Lecture Notes on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (218)

The Four Kinds of Nirvāṇa

Bodhisattvas should realize nirvāṇa themselves and then enable others to realize it. After attaining nirvāṇa oneself, one then guides sentient beings to attain nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa is a state of tranquility (praśama) and stillness reached through cultivation and realization—neither arising nor ceasing. Nirvāṇa is divided into four kinds.

First, the intrinsically pure nirvāṇa of the tathāgatagarbha. The tathāgatagarbha itself is of the nature of nirvāṇa—neither arising nor ceasing, neither increasing nor decreasing, tranquil and undefiled, attached to not a single dharma. When a bodhisattva sees the mind and attains enlightenment, he realizes this originally existing nirvāṇa nature, realizing the nirvāṇa of the intrinsically pure mind.

Second, nirvāṇa with remainder (sopadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa). "With remainder" means that a material body still exists, or a mind still exists. When body and mind exist, there are feelings of suffering. While an arhat is alive in the world, his material body with its five aggregates exists in the world, and the material body has sensations; therefore there is a certain degree of suffering. Residual suffering can manifest depending on the material body: he feels cold when the wind blows, hot under the sun, itchy when bitten by mosquitoes. This state in which slight suffering must be endured is called nirvāṇa with remainder. Nirvāṇa with remainder is the nirvāṇa state realized by those of the third and fourth fruits of the Small Vehicle; bodhisattvas after the first bhūmi likewise also realize it.

Third, nirvāṇa without remainder (anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa). When an arhat's lifespan comes to an end, he extinguishes the five aggregates and enters the state of nirvāṇa without remainder. In this state, there is no material body, no mind, and no five aggregates; therefore no feeling of suffering can arise at all—no body to suffer, no mind to suffer, no body and mind to feel suffering. There is no feeling, no thought or discrimination, and no arhat either; he abides in the tranquil state of nirvāṇa, with only the imperishable intrinsically pure mind remaining in existence, abiding in a state of utter nothingness. This is called nirvāṇa without remainder. Arhats of the fourth fruit realize this nirvāṇa upon their passing; those of the third fruit whose merit of liberation is profound can also realize it after death at the end of life. Bodhisattvas at the full mind-stage of the first bhūmi have the ability to realize it but do not, in order to retain delusions to sustain rebirth, benefiting themselves and benefiting others.

Fourth, nirvāṇa without abiding (apratiṣṭhita-nirvāṇa). This is the nirvāṇa state realized by a Buddha; other bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, and pratyekabuddhas have no ability to realize it. After a Buddha perfectly accomplishes omniscience (sarvākārajñatā), with His profound great wisdom His mind does not abide in any state, does not abide in any dharma—abiding neither in emptiness nor in existence, not abiding in nirvāṇa without remainder, not abiding in the three realms. Yet with His measureless great compassionate mind, the Buddha also does not leave the three realms, does not leave worldly dharmas, does not leave the body of the five aggregates, does not leave the body with the thirty-two marks; with the liberated body and five aggregates He teaches sentient beings to realize nirvāṇa and attain liberation. A Buddha can, according to conditions, accomplish the eightfold manifestation of attaining the Way in one world, manifesting as a Buddha; when the conditions in that world come to an end, He will arise in other Buddha-lands with which He has affinities, manifesting another body of the five aggregates, appearing as a Buddha to deliver sentient beings. In this way He can benefit and bring joy to sentient beings in countless worlds so that they all realize nirvāṇa and attain liberation. This is the Buddha's nirvāṇa without abiding, the state in which He never abandons sentient beings.