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Life of an aspirant
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of extinction? 14
The renowned Buddhist scholar Acārya Aśvaghoşa has also used the word nirvana in the same context.
A burning lamp is extinguished, its flame flickers away - can you tell me where that flame goes? Does it go down, or does it vanish into space above? Does it vanish in the easterly direction, or does it disappear into the west? It goes nowhere When it runs out of oil, it is extinguished right there. It attains liberation.15
According to the Buddhist philosophy, the same understanding applies to the soul. They believe that the lamp of our soul burns with the oil of attachment and aversion. But at a point, when the oil is completely emptied, the lamp of consciousness is extinguished. As the flame dies out, the soul, ripe with wisdom attains liberation at the very spot. It needs to travel no further.
Jainism does not accept the Buddhist theory of the soul getting extinguished. It has an independent understanding about nirvāṇa. At this juncture, I wish to tell you that Jainism also accepts the primary meaning of nirvāṇa as blowing off, to be put off. Until the flame of attachment and aversion does not get extinguished, until the volcano of passions does not become dormant, liberation cannot happen. When the flame of desires is extinguished, the soul comes into its pure form and attains its primal state. This is nirvāṇa, this is liberation. Nirvāṇa is not the snuffing out of the soul, but rather the snuffing out of attachment and aversion.
I reiterate once again that if we have to move towards liberation, if we have to attain liberation, then we must learn to put out the fire of anger and desire. It is not just suppression of these emotions, but an uprooting and slow lulling of impulses. The flame of sādhanā should be bright and blazing, not feeble and weak. 14 nirvāna-dipe kimu tailadānam 15
dipo yathā nirvruttimabhyupeto, naivāvanim gacchati nāntarikşam disam na kāncid vidsaṁ na kāncid, sneha-kṣayāt kevalameti śāntim
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