Minowani's Writings

on what the Buddha taught

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Nibbāna is often left untranslated and/or is unclear.

Translations for nibbāna can sometimes be found in glossaries yet they may not be use as such in the texts themselves, this tends to make things a bit abstract and unclear. Or if an explanatory part is used (extinction, extinguishing, unbinding) it doesn't make it clear enough.

When it comes to translating nibbāna there are a few points to take into account:

  1. It is a word which would be ordinarily used by ordinarily people. People do have a perception of what nibbāna is even when they don't directly know it for themselves.
  2. It is seen as positive.
  3. It has to do with stilling, stopping, specifically regarding greed, hate and delusion.
  4. It is a highest goal; it comes after freedom, emancipation.

I use peace for nibbāna. Let's check with the points above:

  1. People know what peace is, even though they might not have experienced it directly or fully by themselves.
  2. Peace is seen as positive.
  3. It can be understood that with greed, hate and delusion it isn't peaceful; then there is no real peace.
  4. Freedom, but for what purpose? For doing what you like? Then you are not really free; but freedom in order to have ultimate peace? now that surely is the highest.

Many today's questions on nibbāna are not careful or valid. If instead of 'is nibbāna not boring?', 'is peace not boring?' was asked, it would already be easier to see that with boredom peace would be lacking. In this way this translation clarifies while covering the points taking into account as well.

Nibbāna (nt.) peace.