Nibbāna
Nature of the cosmos / Nibbāna
Part of tag cluster Nibbāna in key topic Fruits of the Practice
Alternative translations: Unbinding
Also a subtag of Stages of awakening
Subtags: Deathless, Unestablished consciousness, Unconditioned
45 excerpts, 3:54:45 total duration

Events (1) All excerpts (47) Most relevant (34) Questions about (20) Answers involving (14) Stories (2) Quotes (11) Readings (1) Texts (2)

Brightening the Mind, Session 1 – Aug. 19, 2012

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2. Comment: Ajahn Chah said that Nibbāna is letting go, but this is difficult to do at deep levels. [Ajahn Chah] [Nibbāna] [Relinquishment] [Suffering]

Responses by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Yatiko. [Self-identity view] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma]


Abhayagiri Monastic Retreat 2013, Session 7 – Nov. 29, 2013

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9. “Is there consciousness (awareness, knowing) in the experience of nibbana or is there a complete cessation of all six senses, as some traditions say. (Particularly in relation to the experience of stream-entry, which is sometimes described as a cessation.)” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nibbāna ] [Sense bases] [Stream entry] [Cessation] // [Liberation] [Ajahn Chah] [Sutta] [Thai Forest Tradition]

Sutta: SN 22.59.11 Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta: knowledge of liberation (Chanting Book translation).


Our Roots in the Thai Forest Tradition, Session 35 – Feb. 21, 2014

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9. A retreatant expresses appreciation for the concept of non-stickiness. [Gratitude] [Release] [Nibbāna]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Idealism] [Thai Forest Tradition] [Personality] [Mae Chee Kaew] [Language]


Our Roots in the Thai Forest Tradition, Session 46 – Mar. 10, 2014

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14. “If you don’t think you will reach Nibbāna in this life, did Ajahn Chah advise a place to aspire for rebirth in?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Anan] [Pure Land] [Ajahn Dtun] [Death] [Nibbāna] [Rebirth] [Buddha] [Ajahn Chah] // [Culture/Thailand] [Merit] [Fierce/direct teaching]

Sutta: AN 3.136 Uppādā Sutta: “Whether Tathāgatās appear in the world or not...” [Characteristics of existence]


The Four Foundations of Mindfulness, Session 45 – Mar. 15, 2015

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9. “Is the goal (Nibbāna) a thought-less state of mind?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo and Ajahn Pasanno. [Nibbāna] [Heart/mind] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Formless attainments] // [Cessation of Suffering] [Relinquishment] [Impermanence]

“Who is the only person who doesn’t think? An arahant? A Buddha?” “No. The only person who doesn’t think is a dead person.” – Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Arahant] [Buddha] [Death]


Jhāna: A Practical Approach, Session 3 – Oct. 10, 2015

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11. “How are the jhāna factors causal bases for awareness to relase into Nibbāna? Do they diminish craving all the way?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Release] [Nibbāna] [Craving] [Jhāna] // [Contentment]


2015 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 3 – Nov. 23, 2015

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15. “In a Dhamma talk at Abhayagiri, you quoted Luang Por Chah as saying ‘Nibbāna lies on the shores of death.’ Could you say more about this?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nibbāna] [Death] [Ajahn Chah] // [Relinquishment]

Quote: “Oftentimes we’re really not ready to let go until there’s absolutely no alternative left.”


2015 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 4 – Nov. 24, 2015

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4. “‘Luminous is the mind.’ Is the luminous mind conditioned or unconditioned? If unconditioned, then it’s Nirvana. If conditioned/impermanent, then Nirvana is beyond the mind? Yet it can be known by the mind?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nature of mind] [Unconditioned] [Nibbāna]

Sutta: AN 1.49


2015 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 8 – Nov. 28, 2015

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27. “Do you think it’s possible to experience Nibbāna before becoming fully awakened - ‘moments of enlightenment?’ But if Nibbāna is beyond consciousness, would you remember that it happened?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nibbāna] [Stages of awakening] [Consciousness] // [Stream entry ]


Thanksgiving Retreat 2016, Session 5 – Nov. 23, 2016

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10. “This morning as I was walking upstairs, my mind suddenly went bright and clear for a brief time. Was this a glimpse of Nibbana? And if so, where do I catch the express train?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nibbāna] // [Clinging] [Self-identity view]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 11 – Mar. 29, 2018

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4. “At the beginning of this retreat, Tan Ajahn Anan advised us, “Don’t forget Nibbāna.” How do we orient ourselves towards Nibbāna?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nibbāna ] [Ajahn Anan] [Monastic life] // [Dispassion] [Cessation of Suffering] [Etymology] [Stream entry]

Sutta: AN 10.60: Girimānanda Sutta [Cessation] [Nibbāna ]

Sutta: SN 56.11: “Whatever is of the nature to arise, that is of the nature to cease.” [Conditionality]

Quote: “[The goal] is incredibly worthy, and it is not beyound our capability and means to experience.” [Nibbāna ] [Direct experience]


Developing Skill in Reflective Meditation, Session 2 – Dec. 1, 2019

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3. “You mentioned the example of the monk who wanted to commit suicide and then he remembered his virtue and that uplifted him. In the Saṃyutta Nikaya there are a few instances where monks committeed suicide, but the Buddha said they attained Nibbāna (SN 22.87 Vakkali; SN 35.87 Channa). How is that possible?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Monastic life] [Suicide] [Sutta] [Buddha/Biography] [Recollection] [Nibbāna] // [Jhāna] [Māra] [Saṃsāra] [Delusion]


Stanford Community Dhamma Discussion – Apr. 25, 2020

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2. “What advice do you have for students or graduates hoping to progess on the Noble Path towards Nibbāna while a student or in the workplace?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Eightfold Path] [Nibbāna] [Learning] [Work] [Lay life ] // [Human] [Discernment] [Compassion] [Generosity] [Perfectionism] [Desire] [Suffering] [Politics and society] [Simplicity] [Environment] [Depression] [Restlessness and worry] [Skillful qualities] [Community]


Abhayagiri 25th Anniversary Retreat, Session 22 – Jun. 15, 2021

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6. “Is it possible that someone is following the Eightfold Path without being aware that it is the path laid out by the Buddha? It seems conceivable that someone could figure out [effort to increase wholesome states and decrease unwholesome states] but never realize what they are doing is Right Effort from the Eightfold Path. Could someone like this attain Nibbāna?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Eightfold Path] [Buddhist identity] [Right Effort] [Nibbāna] // [Paccekabuddha] [Buddha]


Madison Insight Retreat 2023, Session 3 – Oct. 15, 2023

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6. “Please, a short talk on Nibbāna.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nibbāna ] // [Cessation of Suffering] [Cessation] [Unwholesome Roots] [Relinquishment] [Jhāna]

Quote: “Nibbāna is not a thing.” [Nibbāna ]

Sutta: Ud 3.10: Yena yena hi maññati, tato taṁ hoti aññathā. – “For however one conceives it, it is always other than that.”

Reference: The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro


On Nibbāna – Aug. 24, 2024

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3. “Why don’t we concentrate not so much on personal liberation, but think more about our practice? What are your thoughts about the Bodhisattva ideal, thinking of others all the time rather than achievement or personal liberation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Liberation] [Bodhisattva] [Compassion] [Nibbāna]

Quote: “Thinking of yourself is isolating. Thinking of others is proliferating....Suffering is an experience rather than a conceptualization.” [Self-identity view] [Proliferation] [Suffering]

Quote: “Don’t be an arhant. Don’t be a Bodhisattva. Don’t be anything at all. As long as you’re anything or anybody, you are going to suffer. And as long as you’re suffering, you’re going to be sharing that out with everyone else as well.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Arahant]


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4. “Is the practice of jhāna necessary for attaining Nibbāna?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Jhāna ] [Nibbāna] // [Self-identity view] [Greed] [Relinquishment]


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6. “Maybe for most practitioners it is possible to understand a little bit about Nibbāna in a momentary sense. But to become permanently free from defilements is more difficult to understand. Please explain.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Liberation] [Nibbāna] // [Buddha/Biography] [Teaching Dhamma]

Sutta: MN 26.19: The Buddha’s initial inclination not to teach.


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7. “People associate Nibbāna with a neutral state. Experiencing pīti and sukha is a pleasant state, so why should I meditate to attain this ultimate goal when it’s a state of non-feeling?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Neutral feeling] [Rapture] [Happiness] [Nibbāna] // [Middle Path]


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8. “Are there examples in real life that we can witness someone who has attained Nibbāna?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nibbāna] // [Doubt] [Four Noble Truths] [Buddha/Biography]

Sutta: MN 26.25: The Buddha’s encounter with Upaka.