Page 281

Alexandr Korol
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Page 281

Post by Alexandr Korol »

Nirvana in Jainism. “In Jainism, nirvana (moksha, ‘liberation’) is understood as the release from ‘karmic matter’ and is attained through religious practice, primarily meditation, when the influx of new karmas ceases (in Jainism, karmas are types of special matter that make up the karmic body of the jiva). Upon liberation, the jiva attains absolute righteousness, absolute vision, absolute knowledge, and perfection (siddhatva). Immediately after attaining nirvana, the jiva rises upward and flies to the top of the universe, where the abode of the siddhas — Siddhashila — is located. Although all liberated jivas who have reached Siddhashila are equally endowed with righteousness, omniscience, and knowledge, they differ from one another in several aspects. As in other Indian religions, nirvana in Jainism is defined negatively — that is, as ‘freedom from,’ not ‘freedom for.’” You see, again they misunderstand it literally and think that entering nirvana means becoming a downshifter or an outcast. But in reality, it’s not like that at all — it simply means becoming so emotionally and mentally balanced, and so pure, that all negative things just disappear for you. As if there are no more problems at all — yet at the same time, you live just like all other people.

What I want to emphasize separately is who the Bodhisattva is. Since we are studying nirvana to go deeper, and also what the Eightfold Path is, what the Five Hindrances of Buddhism are, and what the Four Noble Truths are — all of this is the path to the realization of nirvana and liberation. So let’s begin with Bodhi.
“Bodhi is a term that, in the ancient Indian languages of Pali and Sanskrit, signifies the concept of “enlightenment,” and more literally can be translated as “awakening.” In Buddhism, the attainment of the state of bodhi is one of the main goals of spiritual practice.
Although the concept of “bodhi” belongs to the Buddhist tradition, it can also be found in various Indian philosophical schools and teachings.
The Sanskrit root budh translates with active voice meanings: “to awaken, to wake up, to teach, to study, to understand, to know.” The past participle of the verb budh is buddha — “one who awakens, teaches, understands, knows.” Accordingly, a person who has attained bodhi is more accurately “a person who awakens” rather than simply “an awakened person.”