Unconditioned Nirvana

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Recommended: Similarities and differences between Mahayana, and Vajrayana Theravada

Unconditioned Nirvana

In Mahayana, nirvana is an emphasis on the unified nature of the

world. Nirvana is conceived as a human experience of oneness with

unconditioned consciousness (the absolute). Which gives insight into

the unity of the world (samsara), body, mind and soul. It is a state

of transcending conditioned consciousness. It is also described as

dwelling in the experience of the intense bliss in cognising one's

identity with unconditioned consciousness. It is freedom from

attachment to the states of unhappiness, satisfaction and happiness.

Nibbana is only an object of speculation so long as it has not been

realized. It can be realized when there is full understanding of all

phenomena of life which arise because of their own conditions and then

fall away. The conditioned phenomena of life are, because of their

impermanence, unsatisfactory or suffering. Nibbana is the

unconditioned reality, it does not arise and fall away and therefore

it is not suffering, it is the end of suffering. Nibbana is real, it

is a reality which can be experienced, but we cannot grasp what an

unconditioned reality is when we have not realized the truth of

conditioned realities. Nibbana is not a God, it is not a person or a

self. Since negative terms are used to express what nibbana is, such

as the end of rebirth, it may be felt that Buddhism propagates a

negative attitude towards life. However, this is not the case. It has

to be understood that rebirth is suffering and that nibbana is the end

of suffering.

The Buddha experienced at his enlightenment the unconditioned reality

which is nibbana. His passing away was the absolute extinguishment of

conditions for the continuation of the life process.

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.

Mahayana and the Vajrayana focus, is the duality between samsara and

nirvana. In general, this is a duality between what is conditioned and

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