Life in Nibbana?

LostLight

I understand how difficult a question this is to really answer/understand, but it's been something I've been wondering for awhile. On earth, I'm a fan of art/music. Say for example, that in this current life I achieve Nibbana; will the happiness spoken of be nothing more than a self sustaining existence? Is Nibbana just a medicated existence? I'm not completely against letting go of everything I know, but will I never be able to enjoy watching the sun set or listening to the wind in Nibbana? That's one aspect of Buddhism I'm still unsure about.

justshea

Yep, you will enjoy the sunset. And, nothing will spoil that enjoyment. No worries about paying bills, going to work tomorrow, having a small waistline, or keeping up with the Joneses. Also no hoping you are not disappointed in tomorrow's sunset. Just pure enjoyment of what is.

Sabre

"There is that dimension where there is neither earth, nor water, nor fire, nor wind; neither dimension of the infinitude of space, nor dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, nor dimension of nothingness, nor dimension of neither perception nor non-perception; neither this world, nor the next world, nor sun, nor moon. And there, I say, there is neither coming, nor going, nor stasis; neither passing away nor arising: without stance, without foundation, without support [mental object]. This, just this, is the end of stress."
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca3/nibbana.html

Where water, earth, fire, & wind have no footing:
There the stars do not shine,
the sun is not visible,
the moon does not appear,
darkness is not found.
And when a sage,
a brahman through sagacity,
has known [this] for himself,
then from form & formless,
from bliss & pain,
he is freed.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca3/nibbana.html

With metta!

PrairieGhost

No worries about ... having a small waistline, or keeping up with the Joneses

Steady on, justshea.

There are limits, you know.

(two good answers)

Just to add, LostLight , you said

On earth, I'm a fan of art/music.

One thing that must happen, however, is stepping off the cliff of certainty that you will have anything you love. But that's just realising something that's always true, impermanence.

Impermanence doesn't stop the sun from rising, or you from seeing that, but we might lose our sight, we might lose our hearing, we might lose our mobility, the mobility to go outside and see the sun set. If we aren't clinging, if we're touching nibbana, that's ok.

seeker242

Total ease, complete calm, absolute freedom, perfect happiness & pure peace…
Absence of any uncertainty, doubt, confusion, any delusion and all ignorance…
Presence of confidence, certainty, understanding all, and direct experience…
Absence of any greed, lust, desire, urge, attraction, hunger, and temptation…
Presence of imperturbable and serene composure in an all stilled equanimity…
Absence of all hate, anger, aversion, hostility, irritation, & stubborn rigidity…
Presence of universal goodwill: An infinite & all-embracing friendly kindness…

Sounds pretty good if you ask me!

Invincible_summer

@LostLight - I'd like to remind you that Nibbana is not a place or destination, as you seem to be suggesting ("On earth I'm a fan of art/music," "Life in Nibbana")

The Pali word Nibbana is formed of Ni and Vana. Ni is a negative particle and vana means lusting or craving. "It is called Nibbana, in that it is a departure from the craving which is called vana, lusting." Literally, Nibbana means non-attachment...

Nibbana is not situated in any place nor is it a sort of heaven where a transcendental ego resides. It is a state which is dependent upon this body itself. It is an attainment (dhamma) which is within the reach of all. Nibbana is a supramundane state attainable even in this present life. Buddhism does not state that this ultimate goal could be reached only in a life beyond. Here lies the chief difference between the Buddhist conception of Nibbana and the non-Buddhist conception of an eternal heaven attainable only after death or a union with a God or Divine Essence in an after-life.

Source

Gui

There is no way of knowing. All explanations are wrong in that all explanations are of the mind. So if we must insist on knowing what is unknowable, we might as well make something up that we feel happy about.

Sabre

There is no way of knowing.

There is a way of knowing, which is the path.

Floating_Abu

All explanations are wrong in that all explanations are of the mind. So if we must insist on knowing what is unknowable, we might as well make something up that we feel happy about.

Thanks Gui, for your words of wisdom.

Forums are also called make-up-and-out places - else it would be blank But we keep the words spinning for now, just like all the text on this good forum.

Best
Abu

misecmisc1

My understanding of Buddha's teachings says - after Awakening, due to right view, the experience of the world shall change from our current wrong view(due to ignorance) as then the things will be experienced as 'just they are' , there will be nothing good, nothing bad, nothing beautiful, nothing ugly. so the sunset will be just sunset and not beautiful sunset. the music will be just sound - nothing nice or nothing bad about the music. everything will be experienced as 'just they are'.

SattvaPaul

My understanding of Buddha's teachings says - after Awakening, due to right view, the experience of the world shall change from our current wrong view(due to ignorance) as then the things will be experienced as 'just they are' , there will be nothing good, nothing bad, nothing beautiful, nothing ugly. so the sunset will be just sunset and not beautiful sunset. the music will be just sound - nothing nice or nothing bad about the music. everything will be experienced as 'just they are'.

This sounds to me like turning into a robot.

misecmisc1

My understanding of Buddha's teachings says - after Awakening, due to right view, the experience of the world shall change from our current wrong view(due to ignorance) as then the things will be experienced as 'just they are' , there will be nothing good, nothing bad, nothing beautiful, nothing ugly. so the sunset will be just sunset and not beautiful sunset. the music will be just sound - nothing nice or nothing bad about the music. everything will be experienced as 'just they are'.

This sounds to me like turning into a robot.

Or, from a different point of view, it can be always living in the present moment, so living each moment fully - away from the distractions of comparison, description, past thoughts, future planning etc - in a way, reaffirming the uselessness of this world or Samsara, which is just a projection of our conditioned mind - so then no craving and no clinging will arise, leading to no further arising of suffering.

DairyLama

Yep, you will enjoy the sunset. And, nothing will spoil that enjoyment.

That's right, no dukkha to ruin things.

DairyLama

"There is that dimension where there is neither earth, nor water, nor fire, nor wind; neither dimension of the infinitude of space, nor dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, nor dimension of nothingness, nor dimension of neither perception nor non-perception; neither this world, nor the next world, nor sun, nor moon. And there, I say, there is neither coming, nor going, nor stasis; neither passing away nor arising: without stance, without foundation, without support [mental object]. This, just this, is the end of stress."
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca3/nibbana.html

Sounds quite similar to the Heart Sutra, describing emptiness?

Floating_Abu

:om:

PHennings12

When you achieve Nirvana none of those things will matter.

federica

None of those things matter now.
What matters now, is Now.

PrairieGhost

And now.

Just in case you got stuck.

how

When you achieve Nirvana none of those things will matter.

Luv to hear how "you" and "achieve" can be foisted on poor Nirvana????