Friday, February 27, 2015

Nirvana


Joan and I loosely translated nirvana as “profound serenity” in our translation of the Heart Sutra. But there are many other ways of understanding of the Sanskrit word nirvana. Some Buddhists may say it is a complete state of calmness only buddhas can experience. Others may say that it is a state of annihilating the chain of birth and rebirth. Zen master Dogen seems to indicate that it is a nondual experience. Thus, for him nirvana is an experience of shunyata – zeroness or boundlessness.


---Kazuaki Tanahashi, in his guide The Heart Sutra---

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