Nirvāṇa Is Perfect Quiescence (1/2)

 

Quote:

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke to the four assemblies the following: "Being existent denotes having pain or pleasure; the notion of nonexistence denotes without pain or pleasure. Therefore, the foremost bliss of nirvāṇa refers to the notion of detachment from pain or pleasure. "

Great Drum Sutra, Vol. 1

【爾時，如來於彼四眾說如是法：「有有則有苦樂、無有則無苦樂，是故離苦樂則是涅槃第一之樂。」】

《大法鼓經》卷1

 

Remarks:

 

The primary task in learning Buddhism is to realize the path of a sound-hearer. This requires knowing the dharma of the five aggregates, the six entrances, the twelve sense fields, and the eighteen elements one by one. Practitioners who are unable to fully locate each dharma of the eighteen elements in themselves yet claim to have attained arhatship in the Path to Liberation are merely stating a conceptual elaboration!

The first step in learning Buddhism is not to focus on the existence of suffering, the origination of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path to the cessation of suffering (i.e., the Four Noble Truths) nor to learn the twelve links of dependent arising. Instead, practitioners should first try to fully understand the connotations of the eighteen elements and the five aggregates. Only then, can Buddhist learners gain insights into the meaning of “the three realms of existence.” Those who do not understand such connotations but mistakenly think that they have attained enlightenment and have transcended the three realms are, in fact, still “being existent in the desire realm.” Thus, the notion of “existence” is the main objective that Buddhist practitioners should eliminate on the Path to Liberation.

The World-Honored One said, “To have extinguished arising and ceasing, tranquility, and extinction denote bliss.” If all arising and ceasing dharmas have been totally eliminated with no more arising-and-ceasing dharma to be extinguished, then it denotes the state of “no birth.” Without birth, there will be no suffering as the state of “no birth” denotes being devoid of existence. Without existence in the three realms, no dharmas will exist, so there will be no suffering or bliss. Only this denotes the notion of nirvāṇa. 

One of the three Dharma Seals states, “Nirvāṇa is perfect quiescence,” after one extinguishes all dharmas. Nirvāṇa is hence, indeed, a state of tranquility. Interestingly, what is the cost of having no suffering after achieving nirvāṇa? One who does not have the sensation of suffering also cannot perceive any joy in the three realms, which is most challenging for Buddhist practitioners!

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