There is no difference of
Nirvana and Samsara
Na Nirvanasya samsarat
kimdasti visesanam, Na
samsarasy Nirvanat kimcidasti
visesanam
Nirvana and Samsara
• In Buddhism mostly talked the
crossing over samsara and
attaining to Nirvana. This has
given the meaning of freedom
from samsara to achieve
Nirvana. This again gives the
understanding Nirvana is
different from samsara and is
Nirvana and Samsara
• Samsara is different from
Nirvana.
Nirvana is getting away from
samsara and as there is a path
to Niravana people thought one
has to walk up to Nirvana. In
the Visuddhimagga it is said
“Maggamatthi gamako na vijjati
Nirvana and Samsara
• “Only the Path is there not a
person who walks on that Path”
This implies that there is a
walking only, not a person who
walks. And again implies that
there should be going towards
Nirvana. In the Rohitassa Sutta
Nirvana and Samsara
• Anguttara Nikaya mentions
through journey Nirvana will not
be achieved. In the same way in
the Pathaligama Vagga of
Udana Pali mentions:
• “Atthi Bhikkhave tadayatanam,
yattha neva pathavi, na Apo na
Nirvana and Samsara
• Na tejo, na vayo, na
akasanancayatanam, na vinnancayatanam, na akincayatanam
na neasannanasannayatanam,
na ayam loko, na paro loko, na
ubho candima suriya, tatrapham
bhikkahve na agatim vadami, na
gatim, na thitm, na cutim, na
Nirvana and Samsara
• Upapttim, appatittham, anarammanamevetam, esevanto dukkhsmati vadami”
• (Monks there is such a position
that is not earth element, not
element of cohesion, not
element of heat, not element
Nirvana and Samsara
• Of motion, Not
Akasanancayatana, na vinnanancayatana, na akincannayatan,
na nevasannanasannayatana, no
this world, no another world, no
the two- moon and sun, monks I
say there is no coming from
there, there is no going towards
Nirvana and Samsara
• That, there is no stability, there
is no vanishing, there is no
birth, there is no footing, there
is no object, I say this is only
the end of suffering”.
• In the chapter of Nirvana
Pariksa Arya Nagarjuna made
an statement saying “There is
Nirvana and Samsara
• No difference between Samsara
and Nirvana and Nirvana and
Samsara”. This has provoked a
so many because everybody
thought Nirvana is different
from samsara. Therefore this is
misunderstood by so many.
Samsara and Nirvana
• In order to find out what Arya
Nagarjuna has said we have to
read care fully this Karika –
Nirvana Pariksa.
1. Yadi sunyamidam sarvam
Udayo nasti na vyayah
Prahanad va nirodhad va
Kasya nirvanam isyate
Nirvana and Samsara
• (If all this is empty, there exists
neither arising nor ceasing. (As
such) through the relinquishing
and ceasing of what does one
expect Nirvana?).
It says if everything is sunya,
there is no arising and ceasing.
Then how one can expect
Nirvana through prahana and
Nirodha.
Samsara and Nirvana
2.Yadi asunyam idam sarvam
Udayo nasti navyayah
Prahanad va nirodhat va
Kasya Nirvanam isyate
(If all this is non-empty, there
exists neither arising nor
ceasing. (As such) through
Nirvana and Samsara
• Relinquishing and ceasing of
what does one expect
Nirvana?).
• It says if everything is Asunya
• there will be no origination and
cessation. (As such) through
removing and ceasing of what
one expect Nirvana?
Nirvana and Samsara
3.Aprahianam asampraptam
Anucchinnam asasvatam
Aniruddham anutpannam
Etan nirvanam ucyate
(Not removed, not reached, unannihilated, non-eternal, nonceased and non-arisen – This is
called Nirvana).
Nirvana and Samsara
4. Bhavas tavan na nirvanam
Jaramarana laksanam
Prasajyetasti bhavo hi
Na jara-maranam vina
(Nirvana is not an existant. If it
were to exist, then it has
characteristics of decay and
death. Therefore there is no
bhavah without Jara-marana).
Nirvana and Samsara
5. Bhavs ca yadi Nirvanam
Nirvanam samskrtam bhavet
Nasamkrto hi vidyate
Bhavah kvacana kascana
( If Nirvana were to be existence, then
Nirvana would be conditioned. Yet, an
existence that is unconditioned is not
evident anywhere)
Here it is mentioned that conditioned
or unconditioned Nirvana is not evident
enywhere.
Nirvana and Samsara
6. Bhavs ca yadi nirvanam
Anupadaya tat katha
Nirvanam nanupadaya
Kascid bhavo hi vidyate
(Furthermore, if Nirvana were to
be existence, how can that
Nirvana be independent? If
Nirvana and Samsara
• If Nirvana is not independent is
that kind of existence evident?
• Here rejects independent nature
of Nirvana.
• Then in the next stanza (7)
rejects the existence (Bhava)
and non- existence (Abhava)
nature of Nirvana.
Nirvana and Samsara
7. Yadi bhavo na Nirvanam
Abhavah kim bhavisyati
Nirvanam yatra bhavo na
Nabhavas tatra vidyate
(If Nirvana is not existence(Na
Bhavo), will Nirvana be nonexistence (abhavah)? Wherein there
is no existence, therein nonexistence is not evident (Na
vidyate))
Nirvana and Samsara
• If Nirvana is not a Bhava, then
will Nirvana be Abhava? If
anywhere is not a Bhava,
abhava also not evident.
8. Yady abhavas ca Nirvanam
Anupadaya tat katam
Nirvanam na hy abhavo asti
Yo’nupadaya vidyate.
Nirvana and Samsara
(If Nirvana is non-existence, how
can Nirvana be independent?
For there exists no nonexistence which evidently is
independent.)
If Nirvana is Abhava how can it is
Devoid of dependency? There
cannot be Abhava which is
devoid of characteristics of
dependency.
Nirvana and Samsara
9. Ya ajavamjavibhava
Upadaya pratitya va
So’pratityanupadaya
Nirvanamupadisyate
(Whatever is of the nature of coming
and going (birth and death) that
occurs contingently or dependently.
Nirvana is therefore indicated as
being non contingent and nonindependent).
Nirvana and Samsara
• If anything has the nature of
coming and going, birth and
death, rising and falling that has
the characteristics of
dependently origination.
Nirvana is devoid of
characteristics of dependtly
origination.
Nirvana and Samsara
10. Prahanam cabravic chasta
Bhavasya vibhavasya ca
Tasman na bhavo nabhavo
Nirvanam iti yujyate.
(The teacher has spoken of relinquishing (Removal) both
becoming and non-becoming.
Therefore it is proper to assume
that Nirvana is neither
existence and nor nonexistence)
Nirvana and Samsara
• The Buddha has taught removal
of both Bhava and Vibhava.
Therefore Nirvana has to be
accepted as neither Bhava and
Abhava.
• In the next sloka it is said that
if nirvana were to be both
Bhava Abhava moksa also will
be the
• Same. Bhava and Abhava.
Nirvana and Samsara
11.Bhaved abhavo bhavas ca
Nirvanam ubhayam yadi
Bhaved abhavo bhavas ca
Moksas tac ca na yujyate.
(If Nirvana were to be both
existence and non-existence,
then release (moksa) would also
be both existence and nonexistence. This too is not
proper.)
Nirvana and Samsara
12. Bhaved abhavo bhavas ca
Nirvanam ubhayam yadi
Nanupadaya Nirvanam
Upadayobhayam hi tat
(If Nirvana were to be both existence
and non-existence, Nirvana could
not be independent, for existence
and non-existence are, indeed,
dependent upon one another).
Nirvana and Samsara
13. Bhaved abhavo bhavas ca
Nirvanam ubhayam katham
Asamskrtam ca Nirvanam
Bahavabhavau ca samskrtau
(How could Nirvana be both
Bhava and Abhava, for Nirvana
is unconditioned (Asamskrt)
while bhava and abhava are
conditioned?
Nirvana and Samsara
14. Bhaved abhavo bhavas ca
Nirvanam ubhayam katham
Na tayorekastrastitvam
Alokatamasoryatha
(How could Nirvana be both Bhava
and abhava, for their simultaneous
existence in one place is not
possible, as in the case of light and
the darkness).In the Nirvana Bhava
both at the same time cannot be.
Nirvana and Samsara
15. Naivabhavo naiva bhavo
Nirvanamiti ya’njana
Abhave caiva bhave ca
Sa siddhe sati sidhyati
(The proposition that Nirvana is
neither Bhava and no Abhava
could be established, if when
bhava and abhava are
established.)
Nirvana and Samsara
16. Naivabhavo naiva bhavo
Nirvanam yadi vidyate
Naivabhavo naiva bhava
Iti kena tadajyate
(If Nirvana as neither bhava nor
abhava is evident, by means of what
is it made known as neither
existence nor non-existence?)
Nirvana and Samsara
17. Param Nirodad bhgavan
Bhavatity eva nobhyet
Na bhavati ubhayam ceti
Nobhayam ceti nobyate.
(It is not assumed that the
Blessed one exists after death.
Neither is it assumed that he
does not exist, or both, or
neither.)
Nirvana and Samsara
18. Tisthamano ‘pi bhagavan
Bhavatityeva nobhyate
Na bhavaty ubhayam ceti
Nobhayam ceti nobhyate
(It is not assumed that even a living
Buddha exists. Neither is it assumed
he does not exist, or both or neither.)
Nirvana and Samsara
19. Na samsarasya nirvanat
Kimcid asti visesanam
Na nirvanasya samsarat
Kimcid asti visesanam.
(Samsara has no thing that
distinguishes it from Nirvana.
Nirvana has no thing that
distiguishes it from the samsara)
Nirvana and Samsara
20. Nirvanasya ya kotih
Kotih samsarasya ca
Na tayor antaram kimcit
Susuksamam api vidyate
(Whatever is the extremity of
Nirvana and the extremity of
the samsara, between them not
even subtle something is
evident.)
Nirvana and Samsara
21. Param nirodhad antadyah
Sasvatadyas ca drstayah
Nirvanam aparantam ca
Purvantam ca samasritah
(Existence after Nirodha, (world)
is finite and not finite etc.
associated with the Nirvana
posterior and priory
extremities)
Nirvana and Samsara
22. Sunyesu sarvadharmesu
Kim anantam kim antavat
Kim anantam antavac ca
Nanantam nantavac ca kim
(When all things are empty, why
(Speculate on) the finite, the
infinite, both the finite and
infinite and neither finite and
nor the infinite).
Nirvana and Samsara
• 23. Kim tadeva kimanyadt kim
Sasvatam kim asasvatam
Asasvtam sasvatam ca
Kim va nobhayam apy atah.
(Why the same or different, why
the eternal or non-eternal both
or neither will be not.).
Nirvana and Samsara
• Here it is rejected that in Pali it
is mentioned that:
• 1 Hoti tathagato Parammarana.
• 2. Na hoti tathagato
parammarana.
• 3. hoti ca na hoti ca Tathagato..
• 4. Neva hoti na na hotica
tathagato paqrammarana.
Nirvana and Samsara
• Catuskoti (Four cornered
Logical system):
• In this last two slokas clearly
mentioned the Catuskoti
(tetralemma) Four alternative
logical system to getaway from
wrong views. In the 22 sloka
these four corners were
rejected in this manner. When
all the Dharmas are sunya what
we can get:
Nirvana and Samsara
• 1.Antavat (Finite)2. Anantavat
• (Infinite) 3. Antavat ca
• Anantavat (Finite and Infinite)
• 4. Neither Antavat, no not
anantavat (No finite, no not
infinte)
This four cornered alternatives
Nirvana and Samsara
• Has been used by the Buddha
specially to show the position of
Tathgata’s after death. That
means a person can asked this
kind of four questions with
regard to the “death of the
Tathagata”.
1.Hoti Tathagato parammarana?
(Whether the Tathagata exist
after death?)
Nirvana and Samsara
• 2. Na hoti Tathagato
Parammarana? (Whether the
Tathagata not exist after death?
• 3. Hoti ca na hoti ca tathagato
• parammarana? (Whether the
• Tathagata exist or not exist
after death?)
Nirvana and Samsara
• 4. Neva hoti na na hoti
tathagato parammarana?
(Whether tathagata nither exist
no not exist after death?).
• For these each question answer
came as “Tada kallam” The
question is irrelevant. It means
these questions one cannot ask
• In this manner. In fact these
Nirvana and Samsara
• Questions are mentioned as
“Thapaniya” ( must keep aside
and not to talk about them).
There are ten questions have
been mentioned in Buddhism as
Thapaniya. Those are:
1.Sassato loko?(Is world eternal?
2.Asassato loko? (Is world not
eternal)
Nirvana and Samsara
• 3. Anta va loko? (whether the
• world is finite?)
4. Ananta va loko? (The world is
•
infinite)
• 5. Tam jivam tam sariram?
(Atman is same as the Body)
• 6. Annam jivam annam sariram?
• (Atman is different from the
body)
Nirvana and Samsara
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
7. Hoti tathagato parammarana?
(Tathagata exist after death?)
8. Na hoti Tathagato
parammarana?
9. Hoti ca na hoti ca Tathagato
parammarana?
10. Neva hoti na na hoti tathgato
parammarana?
Nirvana and Samsara
• This is how the Catuskoti used
at first in Buddhism. This four
alternatives given the idea that
these questions are completely
irrelevant.
• But most of the scholars
thought by this four alternatives
the truth is taken outside of
these four alternatives. And
apart from these four
alternatives one cannot talk.
Nirvana and Samsara
• Therefore silence is the best
answer. For the Thapaniya
questions some of the scholars
said “Buddha’s silence”. Here
the silence means the Buddha
never talks on those questions
merely the questions are
valueless. Not that anyone
cannot talk about them. But
Nirvana and Samsara
• Talking is irrelevant.
• Arya Nagarjuna has used these
catuskoti to explain his sunyata
theory. In this 22 sloka also he
used catuskoti.
• Sunyesu sarvadharmesu
• Kimanantam kimantavat
• Kimanantamantavacca
• Nanantam nantavacca kim
Nirvana and Samsara
• Arya Nagarjuna used this Four
alternatives to prove sunyata.
• Some of them say this is the
method of “four negations”.
• Actually Nagarjuna did not used
these four alternaties as
negations, he used to say that
each alternative is wrong.
Nirvana and Samsara
• In order to prove what
Madhyamaka’s attempt a sloka
from Advayavajra Sangraha can
quote.
• Na san, nasan, na sadasan,
• Na capy anubhayatmakam
• Catuskoti vinirmuktam
• Tattvam madhyamaka viduh
Samsara and Nirvana
• In this statement also it is said
reality or real position lies not
in these four alternatives. Arya
Nagarjuna tried to prove non of
these alternatives brings the
real position.
Nirvana and Samsara
24. Sarvopalambhopasamah,
Prapancopasamah sivah
Na kvacit kasyacit kascid
Dharmo Buddhena desitah
( The appeasement of all objects,
the appeasement of obsessions,
and the auspicious any Dharma the
Buddha did not preach to any one at
any place).
Nirvana and Samsara
• According to the Buddhist
literature the Buddha has
preached all dharmas for the
• Appeasement of all objects and
obsessions, But Arya Nagarjuna
says such Dharma with the such
characteristics of appeasement
of objects have not preached by
the Buddha. By these words
Nagarjuna tried to say there is
Nirvana and Samsara
• No such Dharma with that
nature (svabhava).
• That has again said by
Nagarjuna in the 15th Karika 06
• Svabhavam parabhavam ca
• Bhavam ca abhavameva ca
• Ye pasyanti na pasyanti
• Te tattvam buddhasasane
Nirvana and Samsara
• ( Those who perceive selfnature as well as other-nature,
• Existence as well as nonexistence, they do not perceive
the truth embodied in the
Buddha’s message).