Nibbana is the ultimate goal for most, if not all, Buddhists. It is indescribable and can only be understood through experience, although those who have experienced it do attempt to explain it for the benefit of those seeking it. They say Nibbana is not a place, but a state of mind. It is complete liberation from suffering, the end to Samsara. As the Buddha once said, “It is the utter cessation of that craving, the withdrawal from it, the renouncing of it, the rejection of it, liberation from it, non-attachment to it.” This means that Nibbana is the end of tanha. To achieve enlightenment, one must move away from craving and reject all unhealthy desires. They must become unattached to the desires they have left and must not obsess over them.
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Nibbana can only be achieved through years of training under the Buddhist ideals. Buddhists must follow the Noble Eightfold Path, or the Middle Way, in order to achieve enlightenment. This is the fourth Noble Truth – the way to stop desires and reach Nibbana is to follow the Noble Eightfold Path. However, this requires dedication and can often take lifetimes to achieve, so Buddhists must be patient to reach Enlightenment. Many Buddhists may not have the necessary patience, which means that Nibbana is not a realistic goal for …show more content…
Lay Buddhists practice Buddhism whilst still living within society and holding up a job and a family. They do not have as much time as monastic Buddhists to dedicate to Buddhism, which means it is less likely for them to become enlightened in their lay lifetime because reaching Nibbana requires more time and dedication than they can spare. Therefore Nibbana is not a realistic goal for lay Buddhists because they do not have the time to devote to Buddhism that is required to reach enlightenment.
In Mahayana Buddhism, all people have a chance to become enlightened. This means that every Buddhist, with enough effort, has a chance of reaching Nibbana regardless of their age, gender, or social status. This makes it seem more realistic for all Buddhists to achieve enlightenment, especially since Mahayana Buddhists focus on the practices of Buddhism more than the teachings, and their lifestyle commits more to the Middle Way. Therefore in Mahayana Buddhism, Nibbana is a realistic goal for all Buddhists because even the laity have the chance to become
Nibbana can only be achieved through years of training under the Buddhist ideals. Buddhists must follow the Noble Eightfold Path, or the Middle Way, in order to achieve enlightenment. This is the fourth Noble Truth – the way to stop desires and reach Nibbana is to follow the Noble Eightfold Path. However, this requires dedication and can often take lifetimes to achieve, so Buddhists must be patient to reach Enlightenment. Many Buddhists may not have the necessary patience, which means that Nibbana is not a realistic goal for …show more content…
Lay Buddhists practice Buddhism whilst still living within society and holding up a job and a family. They do not have as much time as monastic Buddhists to dedicate to Buddhism, which means it is less likely for them to become enlightened in their lay lifetime because reaching Nibbana requires more time and dedication than they can spare. Therefore Nibbana is not a realistic goal for lay Buddhists because they do not have the time to devote to Buddhism that is required to reach enlightenment.
In Mahayana Buddhism, all people have a chance to become enlightened. This means that every Buddhist, with enough effort, has a chance of reaching Nibbana regardless of their age, gender, or social status. This makes it seem more realistic for all Buddhists to achieve enlightenment, especially since Mahayana Buddhists focus on the practices of Buddhism more than the teachings, and their lifestyle commits more to the Middle Way. Therefore in Mahayana Buddhism, Nibbana is a realistic goal for all Buddhists because even the laity have the chance to become