What is Nirvana in Buddhism?

Nirvana literally means “quenching” or “blowing out,” in the way that the flame of a candle is blown out. But what are we blowing out, here? Is it one's soul, one's ego, one's identity? It cannot be the soul that is blown out, since Buddhism denies that any such thing exists. read more

Nirvana in Mahayana Buddhism One of the distinguishing characteristics of Mahayana Buddhism is the bodhisattva vow. Mahayana Buddhists are dedicated to the ultimate enlightenment of all beings, and thus choose to remain in the world in assistance to others rather than move on to individual enlightenment. read more

Buddhist scholastic tradition identifies two types of nirvana: sopadhishesa-nirvana (nirvana with a remainder), and parinirvana or anupadhishesa-nirvana (nirvana without remainder, or final nirvana). The founder of Buddhism, the Buddha, is believed to have reached both these states. read more

Nirvana is a place of perfect peace and happiness, like heaven. In Hinduism and Buddhism, nirvana is the highest state that someone can attain, a state of enlightenment, meaning a person's individual desires and suffering go away. read more