nibbānaṁ — Concordance

1. 1 Nibbana Nibbana

   PTS Pali-English Dictionary (Rhys Davids & Stede, 1921-25)

   Entry ID

   lex:pli:Nibbana

   Normalized headword

   nibbana

   Entry locator

   Nibbana

   Display posture

   not reported

   Entry body

   served

   Audit

   pending_source_review

   Review

   source_pending

   Short gloss · not a complete definition

   adjective without forest, woodless Ja.ii.358 . an abstr. fr. nibbāna, see nibbāna I. cp. vana 2 . Freq. nibbāna as variant reading instead of nibbana without cravings Snp.1131 (nikkāmo nibbano); Dhp.283 (nibbanā pl.) Vv.50#14 (better reading nibbāna, in phrase “vanā nibbānaṃ āgataṃ,” as found at AN.

   Read the entry text (display authorized)

   adjective without forest, woodless Ja.ii.358 . an abstr. fr. nibbāna, see nibbāna I. cp. vana 2 . Freq. nibbāna as variant reading instead of nibbana without cravings Snp.1131 (nikkāmo nibbano); Dhp.283 (nibbanā pl.) Vv.50#14 (better reading nibbāna, in phrase “vanā nibbānaṃ āgataṃ,” as found at AN.iii.346 Thag.691 , although the latter has nibbanaṃ in text) explained by “nittaṇhabhāvaṃ nibbānam eva upagataṃ Vv-a.213 . Sk. nirvana

2. 2 Nibbāna Nibbāna

   PTS Pali-English Dictionary (Rhys Davids & Stede, 1921-25)

   Entry ID

   lex:pli:Nibbāna

   Normalized headword

   nibbana

   Entry locator

   Nibbāna

   Display posture

   not reported

   Entry body

   served

   Audit

   pending_source_review

   Review

   source_pending

   Short gloss · not a complete definition

   neuter I. Etymology Although nir + vā “to blow”. (cp. BSk. nirvāṇa) is already in use in the Vedic period (see nibbāpeti ), we do not find its distinctive application till later and more commonly in popular use, where vā is fused with vṛ ; in this sense, viz. in application to the extinguishing of f

   Read the entry text (display authorized)

   neuter I. Etymology Although nir + vā “to blow”. (cp. BSk. nirvāṇa) is already in use in the Vedic period (see nibbāpeti ), we do not find its distinctive application till later and more commonly in popular use, where vā is fused with vṛ ; in this sense, viz. in application to the extinguishing of fire, which is the prevailing Buddhist conception of the term. Only in the older texts do we find references to a simile of the wind and the flame; but by far the most common metaphor and that which governs the whole idea of nibbāna finds expression in the putting out of fire by other means of extinction than by blowing, which latter process rather tends to incite the fire than to extinguish it. The going out of the fire may be due to covering it up, or to depriving it of further fuel, by not feeding it, or by withdrawing the cause of its production. Thus to the Pali etymologist the main reference is to the root vṛ ; (to cover), and not to vā (to blow). This is still more clearly evident in the case of nibbuta (q.v. for further discussion). In verbal compn. nis + vā (see vāyati ) refers only to the (non-emittance of an odour, which could never be used for a meaning of “being exhausted”; moreover, one has to bear in mind that native commentators themselves never thought of explaining nibbāna by anything like blowing (vāta), but always by nis + vana (see nibbana ) For Bdhgh’s def n of nibbāna see e.g. Vism.293 The meanings of n. are: the going out of a lamp or fire (popular meaning). health, the sense of bodily well-being (probably, at first, the passing away of feverishness, restlessness). The dying out in the heart of the threefold fire of rāga, dosa & moha; lust, ill-will & stupidity (Buddhistic meaning). the sense of spiritual well-being, of security, emancipation victory and peace, salvation, bliss. II. Import and Range of the Term Nibbāna is purely and solely an ethical state, to be reached in this birth by ethical practices, contemplation and insight It is therefore not transcendental. The first and most important way to reach N. is by means of the eightfold Path, and all expressions which deal with the realisation of emancipation from lust, hatred and illusion apply to practical habits and not to speculative thought. N is realised in one’s heart; to measure it with a speculative measure is to apply a wrong standard ■ A very apt and comprehensive discussion of nibbāna is found in F. Heiler, “Die buddhistische Versenkung” (München 2 1922), pp. 36–42, where also the main literature on the subject is given ■ N. is the untranslatable expression of the Unspeakable, of that for which in the Buddha’s own saying there is no word, which cannot be grasped in terms of reasoning and cool logic, the Nameless Undefinable (cp. the simile of extinction of the flame which may be said to pass from a visible state into a state which cannot be defined. Thus the Saint (Arahant) passes into that same state, for which there is “no measure” (i.e. no dimension): “atthangatassa na pamāṇam atthi… yena naṃ vajju: taṃ tassa n’ atthi” Snp.1076 . The simile in v. Snp.1074 : “accī yathā vāta-vegena khitto atthaṃ paleti, n

No etymology pointer was returned for this lemma. This reflects the holdings here, not evidence about the word’s history.