Nirvana The Ultimate End For A Buddhist Essay

959 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Case study of nirvana

Chloé Gendron
James Jervis
April 14th 2014
Word count: 1281
Nirvana: the Ultimate End for a Buddhist
For Buddhists, regardless their country, Nirvana is the ultimate objective they want to reach. It is characterized by the end of suffering and so, the achievement of complete peace. It is also associated with the freedom for desire, hatred and delusion, which are the three unwholesome roots. After this liberation, the cycle of rebirth is over and this, since the beginning of the religion until now. I will argue that Nirvana is the ultimate end for a Buddhist. To support this idea, I will mention the beginning of a timeless existence, the final closure of the cycle of life, the end of suffering and the closing of the imagination structure.

First of all, time does not exist anymore for one who attains Nirvana. It is a state where one can exists without been defined by the period of his life. He does not exist as a baby, children, adult or an aged man; his mind just dwell there without any need to be characterized as a certain identity. Thus, the second noble truth, which is craving to be, is now over. In fact, according to the Upanishad, which is a collection of sacred text representing the key concepts of Hinduism and Buddhism, time is divided into past, present and future (Collins 32). This division of the existence refers to the past life where one has been conceived, the actual life and the future life where one will gets old, suffers and dies. Nonetheless, no one can be born neither die into Nirvana, thus there is no conditioning life, ergo no life is affected by time anymore. The mind can freely live without been limited by a time factor. Also, the second out of the three marks of existence for a Buddhist is impermanence. T...

... middle of paper ...

...ay, which is the path that leads to the liberation of existence. According to this, they use their creative imagination in order to achieved happiness and been free from desire and attachment, which is the second noble truth. In other words, they try to be satisfied with what they have instead of constantly asking for non-essential material, and they use their imagination to please their needs. Yet, one who attains Nirvana see its mind been closed and so, his imagination too, since he is now completely free from envy and this, forever (Collins 113). To sum up, reaching Nirvana leads to the final closure of Buddhists’ imaginations.

In conclusion, once Buddhists attained Nirvana, time does not exist anymore, the rebirth cycle is over, they do not feel any kind of suffering and their structure of imagination is close. Thus, Nirvana is the ultimate end for a Buddhist.

Show More
Related

  • Describe The Four Noble Truths Of Anatta Tanha

    1093 Words  | 3 Pages

    By learning from the Dharma, understanding The Four Noble Truths, three jewels, living by the five precepts, and following the eightfold path will assist to the completed path of enlightenment. Nirvana, which means to extinguish or unbind, is when a Buddhist has reached a state in which he has gained knowledge and freedom from what ever has bound him from reaching nirvana. Whether it be passion, desire, jealousy, egotism, or ignorance. When nirvana has been reached then there will be complete release from the samsara and karmic cycles.

    Read More

  • Suffering In Buddhism In Stephen Prothero's God Is Not One

    775 Words  | 2 Pages

    Similar to Hinduism, the cycle of rebirth is undesirable and life is marked by suffering in Buddhism (p.177). Suffering is referred to as dukkha and Buddhism seeks to end suffering through nirvana.While techniques vary, Buddhists share common core beliefs. Suffering is the problem and nirvana is seen as the

    Read More

  • The Nature of Perceived Ultimacy in Zen Buddhism

    2142 Words  | 5 Pages

    This paper will explore the question of how to understand the nature of perceived ultimateity in Zen Buddhism. This will be achieved through providing a justification for why this question should be of any interest and then hypothesizing about possible implications of the results. Next, the framework that is to be used in categorizing the core beliefs in Zen will be explained and made clear. After this description is complete, the author will proceed to fit Zen Buddhism into this framework and will demonstrate that the Zen religion is no exception to the employed framework. Finally, the author will describe the perceived ultimacy of Zen Buddhism.

    Read More

  • Unconditioned Nirvana

    359 Words  | 1 Pages

    Epithets of nirvana in Buddhism include "the free," "the immortal," and "the unconditioned." Nirvana is attainable in life, and the death. of one who has attained it is termed parinirvana, or complete nirvana.

    Read More

  • The Quest for Nirvana in Siddhartha

    2693 Words  | 6 Pages

    In Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha and his friend, Govinda, leave their sheltered lives as Brahmins, Hindu priests, to be Samanas, ascetics who deny themselves all pleasure. Some years after, they meet the Buddha, whom Govinda stays with to be a monk while Siddhartha leaves to continue on his own adventures. Toward the end of their lives, they meet again at a river bank and discover if they have truly achieved inner peace. Hesse uses Govinda as a contrast to Siddhartha. As displayed in excursions with the Samanas, with the Buddha, and on other adventures, Siddhartha is a character who is more independent and must learn on his own while Govinda is more dependent and feels he must be taught.

    Read More

  • Comparing Hinduism And Spiritual Practices

    714 Words  | 2 Pages

    The people who suds Buddhism see it as such a concept. But on the other hand there is a way that it was seen as in the past. Siddhartha or Buddha observed the suffering in the world and set out to find a solution. Through meditation and analysis, he attained an enlightened state of being that marked the end of suffering, as well as a release from the cycle of rebirth. His teachings are

    Read More

  • Buddhism and Christianity in the same light

    663 Words  | 2 Pages

    While Nirvana is the ultimate spiritual attainment, most ordinary Buddhists show their commitment to the Buddha through several religious practices. The basic motives behind Buddhist practices mirror with those behind the Catholic tradition (Seay (2001,p.58). Both traditions aim to create togetherness within their community by developing a sense of communion with all present through a group activity. Some of these activities include group prayer/meditation and group singing/chanting. Another motive behind some Buddhist and Catholic practices is the principle of suffering, a significant element of religious tradition. This principle was formed on the basis of the suffering endured by Saddartha Gutama and Jesus Christ and is put into practice through traditions like achieving Nirvana and Le...

    Read More

  • The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism

    775 Words  | 2 Pages

    of the liberation cannot be realized. Nirvana is the ultimate goal, but the enlightenment is also a

    Read More

  • Comparing Buddhism And Samsara

    801 Words  | 2 Pages

    This is known as “nirvana”. Nirvana means the ending of all suffering; a state of supreme bliss. So, it is not only the release from samsara, it is the end of all suffering as well. Being that it is the highest level of the philosophy, it’s the goal of all followers. Since the goal is to reach this level of bliss, all anger, ignorance, and desire (called trishna) has to be eliminated. These feelings are the root of suffering for Buddhist followers. When these negative feelings and emotions are realized and eliminated, nirvana and the escape from the death and rebirth cycle would then be reached. It’s an inner-awakening of the self and a realization of what reality truly is, and it is then one becomes enlightened as a Buddha.

    Read More

  • Key Differences Between Christianity and Buddhism

    1825 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout the history of humankind, man has always searched to find answers to the many existential questions. Numerous different religions and denominations have developed around the world over time. Though, most wonder about the origin and purpose of our existence. Buddhism was founded on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama about 2,600 years ago in India. After he had experienced that everyone was subject to “birth, sickness, death, and old age”, he tried to find a way to break from the cycle of rebirth (Bloom).

    Read More

  • How To Compare Mooksha And Hindu Moksha

    1669 Words  | 4 Pages

    Nirvana is a word that is commonly used in Buddhism with varied meanings depending on the use. It means the state of blowing out from certain detractors in life. To “blow out” has great meaning and refers wholly to the extinguishing or dispelling of oneself from certain characters that are considered to be iniquitous. It is characterized by peace of mind and it saves man from the sufferings, the cycles of rebirth, and death. Nirvana could only be achieved by individuals who observed the laid down rules and detached themselves from sin. Moksha is a common belief in the Hindu religion and it describes a state where one’s soul connects with god’s soul. In the Hindu religion, achieving moksha removes one from the cycle of life and death, which is the state of reincarnation as one moves from one life to the next. In essence, moksha is a state of unification of one’s soul with that of the creator, therefore achieving oneness of atman and Brahman. This essay discusses the various similarities and differences that exist between Buddhist Nirvana and Hindu Moksha.

    Read More

  • Knowing God: Mysticism in Christianity and Other Religions

    1581 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Buddhism, one seeks salvation from pain, which is caused by desire; so one seeks a state of absence from desire. This is achieved through meditation and the "Noble Eightfold Way of mental and moral discipline: right views, resolve, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration." It is a timeless state, and is spoken of as "becoming Brahman" and entering into Nirvana. The absence of desire necessitates a certain amount of separation from the world and a constancy of mind that is not found in the normal clamor of daily life.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Four Noble Truths Of Buddhism

    656 Words  | 2 Pages

    This has taught Buddhist followers to appreciate the qualities of life by cherishing and not taking anything for granted. It is often misinterpreted as a negative form of appreciation, seeming as though there is no acknowledgment of an end. However, it is supported by further philosophies to appreciate what life has to offer by “living each day as if it were the last” (unknown). The third Noble Truth is referred to as Nirodha, the acknowledgment that there is a source of mental development.... ...

    Read More

  • Buddhism Philosophy Essay

    597 Words  | 2 Pages

    Buddhism is the philosophy of being awake and conscious in life. Siddhartha Gautama, or Buddha, shared his wisdom with the world and believed that the path to enlightenment was a process of elimination. These eliminations can be conquered through a process called Zen. He believe it was the only way to get rid of the burdens human’s carry of, ignorance, desire and suffering. Buddhism is almost the complete opposite of our western world because our society requires us to act a certain way in order to thrive or even survive.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Nirvana

    1563 Words  | 4 Pages

    Presenting this report to The Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Jerry Yu, the overall view about the company’s current issues and the rising demand in pre-financing funeral products to Malaysian non-Muslims, in particular the Chinese consumers. By applying simple economics theories, analyses were carried out on the company’s operational segments in the current competitive market, its market structures, the financial strength of the company and the economic characteristics of the business in which its business operating in the Malaysia market. Recommendations were provided to the company so that it can be applied to counter the rising challenges and to allow the company to adopt strategies to innovate, and to meet the rising demands in

    Read More

More about Nirvana The Ultimate End For A Buddhist Essay

Open Document