Can one attain nirvāṇa and liberation by cultivating the four dhyānas and eight samāpattis?

Nirvāṇa is the realm realized by arhats who have attained liberation of mind and liberation of wisdom; it is not only related to meditative concentration (samādhi), but primarily related to the wisdom of liberation. Even if one has cultivated the first dhyāna, second dhyāna, third dhyāna, and fourth dhyāna, one still cannot attain liberation and remains in the cycle of birth and death. Because the root of birth and death—the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi)—has not been eradicated, the afflictions related to self have not been severed; being bound by afflictions, the mind is not liberated, and nirvāṇa is not realized.

Liberation of mind is the realm of a third-fruit person of the Small Vehicle (anāgāmin); such a person not only possesses meditative concentration of the first dhyāna and above, but has also eradicated the view of self, severed the afflictions of greed and hatred as well as the three fetters—this is the realization of nirvāṇa with remainder (sopadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa). If one further severs the conceit of self and grasping at self, completely exhausts all craving for the three realms, and obtains the wisdom of liberation, one can then enter nirvāṇa without remainder (anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa).

Therefore it is said that meditative concentration alone cannot eradicate afflictions; it can only suppress them. The mind is not liberated, and wisdom is not liberated either. Liberation of mind is the liberated realm attained through wisdom plus meditative concentration, by eradicating afflictions; liberation of wisdom likewise is the liberated realm attained through the wisdom of liberation plus meditative concentration, by eradicating all afflictions.