Commentary on the Sutra of the Compendium of Fathers and Sons (218)

The Four Kinds of Nirvana

A Bodhisattva should realize Nirvana themselves and also enable others to realize it. After attaining Nirvana oneself, one then guides sentient beings to attain Nirvana. Nirvana is a state of pure tranquility attained through cultivation, beyond birth and death. Nirvana is divided into four kinds.

1. The Innate Purity Nirvana of the Tathagatagarbha. The Tathagatagarbha itself possesses the nature of Nirvana—neither born nor perishing, neither increasing nor decreasing, pure and undefiled, unattached to any dharma. When a Bodhisattva realizes the Mind and attains enlightenment, they realize this inherently existing nature of Nirvana, attaining the Nirvana of the Innately Pure Mind.

2. Nirvana with Remainder. "With remainder" means that the physical body or the mind still exists. Where body and mind exist, there is suffering. While Arhats are in the world, their physical body of five aggregates exists in the world; since the physical body has sensations, there is necessarily some suffering. Remnant suffering can manifest dependent on the physical body: feeling cold when the wind blows, feeling hot when the sun shines, feeling itchy when bitten by mosquitoes. This state where subtle suffering must be endured is called Nirvana with Remainder. Nirvana with Remainder is the state of Nirvana realized by Hinayana practitioners of the third and fourth fruitions; Bodhisattvas beyond the First Bhumi also realize it.

3. Nirvana without Remainder. When an Arhat's lifespan ends, they extinguish the five aggregates and enter the state of Nirvana without Remainder. In this state, there is no physical body, no mind, and no five aggregates; therefore, no suffering can arise. There is no body to suffer, no mind to suffer, no body or mind to perceive suffering, no feelings, no mental discrimination, and no Arhat either. They abide in the state of Nirvana's tranquility, with only the indestructible Innately Pure Mind remaining, existing in a state of nothingness. This is called Nirvana without Remainder. This Nirvana is attained by Fourth Fruition Arhats upon their passing. Third Fruition practitioners with deep liberation merits can also attain it upon their death. Bodhisattvas at the culmination of the First Bhumi have the capacity to attain it but do not, in order to retain residual afflictions to nurture rebirth, benefiting both self and others.

4. Non-abiding Nirvana. This is the state of Nirvana realized by Buddhas; other Bodhisattvas and Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas lack the capacity to attain it. After the Buddha ultimately accomplishes All-Knowing Wisdom, through his profound great wisdom, his mind abides in no state whatsoever, abides in no dharma whatsoever—neither abiding in emptiness nor in existence, neither abiding in Nirvana without Remainder nor in the Three Realms. Yet, with his immeasurable great compassion, the Buddha does not leave the Three Realms, does not abandon worldly dharmas, does not forsake the body of five aggregates, does not relinquish the thirty-two major marks. He uses the liberated body of five aggregates to teach sentient beings to realize Nirvana and attain liberation. The Buddha, according to conditions, can manifest the Eight Aspects of Attaining Buddhahood in a world. When the conditions in that world cease, he may manifest another body of five aggregates in another Buddha-land where conditions exist, manifesting Buddhahood to liberate sentient beings. In this way, he benefits and brings joy to sentient beings in countless worlds, enabling them all to realize Nirvana and attain liberation. This is the Buddha's Non-abiding Nirvana, the state of not abandoning sentient beings.