The Buddhist Path to Enlightenment (study)
by Dr Kala Acharya | 2016 | 118,883 words
This page relates ‘Difference between Moksha and Nibbana’ of the study on the Buddhist path to enlightenment. The Buddha was born in the Lumbini grove near the present-day border of India and Nepal in the 6th century B.C. He had achieved enlightenment at the age of thirty–five under the ‘Bodhi-tree’ at Buddha-Gaya. This study investigates the teachings after his Enlightenment which the Buddha decided to teach ‘out of compassion for beings’.
7. Difference between Mokṣa and Nibbāna
Mokṣa in Jainism differs from nibbāna in Buddhism. Jainism, holding soul theory, expounds mokṣa while Buddhism, rejecting the eternal existence of soul, expounds nibbāna.
Mokṣa in Jainism is the liberation the liberation of soul from karmic bondage while nibbāna in Buddhism is the liberation of suffering.
Mokṣa in Jainism exists in another world while nibbāna in Buddhism exists neither in this world nor in the other world, nor between them.
Mokṣa in Jainism is to be attained after death while nibbāna in Buddhism is to be attained in this very life.
Mokṣa in Jainism is to be attained by cutting off karmic bondage while nibbāna in Buddhism is to be attained by eradicating mental defilements through attainment of noble path.
Mokṣa in Jainism is a place where liberated soul remains forever.
Nibbāna in Buddhism, however, is where there none of conditioned things remains.
In conclusion: I discussed about liberation according to Jainism and Buddhism. First, I discussed the nature of liberation, different concepts of liberation between the two sects. Then I continued how to attain liberation, where the liberation is, the means for liberation etc.