Nirvana: the meaning of the word. What is nirvana in Buddhism and how to achieve the state of nirvana? The meaning of the word nirvana

The term "nirvana" became synonymous with some kind of blissfully relaxed state, and in the sixties, in the same distorted understanding, it entered the lexicon of drug addicts. The notion of nirvana as euphoria is completely untrue. This concept is one of the most complex in Buddhism: exact definition even Buddha Shakyamuni himself did not give it.

Everyone has heard the expression "fall into nirvana". It usually means something incredibly pleasant, one might even say - the peak of pleasure, a state of complete and endless bliss. "Fall into nirvana" for any reason: from your favorite music, from tasty food, from enjoying the closeness of a loved one ... But in fact, the concept of nirvana as a source of euphoria is erroneous.

Nirvana (or nibbana) is indeed called in Buddhism the highest happiness, but happiness in this case should not be interpreted as a state of joyful excitement familiar to us in earthly life. In Buddhism, absolute happiness is understood as the absence of suffering, which we constantly experience in Samsara.

Of course, Buddha Shakyamuni talked about nirvana. He referred to it as a state of cessation of suffering, attachments and defilements of the mind. The fact is that he did not give this state a single "positive" definition, speaking only about what Not is nirvana. The well-known Soviet scholar and religious scholar Yevgeny Alekseevich Torchinov noted that the issue of nirvana was one of those about which the Buddha kept "noble silence." "The state of nirvana fundamentally goes beyond the field of empirical knowledge and the language of description corresponding to it," he sums up.

In Buddhism, nirvana is described as something opposite to Samsara, which, in turn, is the world of attachments, passions, delusions, and the resulting suffering. Purified from attachments and delusions, the enlightened one passes into the state of nirvana and becomes liberated - not only from the physical body, but also from desires, ideas, and consciousness in general. Unlike Brahmanism, in Buddhism, nirvana is not a blissful union with God, the absolute, because such a union would mean the continuation of the desire to live.

But does this mean that nirvana means complete non-existence? Not really. Although teachers and scholars of Buddhism are still arguing about the correct interpretation of this concept, most of them still agree that nirvana does not mean the complete disappearance of all life. It is spiritual peace, free from tension, conflict and passion. Some teachers interpret nirvana as follows: there is no life itself in it, as we understand it in Samsara (movements, thoughts, desires), but there is the energy of life, its potential. As if we had matches and dry wood, we would have the potential to start a fire, hidden opportunity flame.

Everything that has been said above refers to the great nirvana, also called parinirvana or the nirvana of abiding. Beings who have reached this state are in complete peace. In Buddhism, there is another type of nirvana - the nirvana of non-absence. The practitioners who have reached it renounce the state of complete rest and final departure to nirvana in order to help the living beings remaining in Samsara and guide other practitioners. Usually such beings with awakened consciousness are called Bodhisattvas. They managed to generate in their souls an incredibly strong compassion, Bodhichitta, and are ready to help anyone who turns to them for help. Bodhisattvas are mentioned in prayers and depicted as tankas. The most famous of them is Avalokiteshvara, "seeing and compassionate."

Extinguish) ( books.). Buddhists have a blissful state of the soul, freed from the suffering of personal existence.

| Death, non-existence poet.).

Dive into nirvana unfold) - trans. surrender to a state of complete rest.

Beginnings of Modern Natural Science. Thesaurus

(Sanskrit - cessation) - a state of detachment, achieved during life due to the rejection of earthly aspirations. This condition makes it impossible to be born again after death. According to the teachings of the Brahmins, nirvana means the communion of the individual spirit with the absolute (Brahman).

Culturology. Dictionary-reference

(Skt.- fading) - the central concept of Buddhism, meaning the highest state, the goal of human aspirations. Nirvana - special psychological condition fullness of inner being, lack of desires, perfect satisfaction, absolute detachment from outside world.

Bhagavad Gita. Explanatory dictionary of terms

Nirvana

"windlessness", "breathlessness". The concept of Nirvana is very extensible - from the meaning of simply "non-existence" to the meaning of "detachment from any manifestation of the world", the deepest introversion, the ecstasy of Existence-Knowledge-Bliss.

Dictionary-Encyclopedia of Buddhism and Tibet

(Skt.), nibbana (Pali). In letters. sense means the absence of a web of desires (vana) connecting one life to another. The transition to the state of N. is most often compared to a flame that gradually dies out as the fuel runs out: passion (lobha), hatred (dosa), delusions (moha).

V. I. Kornev

Philosophical Dictionary (Comte-Sponville)

Nirvana

♦ Nirvana

In Buddhism, the name of the absolute or salvation; it is relativity itself (samsara), impermanence itself (anicca), when the barriers erected by dissatisfaction, mind and expectation of anything disappear. The ego is fading away (in Sanskrit, the word "nirvana" means "extinguishing"); everything remains, and besides everything there is nothing. The concept of nirvana means approximately the same as the concept of ataraxia in Epicurus and the concept of bliss in Spinoza, although it is considered in a different plane. Nirvana is the experience of eternity here and now.

Lem's world - dictionary and guide

bliss, in Buddhism - the final blissful state, the goal of existence:

* "Nomen omen! Amo, Amas, Amat, isn't it? Ars amandi [the art of love (lat.)] - not some kind of prana, tao, nirvana, gelatinous bliss, indifferent idleness and narcissism, but sensuality in its purest form , the world as an emotional attachment of molecules, already at the birth of economic and businesslike. - Repetition *

encyclopedic Dictionary

(Sanskrit - fading), the central concept of Buddhism and Jainism, meaning the highest state, the goal of human aspirations. In Buddhism - the psychological state of the fullness of inner being, the absence of desires, perfect satisfaction and self-sufficiency, absolute detachment from the outside world; in the course of the development of Buddhism, along with the ethical and psychological concept of nirvana, the idea of ​​it as an absolute also arises. In Jainism - the perfect state of the soul, freed from the fetters of matter, the endless game of birth and death (samsara).

Ozhegov's dictionary

NIRV A ON THE, s, and. In Buddhism and some other religions: a blissful state of detachment from life, liberation from life's worries and aspirations. Dive into nirvana (trans.: surrender to a state of complete rest; obsolete and bookish).

Dictionary of Efremova

1. and.
   1. A blissful state of detachment from life, liberation from worldly worries and aspirations (in Buddhism and some other religions).
   2. The dwelling place of souls in this state.
   3. trans. A state of peace, bliss.

Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

(Skt. Nirvana - extinction, disappearance, redemption, then already bliss) - among Buddhists and Jains (see) the last, perfect, highest state human soul, characterized by absolute calmness, the absence of any passions and egoistic movements. Theoretically speaking, such a state could be achieved not only in the afterlife, but also in earthly existence. In reality, however, two types of N. are distinguished among Buddhists: 1) secondary, or incomplete, N. and 2) final, or absolute. The first can be achieved by everyone arhat(believers who have entered the fourth branch of the path to salvation) while still alive. This kind of . same with state jivanmukti (jî vanmakti - redemption in life), which is taught by the followers of Vedanta. It is commonly defined in Pali by the epithet upadisesa(Skt. upadhi ç esha - having a remnant of the lower layer). The second, or final, absolute N. (Skt. nir ûpadhiç esha, Pal. anupadisesa), or parinirvana, can only be attained after death. In this state, all suffering ceases, absolutely and forever. IN last sense N. can be interpreted as a highly blissful and eternal state. Logically, it follows from this that such a state must be accompanied by a complete absence of consciousness. But this consequence was not admitted by everyone, and, apparently, in the Buddhist church itself, there was ambiguity and disagreement on this score. In practice, N. is usually understood by Buddhists as a happy death, without fear of rebirth again. This definitely contradicts the news that the Buddha defeated Mara - death: but Buddhism finds a way out of this contradiction, arguing that the Buddha defeated not physical death itself, but low fear death, showing that death is the highest bliss. The concept of N. is also found in other Indian religious sects, with different shades in meaning and other names. Another term for the concept H. - nirvti(Paliysk . nibbuti ).

The literature on the issue of N. is very large, which is explained by the main meaning of this concept in the field of Buddhism. Special studies and reasoning: M. Müller, "On the original Meaning of N." ("Budbhism and Buddhist Pilgrims", 1857); his, "The introduclion to Buddhaphosha's Parables" (1869); Barthélé my Saint-Hilaire, "Sur le N. Bouddhique" (2nd edition of Le Bouddha et sa Religion, 1862); article by Childers" a "Nibb â nam", in his "Dictionary of the P â li Language" (L., 1876, p. 265); J. D. Alwis, "Buddhist N." (Colombo, 1871); Foucaux, in Revue Bibliograph." June 15, 1874. O. Frankfurter, "Buddhist. N." and "Noble Eightfold Path" ("Journ. of the R. Asiat. Soc." 1880, vol. XII).

S. B-h.

Nirvana is undeniably the ultimate goal of human existence.Nier is a denial wana means connection or thirst and is the force that ensures our transition from one life to another. Hence, Nirvana is an existence freed from the bonds of the cycle of life and death due to the fading of desire.

There are three paths to Nirvana:

1. Samma-Sambuddha: the path of the World Teacher.
2. Independent development in oneself of the Perfections (paramita) of a Bodhisattva striving to develop the potential to achieve Enlightenment without the help of others, for the benefit of all beings. There is never more than one Samma-Sambuddha at the same time.
3. Pratyeka Buddha: the path of the silent Buddha.

Nirvana must be achieved during life, it is not a state achieved after death. Nirvana, which is perfect, joyful and blessed, has two aspects:

1. An enlightened state in this life, when the processes that shape our existence are still present.
2. Nirvana after death (Mahaparinirvana), where the bonds of the five groups of attachment are lost.

Nirvana is not the absence of everything, just because we are not capable of perceiving it. Exists good story illustrating this. Once upon a time there was a turtle who was friends with the fish, and after her return from the earth, the fish friend asked where she had been. When she answered that she was on land, the fish wanted to know what land was, but she could not understand how something could be solid on which to stand, because she had never known anything but the water surrounding her.

Who achieves Enlightenment and Nirvana?

There is no such thing as a "me" or a soul reaching enlightenment. It is much more important to get rid of the illusion of "I" than to be free from suffering. The bond of the cycle of birth and death is fire jumping from one wick to the next. Enlightenment is like the extinction of a fire. The fire was here, but where it is now, we cannot say.

Almost everyone has heard the sonorous word “nirvana” in one context or another, but not everyone knows that this is not only the name of a cult rock band that left a bright mark on the musical culture of the last century, but also a sacred term, which is one of the most important concepts in Eastern spiritual practices.

The level of a person’s culture is manifested, among other things, in his erudition, so even if you are not a fan of Eastern philosophy, knowledge of the meaning of the word “nirvana” will definitely not become superfluous.

What is nirvana?

Translated from Sanskrit, the word "nirvana" means "cessation, extinction" . Sanskrit is one of the ancient Indian languages, in which the legendary sages expounded their teachings, who stood at the origins of numerous philosophical teachings and spiritual practices of the East.

In Western culture, the words "cessation" and "fading" are more negative than constructive, but Eastern culture radically different from what we are used to. Achieving nirvana is a desirable goal for everyone, as well as for adherents of some other Indian religious and philosophical teachings.

There are many definitions of nirvana, but they all agree that nirvana is liberation from the suffering inherent in samsara. That is, in this case we are talking about the cessation and extinction of suffering and delusions, and in this, you see, there is absolutely nothing wrong.

In the Buddhist tradition, nirvana is:

- liberation from the circle of rebirths;

- freedom from suffering, desires and attachments;

- a state in which consciousness is at rest;

- the highest goal of aspirations in the early schools of Buddhism (in modern schools, nirvana is only an intermediate step to achieve higher stages of enlightenment).


Buddhists call nirvana special condition, in which consciousness in the usual sense of the word, as it were, fades away, acquiring a fundamentally different quality, which allows you to completely free the mind from illusions, making it suitable for perception absolute truth. The flow of thoughts stops, the illusory world loses its power over a person, and true essence things and concepts becomes obvious without any explanation.

In the state of nirvana, the human consciousness comes into complete harmony with the surrounding universe, while there is simply no room for worries and anxieties, which is why we can say that nirvana is a state of absolute happiness.

When there are no passions, desires and attachments left in the soul, nothing else can cause her suffering or anxiety. Nirvana is not a legend, many enlightened people are able to come into this state at will.

What is the path to achieving nirvana?

The way to achieve nirvana is to cleanse your own consciousness of everything superfluous with the help of regular meditation. Nirvana is a very real state, familiar to many adepts firsthand. Eastern religions, but it is quite difficult to talk about it in words, for the simple reason that in the state of nirvana, the concepts and terms familiar to us lose all meaning, and the sensations experienced in nirvana have no meaning and explanation in the context of thoughts and words familiar to us.

There is an ancient parable that aptly illustrates the above. In one lake there lived a turtle. Most she spent time in the water, where she was friends with the fish inhabiting the lake. But sometimes the turtle went ashore to do its business, and the fish were very surprised, not understanding where it was disappearing to.

All their lives, the fish have not seen anything but the lake in which they lived, so for them it was the whole universe, and they simply could not imagine something outside of it.

Sometimes they asked the turtle where she was going and where she was returning from, then she honestly answered them that she was on the shore, but this word did not mean anything to the fish, they could not imagine how anything could exist in the world other than the water around them and the objects in it, the words "to walk along the shore" sounded to them a meaningless set of sounds.

The fish about which in question in the parable, they simply did not have the opportunity to leave the lake and take a walk along the shore. Human possibilities are wider. Even though nirvana cannot be described understandable words, it can be reached and felt. Necessary condition to achieve nirvana is to stop the so-called "inner dialogue".

In the human mind, a process is almost constantly going on, which in essence is a dialogue with oneself. Even when it seems to us that we are not thinking about anything, our consciousness is still quietly whispering to itself, it continues to ask itself questions and answer them. There are meditation techniques that allow you to stop this dialogue and experience inner silence. It is in this silence that the entrance to nirvana is found.


Stopping internal dialogue, a person opens his mind to new sensations, for which in the normal state he simply does not have the resources. Having learned from own will stop the internal dialogue, you will come close to nirvana, but it is not possible to describe in understandable words the last step towards its achievement, since the whole world familiar to us is a “lake”, and nirvana is beyond it.

In order to learn how to fall into nirvana, it is best to find an experienced guide who knows the way back and forth, independent attempts can be dangerous, because a fish thrown ashore does not always manage to return back without outside help.

The Buddhist religion says that every person wants to achieve a state of serenity and bliss. Studying what nirvana is and how to enter it, the followers of Eastern philosophy strive to join the Absolute and plunge into a state of serene happiness.

Nirvana - what is it?

The concept of nirvana comes from Eastern philosophy. Translated from the ancient Indian language, the word "nirvana" means "fading, cessation." But unlike the Western understanding, in Eastern philosophy the concepts of cessation and extinction are endowed with a positive meaning. They mean getting rid of troubles, sorrows, suffering and constant life struggle. Nirvana is a state in which the human mind acquires a new quality. In this state, the brain receives freedom from thoughts, anxieties, desires. Thanks to this man opens new world and understanding of life.

What is nirvana in Buddhism?

The concept of nirvana in Buddhism is one of the most complex. Even the legendary founder of this religion, Buddha Shakyamuni, could not give an exact definition of this word. In his statements, he only indirectly touched on nirvana, speaking of it as a state in which ordinary thoughts and experiences disappear. Although in the understanding of Europeans, nirvana is closely associated with a feeling of happiness and serene joy, the founder of Buddhism never mentioned nirvana in combination with bliss and pleasure.

Nirvana in Buddhism is the antithesis, which is understood as the world of experiences, aspirations, suffering. Nirvana is not connected with, it goes beyond ordinary sensations, transferring the human mind to another world. Among Buddhists there is no unambiguous understanding of this term. Nirvana is often interpreted as follows:

• a state of complete serenity, which can be achieved in this life through constant meditation practices;
• human condition after death.

Nirvana - philosophy

Nirvana is one of central concepts in Buddhist and Hindu philosophy, however, there is no single and precise concept of what nirvana is. It is believed that this is the ultimate goal to which every soul aspires. Nirvana helps to break the cycle of rebirth and unite with the higher spirit. Nirvana in the philosophy of Jainism is a state of the soul that has gone beyond the limits of the physical body and the circles of samsara. With the development of Buddhism, nirvana began to be perceived as a kind of absolute, which one can strive for, but which is difficult to achieve.

Types of nirvana

Nirvana among Buddhists does not have a precise definition. In this regard, there are several types of nirvana:

• mental - a short-term state in which a person feels an unusual peace and receives insight;
• vital - the state of enlightenment, achieved during life and breaking the circle of karmic transformations;
• eternal, or true - a special state in which you can find yourself only after physical death.

What does it mean to reach nirvana?

For people who are not interested in Eastern philosophy, the achievement of nirvana is associated with getting beyond pleasant emotions. In the understanding of these people, the entrance to nirvana is associated with getting pleasure. Eastern philosophy answers this question quite differently. Adherents of Buddhism and Jainism believe that reaching nirvana means entering a new state in which there are no anxieties and experiences. In the state of nirvana, a person feels himself a part of the universe and is in absolute peace.

How to get into nirvana

Adherents of Buddhism throughout the ages have differing opinions on how to comprehend nirvana. Some Buddhists believe that nirvana is unattainable for people in samsara. Others say that every person should experience the state of nirvana during his lifetime, otherwise he will have to live another life. Proponents of this theory give advice on how to enter nirvana. These tips will help you learn to control your mind and manage it. This will be a good platform for reaching the state of nirvana through meditation:

1. Breath control. First you need to feel how the air passes through the whole body. Then fix your attention on the exhale. In this state, the body relaxes, the exhaust air leaves.
2. Full immersion in activities. To master the state of nirvana, it is necessary to learn to concentrate on the activity that a person is engaged in. For example, if he reads, then all thoughts should be only about what he read.
3. Following time and events. Don't dwell on the past. We must go after the events, think about them and live in them.

Pose for entering nirvana

In the question of how to achieve nirvana, posture is important. For beginners, it is best to start with the lotus position, because it allows you to fix the human body in a comfortable position. Although nirvana is available in any position, it is necessary to choose those in which a person would not be able to fall asleep when relaxed. is made up of the following components: