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ON BUDDHIST NIRVANA
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misunderstanding that the pure citta continuum which was wearing before the death of Tathāgata Gotama, the mask of personality designated by the name Tathāgata Gotama is also extinct. And if we say, 'Tathāgata Gotama is not extinct,' there is a danger of our giving rise to the misunderstanding that even after the death of Tathāgata Gotama, in nirvāna, the citta-continuum continues to wear the mask of personality which it was wearing before the death and which was on that account designated by the name 'Tathāgata Gotama.' This is the reason why Buddha deemed it wise to observe silence when it was asked what happens to the Tathāgata after his death.27 5. Two kinds of Nirvāņa
Buddhism recognises two kinds of nirvāņa, viz. sopadhisesa and anupadhiseşa.28 Sopadhiśeşa means that which is characterised by the upadhi (i.e. five skandhas) that continues to exist as residue (sesa). The term 'Sesa' suggests that the process of extinction has taken place and as a result something has become extinct. The question arises as to what has become extinct in this kind of nirvāņa. We are told that it is āsavas (=kāmāsava, bhavāsava, ditthāsava, avijāsava) that become extinct. So, it is better to designate this kind of nirvāņa by the term āsava-nibhāna." The person who attains it is called arahanta.31 He has his body and five sense-organs, experiences external objects or receives sensations, feels pleasures and pain, has impressions of past acts and experiences, and thinks or remembers, etc. Thus he is equipped with all the five personality factors and hence has his own distinct personality. But he being free from āsavas, has no desires, no clinging to the world and to the renewed existence in it, no misconceptions about the world and himself, no ignorance and no immoral habits, thoughts and emotions. He is endowed with kindness. He is friendly and compassionate to all living beings and works for their good.32 He is imbued with the basic virtues, viz. ahimisā, staya, asteya, brahmacarya and aparigraha.33 He closely corresponds to the jivanmukta of the Sankhya-Yoga and the tirthankara (or arhat or sayoga-kevalī) of the Jaina. The āsavaksaya corresponds to the klesaksaya of the Sankhya-Yoga and the kasāyaksaya (or ghātikarmaksaya) of the Jaina. The Buddhist have recognised the possibility of the existence of nirāsrava skandhas, just as the SankhyaYoga have recognised the possibility of aklista cittavịttis34 and the Jainas the niskasāya yoga (=activities of body, mind and speech).25
