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.
What is the meaning of enlightenment in Buddhism?
The English term enlightenment is the Western translation of various Buddhist terms, most notably bodhi and vimutti. The abstract noun bodhi (/ˈboʊdi/; Sanskrit: बोधि; Pali: bodhi), means the knowledge or wisdom, or awakened intellect, of a Buddha.
How can we attain nirvana or enlightenment?
Achieving Nirvana
- Life is suffering.
- This suffering is caused by ignorance of the true nature of the universe.
- You can only end this suffering by overcoming ignorance and attachment to earthly things.
- You can overcome ignorance and attachment by following the Noble Eightfold Path.
