Expert: Justin Choo - 5/10/2009

Question
QUESTION: ok, but they experienced the same enligtenment or nirvana per say like nirvana with and w/o residue?

mahayana i think is more speculative and theravada is the original authentic, mahayana is more of an invention and cultural conditioning

so just the case if bodhisattva can delay enligtenment he already attained nirvana? so he cannot be reborn because no karma existing i think reborn without condition is just a mahayana addition

ANSWER: Hi Jaya,

What I would add is that I follow the Theravada tradition.

Take care and have a nice day.

Justin Choo

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QUESTION: excuse me what is anagami or non returner can u elaborate more on the concept a little confusion here because the arhat at the non returner stage will attain nirvana, for i know everyone be back on human world to have the liberation

why do buddhist always disagree that nirvana is eternal life? then what it is? if you dont agree the eternal life concept why is it called deathless?

ANSWER: Hi Jaya,

Welcome back.

It is said that there are 4 stages of progress towards achieving liberation; liberation from the rebirth cycle.  They are:

Stage 1:  Sotāpanna, one who enters the stream of no return.  
A stream-enterer is guaranteed enlightenment after no more than seven successive rebirths.

Stage 2: Sakadāgāmī, the once-returner will return to the human world only one more time, and will attain Nibbana in that life.

Stage 3: Anāgāmī, the non-returner who will not be reborn into the human world, or any lower world. Instead, he will be reborn in one of the  "Pure Abodes", where he will attain Nibbana  An Anāgāmī is thus partially enlightened, and on the way to perfect and complete Enlightenment.

Stage 4: Arahant, a fully enlightened human being who has abandoned all fetters, and who upon death will attain Nibbana.

For a more detailed info refer here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_stages_of_enlightenment

<<why do buddhist always disagree that nirvana is eternal life? then what it is? if you dont agree the eternal life concept why is it called deathless?>>
Simply because it is not so.  It is beyond birth and death.  
"Nibbana", which actually means "no more craving".  No more craving for existence in this cycle of births and deaths.  When arahant dies, he enters into the deathlessness, not subject to birth, old age, sickness and death.  Where is this Nibbana?  I don't know, for it will take an enlightened person to comprehend.  What we do know is that it is NOT "of this world", not subject to impermanance, suffering and not subject to any more cause and effect which generate rebirth.  

Take care.

Justin Choo

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QUESTION: Where is this Nibbana?  I don't know, for it will take an enlightened person to comprehend.  What we do know is that it is NOT "of this world", i just read narada's book he repeatedly made it clear that nirvana is not a quasi form of a realm and also neither eternal life? does it mean its simply "end of rebirth"?

so buddha is stage 2 after that he will go to pure abodes?

if buddha's disciple got their arahant ship there and dies how can they go to the pure abodes since they are no longer having a rebirth?

so is it certain that nirvana is not a place invisible?


Answer
Hi Jaya,


I suggest that you take your time to study the Buddha's teachings.  Many concepts are beyond our complete understanding.  If they are so simple, then we don't need a Buddha to expound them.  There are many things that we will never understand completely given our limited mental faculty.  In Buddhist philosophy there are 4 things that we will never understand completely.  They are the nature of Buddha, the nature of Jhanas, the universe, and kamma.  In addition I would add the concept of Nibbana.

  
<<does it mean its simply "end of rebirth"?>>
It is more than that as explained previously.

<<so buddha is stage 2 after that he will go to pure abodes?>>
The Buddha is the Fully Enlightened One, meaning he has attained Enlightenment.

<<if buddha's disciple got their arahant ship there and dies how can they go to the pure abodes since they are no longer having a rebirth?>>
Please read my answer carefully.  Arahat is a person who has achieved enlightenment.  After his death, he passes into Nibbana.

<<so is it certain that nirvana is not a place invisible?>>
It is beyond our human imagination.  It is incomprehensible; that one has to achieve the status to really know Nibbana.


Justin Choo