Nirvana in Hinayana and Mahayana

Subject Areas : Christianity

یحیی Nosrati ¹ (دانش آموخته دکترای دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد علوم و تحقیقات، گروه ادیان و عرفان، تهران، ایران)
ابوالفضل Mahmoudi ² (دانشیار دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد علوم و تحقیقات، گروه ادیان و عرفان، تهران، ایران)

Received: 2015-11-12 Accepted : 2015-11-12 Published : 2015-10-23

Keywords: Buddhism, Hinayāna, Mahāyāna, Nirvāna,

Abstract :

The ultimate goal of religiosity and mystical discipleship in Buddhism is rescue from suffering and the circle of rebirth. Nirvana is the main common teaching among Buddhist schools and explains that goal. There are different approaches to interpret the meaning of Nirvāna. The most important approaches are the positive, negative and paradoxical ones. Although this doctrine is accepted in both Hinayāna and Mahayāna, each of them has its own specific interpretations about the doctrine. It can be said that the meaning of the concept of Nirvāna in Mahāyāna has been widely expanded than its meaning in Hinayāna.