Nirvāṇa's Meaning in Buddha's Philosophy

The concept of nirvāṇa is the central pillar of Lord Buddha's philosophy. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that nirvāṇa literally means to extinguish or stop. In the context of Vedic analysis, this means stopping the cycle of birth and death by dismantling the material combination of the body and mind. While this philosophy is effective in ending material suffering, Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that it is a preliminary stage of realization, intended for those who are not yet ready to understand the eternal, positive activities of the soul in relation to Kṛṣṇa.

The Philosophy of "Making Zero"

Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently defines nirvāṇa as the state of śūnya or zero. He explains that material life is fueled by material desires; therefore, Buddha's philosophy advocates making these desires extinct. By zeroing out material consciousness, one seeks to escape the duality of pain and pleasure. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that while this stops the pains of material existence, it does not provide a positive engagement for the soul.

• Sunya means zero, one who has made all material desires zero. That is the way (of pure devotees). In the Buddha philosophy it is called nirvana. Nirvana means make zero, sunyavadi. But we cannot remain in the sunya. That is not possible.
• The void philosophy, nirvana, that indicates that you should completely finish these material desires. That is Lord Buddha's philosophy, nirvana.
• Sunya means zero. That is called nirvana. Buddha philosophy advocates nirvana: no more desire. That is their philosophy: By desire you are becoming implicated, so make all your desires extinct. Then there will be no more feelings of pains and pleasure.
• You cannot kill consciousness. That is not possible. The Buddha philosophy is to stop consciousness, nirvana.

Dismantling the Material Combination

Technically, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains nirvāṇa as the dismantling of the material body. The body is composed of eight elements: earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and false ego. The philosophy of nirvāṇa is to separate these elements, thereby dissolving the specific combination that causes suffering. By doing so, one becomes free from material coverings.

• Combination of earth, water, air, fire, ether, mind, intelligence, ego - eight material elements, five gross and three subtle. This body is made of that. So the Buddha philosophy is that you dismantle this body, nirvana.
• Because the material activities have been a source of distress for us, they (philosophers) claim that we should actually stop these activities. Their culmination of perfection is in a kind of Buddhistic nirvana, in which no activities are performed.
• Lord Buddha abandoned the authority of the Vedic literature and therefore rejected the ritualistic ceremonies and sacrifices recommended in the Vedas. His nirvana philosophy means stopping all material activities.

The Purpose: Ahiṁsā and Sinlessness

Why did Lord Buddha preach this philosophy of voidism? Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that it was a compassionate measure to stop the sinful activity of animal killing (ahiṁsā). The audience at that time was not intelligent enough to understand the complexity of the soul's eternal service. Therefore, Lord Buddha simplified the path: stop sinning, stop desiring, and become peaceful.

• His (Lord Buddha's) philosophy is that to make the people sinless. Ahimsa: "Don't kill." That is the greatest sin. So he is propagating that - Let these people be saved from the greatest sinful activities.
• The people to whom Buddha philosophy was preached, they were not so intelligent that there can be better service after giving up this service. Therefore Lord Buddha said - You stop this service, you become happy, because ultimately everything is zero.
• Nirvana means material desires, to make it void, no more. Lord Buddha said up to that. Because the people who were following him, they were not so expert, advanced, therefore he did not say what is after giving up every desire.

The Destination: Maheśa-dhāma

Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies the cosmic location of nirvāṇa. It is not the spiritual world (Hari-dhāma), but it is above the material world (Devī-dhāma). He identifies this destination as Maheśa-dhāma, a marginal position where one is free from material conditional life but has not yet entered the active spiritual service of the Lord.

• Mahesa-dhama is the destination of nirvana. The nirvana philosophy, the Buddha philosophy, that is between this Devi-dhama and Hari-dhama, Mahesa-dhama, in between.
• Nirvana, the Buddha philosophy, is just above the material conditional life but on the margin of spiritual existence.
• That is Sankara's philosophy: brahma satyam jagan mithya. That is his philosophy. Brahman means that spirit soul, that is fact. And this material external, that is false. A little advanced than the Buddha philosophy.
• Lord Buddha did not give any information about the soul, but if one follows his instructions strictly, he will ultimately become free from the material coverings and attain nirvana.

Conclusion

The philosophy of nirvāṇa serves as a step on the ladder of spiritual evolution. Śrīla Prabhupāda acknowledges Lord Buddha as an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa who paved the way for higher realization by teaching detachment and non-violence. While nirvāṇa offers relief from material distress, the ultimate goal of the soul remains the eternal service of Kṛṣṇa.

• You have to approach Krsna through these (Buddha, Sankara and Vaisnava) different types of philosophy. They are partial realization.
• Either you follow Buddha philosophy or Sankara philosophy or Vaisnava philosophy, the ultimate goal is Krsna.

Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani

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