Nirvana

A Buddhist term. It refers to the highest state of mind in which, through cultivating wisdom and training, one has cut off delusion, worldly desires, and attachments, attained enlightenment, and is liberated from all suffering, bondage, and the cycle of rebirth. It is a transliteration of the Pali word nibbāna, and in Sanskrit it is called nirvāa. The original word means "(a state of) being extinguished and destroyed," and refers to a state in which the fires of worldly desires are extinguished by enlightenment, just as the wind blows out a flame, and all suffering is gone. At that time, one realizes a state of tranquility and supreme comfort (called "Nirvana tranquility"). Therefore, it can also be translated as "eternal peace," "perfect peace," or "absolute serenity." Shakyamuni mastered this and preached it to people, and Jainism, which arose and flourished at the same time as Buddhism, also used the word in a similar sense.

As Buddhism developed, a kind of analysis was added to Nirvana, and it was thought that no matter how hard a practitioner tried, the state they could reach was an incomplete Nirvana (Uyo or Uyoe Nirvana) as long as they lived in this world and maintained their physical body, and that they could only reach complete Nirvana (Muyo or Muyoe Nirvana) after death. Mahayana Buddhism rejected the idea that a special state called Nirvana actually exists, and Nirvana itself is neither existence nor non-existence, but emptiness, and aimed to realize it in everyday life (Shojisoku Nirvana).

In addition, Shakyamuni's death (death of the body) is specifically called 'complete nirvana' (parinibbāna, parinirvāna, parinirvāa) and is distinguished from the death of an ordinary person.

[Mitsunori Saegusa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

仏教術語。智慧(ちえ)を磨き修行を積んで、迷いや煩悩(ぼんのう)や執着を断ち切り、悟りに到達して、いっさいの苦・束縛(そくばく)・輪廻(りんね)から解放された最高の境地をいう。パーリ語のニッバーナnibbānaの音写、サンスクリット語ではニルバーナnirvāaという。原語は「（炎が）消えて滅びた（状態）」を意味し、ちょうど風が炎を吹き消すように、燃えている煩悩の火が悟りによって消滅し、すべての苦悩のなくなった状態をさす。そのとき、寂静(じゃくじょう)な最上の安楽の境地が実現する（「涅槃寂静」という）。したがって「永遠の平安」「完全な平和」「絶対の安らぎ」とも訳す。釈迦(しゃか)がこれを体得して人々に説き、また仏教と同時代におこり栄えたジャイナ教も、この語を同様の意味で用いた。

　仏教の発展とともに、一種の分析が涅槃にも加えられ、修行者がどれほど努力しても、到達しうる境地は、この世に生存して肉体を維持している限り、不完全な涅槃（有余(うよ)または有余依(うよえ)涅槃）であって、死後に初めて完全な涅槃（無余または無余依涅槃）に至ると考えられた。大乗仏教においては、涅槃という特別の境地が実在するという考えを排し、涅槃そのものは有でも無でもなく空(くう)であり、日常の生活のなかにその実現を目ざした（生死即(しょうじそく)涅槃）。

　なお、釈迦の入滅（肉体の死）はとくに「完全な涅槃」（般涅槃(はつねはん)、パリニッバーナparinibbāna、パリニルバーナparinirvāa）とよび、普通の人の死と区別される。

［三枝充悳］

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