Lily de Silva (AccesstoInsight, Wheel 407); Dhr. Seven, Ven. Aloka (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Nirvana (Pali nibbana) is the culmination of the Buddhist quest for perfection [of wisdom] and happiness.
In order to understand the meaning of this term, it is useful to refer to the verse attributed to Kisa Gotami (2) when she saw Prince Siddhartha returning to the palace [after seeing the four great signs of old age, sickness, death, and the path of renunciation] from the park on the eve of his own great renunciation. She declared:
Nibbuta nuna sa mata,
nibbuto nuna so pita,
Nibbuta nuna sa nari,
yassayam idiso pati (S IV 19).
"Happy indeed is the mother,*
Happy indeed is the father,*
Happy indeed is the woman
who has such a spouse."
- Happy: "contented, peaceful, satisfied"
- *who has such a child (offspring, son).
It means happiness, contentment, and peace. Nibbayati also means "to extinguish," "to blow out" as in the blowing out of a lamp (Nibbanti dhira yathayam padipo: Sn 235).
Nirvana [gets its name] because it is the "blowing out" of the fires of greed, hatred, and delusion (ragaggi, dosaggi, mohaggi) (S IV 19).
When these fires are blown out, peace is attained. And one becomes completely "cooled" — sitibhuta (Sn 542, 642).
It is sometimes conjectured that nirvana is called "cool" because the historical Buddha taught in a warm climate, where the cool was appreciated as very comfortable and desirable. Had he taught in a cold climate, he might have described nirvana in terms of warmth and comfort.
But it is certain that the term "cool" was chosen to convey a literal psychological reality (A I 138, III 435). Anger makes us hot and restless. We use expressions such as "boiling with anger," and they clearly express the intensity of the aggressive emotion.
When such negative emotions are completely eradicated, never to arise again, the temperament has to be described as cool.
When these fires are blown out, peace is attained. And one becomes completely "cooled" — sitibhuta (Sn 542, 642).
It is sometimes conjectured that nirvana is called "cool" because the historical Buddha taught in a warm climate, where the cool was appreciated as very comfortable and desirable. Had he taught in a cold climate, he might have described nirvana in terms of warmth and comfort.
But it is certain that the term "cool" was chosen to convey a literal psychological reality (A I 138, III 435). Anger makes us hot and restless. We use expressions such as "boiling with anger," and they clearly express the intensity of the aggressive emotion.
When such negative emotions are completely eradicated, never to arise again, the temperament has to be described as cool.
Nirvana is a state to be attained here and now in this very life (D I 156, 167) and not one to be attained only after death.
In terms of living experience nirvana can be characterized by four special attributes:
- happiness
- moral perfection
- realization
- freedom.
Each is explained in turn... More
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