāyatanasaññī assa, na ākiñcaññāyatane ākiñcaññāyatanasaññī assa, na nevasaññānāsaññāyatane nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasaññī assa, na idhaloke idhalokasaññī assa, na paraloke paralokasaññī assa, yampidaṃ diṭṭhaṃ sutaṃ mutaṃ viññātaṃ pattaṃ pariyesitaṃ anuvicaritaṃ manasā tatrāpi na saññī assa; saññī ca pana assā’’ti.
‘‘इध, भिक्खवे, भिक्खु एवंसञ्ञी होति – ‘एतं सन्तं एतं पणीतं, यदिदं सब्बसङ्खारसमथो सब्बूपधिपटिनिस्सग्गो तण्हाक्खयो विरागो निरोधो निब्बान’न्ति। एवं खो, भिक्खवे, सिया भिक्खुनो तथारूपो समाधिपटिलाभो यथा नेव पथवियं पथविसञ्ञी अस्स, न आपस्मिं आपोसञ्ञी अस्स, न तेजस्मिं तेजोसञ्ञी अस्स, न वायस्मिं वायोसञ्ञी अस्स, न आकासानञ्चायतने आकासानञ्चायतनसञ्ञी अस्स, न विञ्ञाणञ्चायतने विञ्ञाणञ्चायतनसञ्ञी अस्स, न आकिञ्चञ्ञायतने आकिञ्चञ्ञायतनसञ्ञी अस्स, न नेवसञ्ञानासञ्ञायतने नेवसञ्ञानासञ्ञायतनसञ्ञी अस्स, न इधलोके इधलोकसञ्ञी अस्स, न परलोके परलोकसञ्ञी अस्स, यम्पिदं दिट्ठं सुतं मुतं विञ्ञातं पत्तं परियेसितं अनुविचरितं मनसा तत्रापि न सञ्ञी अस्स; सञ्ञी च पन अस्सा’’ति।
Allegory With Science[]
Bose-Einstein State , Quantum Theory, Superconductor & Super Abilities
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bose–Einstein_condensate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_computing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_entanglement
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_network
This similarity is only for the purpose of explanation only.
Every matter has great amount of energy within (From E = mc2 or energy(calories)=massx3x1011 if mass is in grams) but in normal course it uses & exhibits little amount to energy in order to interact with other forms matter (for say chemical reactions such as burning of wood to produce heat). This atomic energy is exhibited in atomic bombs & in nuclear reactors.
Also When any matter is cooled to near absolute zero temperature, it starts showing super capabilities at the quantum(atomic) level, it is called Bose-Einstein condensate. It becomes superconductor and it can also be used to make (super powerful) quantum computers which can do calculations million times better than the best existing supercomputers. This can also be used in quantum entanglement (using lasers tractor beams) to do quantum communications using e.g. a pair of entangled atoms kept at distance to transfer information. Quantum computers also use entanglement. This it can be concluded that supercooled matter exhibits super abilities & can do extraordinary work.
Similarly, it can be said that when a person's conscious mind is supercooled(no thoughts/emotions) and reaches samadhi state of nibbana then it can exhibit super abilities & can do super functions.
(In simple language merges with (what lay people call as)God , the final singularity infinitely blissful, eternal, the source of all life.)
See also :
Trance/Samadhi states
Magical powers