THE CONCEPT OF NIRVANA AND SAMSARA IN BUDDHISM AND ITS RELEVANCE IN THE PRESENT-DAY WORLD

Abstract

In this paper, we shall focus on the Buddhist approach of living responsibly engaged with the world and yet, mindfully liberating oneself from selfish dispositions, consumeristic tendencies and parochial biases. We have focussed our attention to the point of understanding nirvana (the state of liberation) as the stage of transformation in a person to mindfully and compassionately engage with the Samsara (the lived experiences of the world). The focal argument in the paper is that Nirvana is present in every social, economic, cultural and political transactions of life. The Consciousness or awareness or prajña is at the grassroots of every sensation and thought we witness which is in actuality, “I” that is not constrained to any permanent individual/ego identity. Therefore, humans are agents who think, will and act, and can transform their lived situation with righteous karma by following virtues of compassion and friendliness and thinking and contemplating with a steadfast mindfulness. Buddhist precepts that guide a righteous living are rooted primarily in their doctrines of anatta and nirvana. These concepts have been delineated alongside their theory of causation (Pratityasamutpada) that explains reasons leading to suffering, and this theory is among one of the ‘four noble truths’ besides Nirvana and ethical noble path. The paper affirms that Buddhist concepts can be used as models of wisdom treatises that foster leading a life of humanistic and ethical spiritualism much needed to counter challenges fostered by the present-day world stuck with technological invasion replacing human endeavour, contagions causing pandemic and the greed to control the geo-political dynamics by some nations.