Buddha’s Teaching As It Is –

Bhikkhu Bodhi
PowerPoint presentation on Bhikkhu Bodhi’s
Lecture 6: Nibbana

recorded lectures on ‘Buddha’s Teaching As It Is’.

Materials for the presentation are taken from the
recorded lectures (MP3) posted at the website of
Bodhi Monastery and the notes of the lectures
posted at beyondthenet.net

Originally prepared to accompany the playing of

Bhikkhu Bodhi’s recorded lectures on ‘Buddha’s Teaching
As It is’ in the Dharma Study Class at PUTOSI Temple,
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
This series of weekly study begins in November, 2010.
 Namo Tassa
Bhagavato Arahato
Sammasambuddhassa

NIBBANA
Bhikkhu Bodhi
Lecture 6
Nibbana
The Buddha says that he teaches only Dukkha and the
cessation of Dukkha, that is, suffering and the end of
suffering. The First Noble Truth deals with the problem of
suffering. However, the truth of suffering is not the final word
of the Buddha's teaching. It is only the starting point. The
Buddha starts with suffering, because his teaching is designed
for a particular end: it is designed to lead to liberation. In
order to do this he must give us a reason for seeking
liberation. If a man does not know that his house is on fire, he
lives there enjoying himself, playing and laughing. To get him
to come out we first have to make him understand that his
house is on fire.
Third Noble Truth
In the same way the Buddha announces that our lives are
burning with old age, sickness and death. Our minds are
flaming with greed, hatred and delusion. It is only when we
become aware of the peril that we are ready to seek a way to
release.
In the Second Noble Truth, he points out that the principal
cause of suffering is craving, tanha, the desire for personal
gratification; the desire for existence; the desire for a world of
sights, sounds , smells, tastes, touch sensations and ideas.
Since the cause of Dukkha is craving, the key to reaching the
end of Dukkha is to eliminate craving. Therefore the Buddha
explains the Third Noble Truth as the extinction of craving.
Psychological Dimension of Nibbana
The Noble Truth of the cessation of suffering has two
dimensions, a psychological dimension and a philosophical
dimension. We shall deal briefly with each of them.
First, the psychological dimension. We find that unhappiness,
discontent or suffering results from the tension between
desire and the lack of the thing desired. Now there are two
possible approaches to overcoming this unhappiness. One is
to obtain the object desired, to secure possession of it; the
other is to eliminate the desire.
Psychological Dimension of Nibbana
The Buddha's teaching reverses the common assumption that
happiness can be found by satisfying our desires. If we
carefully examine the happiness that comes from satisfying
desire, we would find that such happiness is unreliable and
insecure. This happiness depends on external things. These
objects of desire are inevitably impermanent, and when we
are separated from them we become unhappy. Therefore
even in the midst of happiness we remain vulnerable to
suffering. Our state of happiness or pleasure is really illusory,
a concealed form of dukkha.
Psychological Dimension of Nibbana
Therefore the Buddha points out that true happiness is to be
achieved by taking the opposite approach, the approach of
eliminating our desires. If we eliminate the desire, our mind
remains satisfied, content and happy no matter what our
external situation might be. We can see this to a limited
extent in our daily life. How all the worry and concern,
clinging and discontent that might build up around our desire
for a certain object, how all of this mental unhappiness falls
away as soon as we drop this desire for the object. The
Buddha says that this principle can be carried through all the
way to the total uprooting of craving. This is the cessation of
craving, the end of Dukkha visible here and now.
Philosophical Dimension of Nibbana
But the end of Dukkha has a more wide-ranging meaning than
this. Craving drives us on over and over in samsara, the round of
birth and death through different planes of existence with their
different forms of sufferings. When craving is eliminated, our
actions no longer build up kamma, then the wheel of repeated
becoming is brought to a halt. This is the state of final
deliverance which is the aim of the Buddha's teaching.
The state of final deliverance is called "Nibbana" in Pali and
"Nirvana" in Sanskrit. “Nibbana” literally means the
extinguishing of a flame (escape from the forest of craving, the
forest of samsaric becoming). The word "Nibbana" used by the
Buddha means the extinguishing of the flame of craving, the
extinguishing of the fires of greed, hatred and delusion.
Philosophical Dimension of Nibbana
Nibbana is the ultimate goal of the Buddha's path, the
consummation of the entire practice. The Buddha says "Just
as the water of a river plunges into the ocean and merges
with the ocean, so the spiritual path, the Noble Eightfold
Path, plunges into Nibbana and merges with Nibbana.
Nibbana – An Existing Reality
Nibbana is said to be beyond the range of speech and
language. Nibbana is a supramundane state, a reality to be
seen, realised and experienced, not a concept to be
conceptualised or idea to be discussed.
Regarding the nature of Nibbana, the question is often asked:
Does Nibbana signify only extinction of the defilements and
liberation from samsara or does it signify some reality existing
in itself? Nibbana is not only the destruction of defilements
and the end of samsara, but an existing reality transcendent
to the entire world of mundane experience, a reality
transcendent to all the realms of phenomenal existence.
Nibbana – An Existing Reality
The Buddha refers to Nibbana as a 'dhamma'. For example, he
says "of all dhammas, conditioned or unconditioned, the most
excellent dhamma, the supreme dhamma is, Nibbana".
'Dhamma' signifies actual realities, the existing realities as
opposed to conceptual things. Dhammas are of two types,
conditioned and unconditioned.
A conditioned dhamma is an actuality which has come into
being through causes and conditions, something which arises
through the workings of various conditions. The conditioned
dhammas are the five aggregates: material form, feeling,
perception, mental formations and consciousness. The
conditioned dhammas, do not remain static. They go through
a ceaseless process of becoming. They arise, undergo
transformation and fall away due to its conditionality.
Nibbana – Unconditioned Dhamma
However, the unconditioned dhamma is not produced by
causes and conditions. It has the opposite characteristics from
the conditioned: it has no arising, no falling away and it
undergoes no transformation. Nevertheless, it is an actuality,
and the Buddha refers to Nibbana as unconditioned Dhamma.
The supreme dhamma is Nibbana. For example, he says "of all
dhammas, conditioned or unconditioned, the most excellent
dhamma, the supreme dhamma is, Nibbana".
Nibbana – Ayatana
The Buddha says, with reference to Nibbana: “Monks, there is a
sphere where there is neither earth, water, heat nor air,
neither the sphere of infinite space, the sphere of infinite
consciousness, the sphere of nothingness, the sphere of
neither perception nor non-perception, where there is neither
this world nor any other world, neither sun nor moon. This, I
say, has neither coming nor going nor standing still, neither
being born nor dying. There is neither a foothold there, nor
development, nor any basis. This is the end of suffering.
The Buddha also refers to Nibbana as an 'ayatana'. This word
usually means realm, plane or sphere. It is a sphere where
there is nothing at all that corresponds to our mundane
experience, and therefore it has to be described by way of
negations as the negation of all the limited and determinate
qualities of conditioned things.
Nibbana – An Existing Reality - Dhatu
The Buddha also refers to Nibbana as a 'Dhatu‘, an element, the
'deathless element'. He compares the element of Nibbana to
an ocean. He says that just as the great ocean remains at the
same level no matter how much water pours into it from the
rivers, without increase or decrease, so the Nibbana element
remains the same, no matter whether many or few people
attain Nibbana.
He also speaks of Nibbana as something that can be
experienced by the body, an experience that is so vivid, so
powerful, that it can be described as "touching the deathless
element with one's own body."
Nibbana – Pada, Sacca
The Buddha also refers to Nibbana as a 'state' ('pada') as
'amatapada' - the deathless state - or accutapada, the
imperishable state.
Another word used by the Buddha to refer to Nibbana is
'Sacca', which means 'truth', an existing reality. This refers to
Nibbana as the truth, a reality that the Noble ones have
known through direct experience.
So all these terms, considered as a whole, clearly establish that
Nibbana is an actual reality and not the mere destruction of
defilements or the cessation of existence. Nibbana is
unconditioned, without any origination and is timeless.
It is thus possible to leave samsara, the world of the born,
originated and conditioned.
Is Nibbana Conditioned by its Path?
Now the question is often asked: If Nibbana is attained by the
practice of the path, doesn't this make it something
conditioned, something produced by the path? Doesn't
Nibbana become an effect of the cause, which is the path?
Here we have to distinguish between Nibbana itself and the
attainment of Nibbana. Nibbana itself is unproduced,
unoriginated. By practising the path one doesn't bring
Nibbana into existence but rather discovers something
already existing, something always present.
The realisation of Nibbana is produced by the practice of the
Path. The Path leads to Nibbana; Nibbana itself is not created
by the Path.
Is Nibbana Mere Annihilation?
As a precaution we have to repeat that Nibbana cannot be
understood through words or expressions or study of the
text. One has to understand Nibbana by actual realization.
However, in order to convey some idea of the goal to which
his teaching points, the Buddha resorts to words and
expressions. He uses both negative and positive expressions;
and to get an adequate idea of Nibbana, both types of
expressions have to be considered. Otherwise you will come
away with a one-sided, distorted picture of Nibbana.
Is Nibbana Mere Annihilation?
The purpose behind the Buddha's use of negative terminology
is to emphasise the transcendental nature of Nibbana.
Nibbana is above and beyond all the limited forms of the
world, it can only be described by negations of the
conditioned things of the world –unchanging, unborn,
imperishable etc.
The use of negative terminology should not be misunderstood
to mean that Nibbana is mere annihilation, a pure negative
attainment.
Parable of the Turtle and the Fish
To illustrate this error the Buddhists relate the story of the
turtle and the fish. There was once a turtle who lived in a
lake with a group of fish. One day the turtle went for a walk
on dry land. He was away from the lake for a few weeks.
When he returned he met some of the fish. The fish asked
him, "Mister turtle, hello! How are you? We have not seen
you for a few weeks. Where have you been? The turtle said,
"I was up on the land, I have been spending some time on
dry land." The fish were a little puzzled and they said, "Up on
dry land? What are you talking about? What is this dry land?
Is it wet?" The turtle said "No, it is not," "Is it cool and
refreshing?" "No it is not",
Parable of the Turtle and the Fish
"Does it have waves and ripples?" "No, it does not have
waves and ripples." "Can you swim in it?" "No you can't."
So the fish said, "it is not wet, it is not cool, there are no
waves, you can’t swim in it. So this dry land of yours must
be completely non-existent, just an imaginary thing,
nothing real at all." The turtle said that "Well, may be so"
and he left the fish and went for another walk on dry land.
Nibbana - Different Expressions & Purposes
Another purpose behind the use of negative expression is to
show the desirability of attaining Nibbana, to be free from
suffering.
The Buddha speaks of Nibbana primarily by way of terms
negating suffering: as cessation of suffering, cessation of old
age and death, the unafflicted, the unoppressed the
sorrowless state, and so forth.
To make plain the work we have to do to arrive at Nibbana,
Nibbana is also described as the negation of the defilements,
the mental factors that keep us in bondage. So Nibbana is
described as the same as destruction of greed hatred and
delusion. It is also called dispassion (viraga), the removal of
thirst, the crushing of pride, the uprooting of conceit, the
extinction of vanity.
Is Nibbana Mere Annihilation?

The purposes behind the Buddha's negative terminology are:

1. to show that Nibbana is transcendental and utterly beyond
all conditioned things;
2. to show that Nibbana is desirable, that it is the end of all
suffering, and
3. to show that Nibbana is to be attained by eliminating
defilements.
The use of negative terminology should not be misunderstood
to mean that Nibbana is mere annihilation, a pure negative
attainment.
NIBBANA – PART II

BHIKKHU BODHI
Is Nibbana Mere Annihilation?
Because Buddha uses this negative terminology for Nibbana,
some people are inclined to misapprehend Nibbana to be a
state of mere annihilation, a purely negative attainment.
To exclude this misinterpretation, the Buddha also describes
Nibbana in positive terms; some emphasise in positive
ways the desirability of Nibbana. He refers to Nibbana as
the supreme happiness, perfect bliss, peace, serenity,
liberation, freedom; the supreme truth.
Is Nibbana Mere Annihilation?
He calls Nibbana 'the Island', an island upon which beings
can land, which is free from suffering. For those beings
swept away helplessly towards the ocean of old age and
death, it is a place of safety and security.
It is also described as a "cave" which gives safety from the
dangers of birth and death. Nibbana is called the "cool
state" - coolness which results from the extinguishing of
the fires of greed, hatred and delusion.
Nibbana is also described as shelter, refuge, further shore
of safety. The near shore symbolises birth and death. The
stream symbolises the current of craving or defilements
that we have to cross. The other or further shore
symbolises the place of safety, the Nibbana.
Two Elements of Nibbana
Now the attainment of Nibbana comes in two stages, the two
referred to as the two elements of Nibbana. One is the
Nibbana element with the residue remaining. The other the
Nibbana element without the residue remaining. The element
of Nibbana with residue remaining is the state of Nibbana
attained by the arahat (the liberated one) in this present life.
The residue that remains in the arhant is the set of five
aggregates that constitute his present life individuality, the
psycho-physical organism produced from the past life. In this
present life, the arahat has extinguished all the defilements,
Upon attainment of Nibbana, his body and mind, the residue,
continue until the end of the life span.
Arahant – Residue Remaining
While living in the state of liberation an Arahant still continues
to perform the necessary functions of life. He sleeps, wakes
up in the morning, eats, talks, performs various duties etc.
Though he has to go through his daily life he has completely
uprooted defilements; greed, hatred and ignorance.
Because the state of Nibbana is marked by the destruction of
all defilements, the Nibbana is also described as one that
consists of extinguishing of defilements. In this state of
Nibbana, the residue, the five aggregates still stand, but they
no longer harbour the force of craving. The five aggregates
are no longer clung to, no longer identified as ‘I’, ‘me’.
In this psycho-physical organism there is no more craving,
which sustains the process of becoming leading to future
existences.
Experience of Arahant
To understand the experiential side of Nibbana element with
residue remaining, we can look at it from three points of
view:
1. the affective side – feeling and emotion
2. The volitional side – the aspect of will
3. The cognitive side – the aspect of knowledge and
understanding.
From the affective side of human experience, the state of
Nibbana is a state of complete happiness, freedom from
sorrow, worry and fear. The Arahant feels bodily pains, but it
does not disturb his mind. It does not cause him annoyance or
sorrow. The Arahant is also in a state of complete peace and
fearlessness. All fear comes from the notion of self or ego.
Experience of Arahant – Affective Aspect
When we are frightened, what we are afraid of is a threat to
the security of the self, to "my self" or those things I believe
belong to me. But for an Arahant who had completely
uprooted the notion of self, there comes liberation from all
fear.
With the abandoning of all forms of attachments the Arahant
is free of agitation, restlessness and worry. Again an Arahant
is in a state of complete equanimity, with perfect balance of
mind. He is not shaken by the eight worldly winds: gain and
loss, fame and dishonour, praise and blame, pleasure and
pain. The Arahant's state of equanimity is not a state of
indifference or apathy.
Experience of Arahant – Affective Aspect
In the Pali texts, the Buddha emphasises that the supreme
person, the most praiseworthy person is one who is intent
on both his own welfare and the welfare of others. The
disciple first of all has to accomplish the goal for himself .
Only when he has liberated himself can he effectively teach
and guide others to liberation. Those who reach the goal,
who achieve deliverance, they become the teachers and
guides for their fellow men. The Arahants are living in the
world for the happiness and welfare of all living beings out
of compassion for the world.
The Arahant's mind is pervaded with immeasurable loving
kindness and boundless compassion. This is the state of
Nibbana in terms of feeling and emotion.
Experience of Arahant – Volitional Aspect
The Arahat’s mind is totally free from all defilements. He lives
as master of himself; he has complete control of the
workings of his mind. He can no longer act in anyway
destructive to his own or others’ welfare, always acts in
ways beneficial to the good of oneself and the others.
Further, having completely eliminated ignorance, an Arahant
acquires no kamma . His willed actions do not have the
potency of producing future rebirth. He still performs
volitional actions but they are mere activities. They do not
leave a trace on the mind, just as the flight of birds flying
across the sky leaves no footprints. The Arahant still reaps
the results of the old kammas performed by him before
enlightenment, but these do not disturb his mind.
Experience of Arahant – Cognitive Aspect
He has complete knowledge and understanding. He is fully
awakened. He sees things as they truly are. He is no longer
misled by the distortions, projections, and perversions born
of ignorance.
Two Elements of Nibbana
The second stage of the attainment of Nibbana is called the
Nibbana element without a residue remaining. This is the
element of Nibbana attained by an Arahant with his passing
away, with the breakup of his body, what we
conventionally call death. The term, ‘death’ does not apply
to enlightened ones.
The passing away of an Arahant is the final and complete
passing out from conditioned existence. It does not lead to
a new birth. In his own experience, the Arahant sees only
the cessation of a process, not the death of a self. The
experience for him is without subjective significance,
without reference to 'Me or Mine'. At this stage the residue
of the five aggregates comes to an end.
State of Arahant After Passing Away
What is the state of the Arahant after death? Is it a state of
annihilation, of non existence, or a state of eternal existence in
some other form? The Buddha rejects both these alternatives,
declaring that this question is inapplicable.
The question, "What is the state of the Arahant after death?"
arises because of the subtle clinging to the idea that an
Arahant has a self. But since the Arahant has no self, he does
not enter into any state of eternal existence in some heavenly
world or as a universal self in some impersonalized form. Also
final Nibbana is not a state of annihilation, since there is no self
to be annihilated or extinguished. What we call the Arahant is
a dependently arisen process of becoming, and the attainment
of final Nibbana is cessation of this beginningless process of
becoming.
State of Arahant After Passing Away
To try to speak about what lies beyond the ending of this
process is to venture outside the boundaries of
conceptualization, outside the boundaries of language.
The Buddha says;
"In so far only is there any pathway for words, any pathway
for language, any pathway for concepts, a sphere of
understanding, that is, when there is consciousness together
with mind and body. When there is no remainder of
consciousness and the mind-body process, then there is no
pathway for words, no pathway for language, no pathway
for concepts."
 State of Arahant After Passing Away
So from this we see that concepts cannot conceive the
'inconceivable' and the mind cannot measure the
'immeasurable'.
Does an arahant exist after death: does not exist after death:
both exist and does not exist after death? Neither exist nor non-
exist after death? The Buddha answer ‘no’ to all these questions.
The Buddha illustrates this with the example of a fire. Suppose
there is a fire, burning in dependence on fuel, the sticks and
logs. Now if the fire does not get any further fuel, when it uses
up the old fuel, then it goes out. Suppose we ask, when the fire
goes out; where did it go? Did it go to the North? To the South?
To the East? To the West? The answer to this is that none of
these questions apply. All of these are inapplicable. The fire has
simply gone out.
State of Arahant After Passing Away
An inquiring Brahmin asked the Buddha about the state of
the liberated one on final Nibbana, the Buddha replied,
“Just as a flame flung into the wind flies to its end, and no
more comes to the range of conceiving, so the sage
released from name and form, from mind and body,
reaches the end, the final goal, and no more comes to the
range of concept.”
And …
“there is no way to measure the man who has reached the
goal. That by which one can speak of him, that does not
exist for him. When all dhammas (five aggregates) have
been removed, all the pathways of speech have been
removed.”