Religious Studies & Theology vocabulary · Beliefs and Doctrine
Nirvana
Meaning in religious studies & theology, with examples
/nɪəˈvɑːnə/nounCommon term
In religious studies & theology, nirvana means: In Buddhism, the final goal of the spiritual path: the ending of craving, suffering and the cycle of rebirth.
In Turkish: nirvana
How it is used
The Sanskrit word means 'blowing out', like a flame. You attain or reach nirvana. The Pali form is nibbana. The Buddha's final passing at death is called parinirvana. The term is also used in Jainism.
Example sentences
Theravada texts describe nirvana as the complete ending of greed, hatred and delusion.
In everyday English, nirvana has come to mean a state of perfect happiness.
Common collocations
attain nirvana
reach nirvana
the path to nirvana
nirvana and samsara
Related terms
BuddhismA religious and philosophical tradition based on the teaching of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, who lived in northern India around the fifth century BCE.
enlightenmentIn Buddhism and some other Indian traditions, a state of complete understanding and freedom from ignorance, often called awakening, as achieved by the Buddha.
reincarnationThe belief that after death a soul or self is born again in a new body, human or otherwise; it is found in Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and other traditions.
meditationA practice of training attention and awareness, for example by focusing on the breath, a word or an image, used in many religions for spiritual growth.
