Nirvana: Encyclopedia II - Nirvana - Nirvana in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra

Nirvana - Nirvana in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra

However, in certain Mahayana teachings of the Buddha, Nirvana, or "Great Nirvana" in particular (higher than "ordinary" Nirvana), is said to be the sphere or domain ("visaya") of the True Self. In the "Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra", as well as in a number of other important Mahayana sutras, Great Nirvana is seen as the state which constitutes the attainment of that which is "Eternal, Self, Bliss, and Pure". Maha-nirvana thus becomes equivalent to the ineffable, unshakeable, blissful, all-pervading and deathless Selfhood of the Buddha himself - a mystery which no words can adequately reach and which can only be fully known by an Awakened Being directly.

An important facet of Nirvana in general is that it is not something that comes about from a concatenation of causes, that springs into existence as a result of causes and conditions: it always was, is and will be. But due to the moral and mental darkness of ordinary, samsarically enmeshed sentient beings, it remains hidden from unawakened perception. The Buddha of the Mahaparinirvana Sutra insists on its eternal nature, saying:

"It is not the case that the inherent nature of Nirvana did not primordially exist but now exists. If the inherent nature of Nirvana did not primordially exist but does now exist, then it would not be free from taints asravas nor would it be eternally nitya present in nature. Regardless of whether there are Buddhas or not, its intrinsic nature and attributes are eternally present ... Because of the obscuring darkness of the mental afflictions kleshas, beings do not see it. The Tathagata, endowed with omniscient awareness sarvajna-jnana, lights the lamp of insight with his skill-in-means upaya-kausalya and causes Bodhisattvas to perceive the Eternal, Bliss, the Self, and the Pure of Nirvana."

Vitally, according to Mahayana teachings, any being who has reached Nirvana is not blotted out or extinguished: there is the extinction of the impermanent and suffering-prone "worldly self" or ego, but not of the immortal "supramundane" Self of the indwelling Buddha. The Buddha states in the "Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra" (Tibetan version): "Nirvana is deathless ... Those who have passed into Nirvana are deathless. I say that anybody who is endowed with careful assiduity is not compounded and, even though they involve themselves in compounded things, they do not age, they do not die, they do not perish."

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Nirvana in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki