________________
“What is nirvana?” Buddha replied: “Dear one, nirvana is cessation of passion, hatred, and attachment.” (Bauddha Philosophy and Literature)
The Way to Attain Nirvana
After exploring some background on the literal definition of nirvana, more questions arise. How can a person attain nirvana? How can we have knowledge of this state? To begin to answer this, we must refer to the Buddha's teachings on the practice of meditation and the state of Samadhi, the final step of the eightfold path. The Buddha taught about the four stages of concentration in the practice of dhyāna. These are described in detail in the Dighanikaya's Samanjaphalsuta. There is also a well known story about an ascetic who once approached the Buddha to ask: “What is the path for realizing buddhahood?”
Buddha answered:
This is the noble eight-fold path. Only by walking on this path is one able to arrive at the goal.” (Bauddha Philosophy and Literature)
It will also be important to make a general comparison of the relevant practices in the Santmat and Buddhist traditions. In Santmat we practice four stages of meditation. This is similar to the Buddhist tradition, which speaks about mantra meditation,
157
