________________
85
CHAPTER X. Nirvani-Its significance in Jainism and
Buddhism.
Before entering into the particular ductrines of Buddhism or Jainism, we will discuss one point which seems to be common to all the sis systems of Indian philosophy. The professed object of all these philosophical systems was to lead their followers to a state of Nirvana ; the difference between the dif. ferent systems inainly lying in the difference of the means necessary to atain Nirvana. Before proceding further it is necessary to understand clearly what was this state of Nirvana so universally sought after in ancient Iodia. It is extremely difficult to define exactly what this Nirvana was. As Max Muller says “Nirvana in its highest sense is a name and a thought, but nothing can be predicated of it. It is 'what no eye has seen and what has not entered into the mind of man,' We know that it is, but no one oan
say what it is.” We can say this much with Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat www.umaragyanbhandar.com