Nirvana
निर्वाण
neer-VAH-nah
Liberation from suffering and the cycle of rebirth in Buddhist and Hindu thought.
Meaning & usage
Nirvana literally means "blowing out" or "extinguishing" — as of a flame. In Buddhism it is the highest goal: the extinction of craving, aversion and ignorance, ending the cycle of suffering and rebirth (samsara). Hindu and Jain traditions use the word for analogous states of liberation. In casual English it has been hollowed out to mean "bliss" or "perfect happiness", which misses the cessation at the heart of the term.
In a sentence
The Buddha taught that nirvana is the end of craving, not its perfection.
Common spelling variants
- Nibbana
Nirvana is the canonical English spelling used in MG Mini puzzles.