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T~N?RIC BUDDHISM
(vi) Mahiisukha (Supreme Bliss) As The Final Goal : N i r b ~ n aAnd Mahiisukha The next important thing to be considered is the conception of nirviina as Mahgsukha. The problem of making out the exact implication of the conception of nirviina is rather a stumbling block with t h s Buddhist scholars ; the reason for it is that, though it is the most highly spoken of in many of the canonical and philosophical texts, it is, and by nature could be, the least explained. Not that its nature has been least discussed, but that out of all the controversial discussiorls it is not possible to form any definite notion about it, and in general it is the unspeakable transcendental nature of nirviina that has variously been emphasised. Buddha himself observed the principle of significant silence with regard t o the problem of nirviina and it is in consonance with his general agnostic attityde towards all the metaphysical problems. According to some scholars, however, the probleirl of nirviina was no vital question with primitive Buddhism which was concerned more with the four noble truths (iirzjasatzja) than with the problem bf the after world.' (A) N I R V ~ NAS A A POSITIVE STATEOF BLISS Apart from the controversial views of the scholars as to whether the conception of nirviina in early Buddhism was positive or negative, we may say for ourselve~that though the Buddhist conception of nirviina from the early time may admit of negative interpretations, the description of its positive character is not also wanting. The etymological meaning of the word "is an eternal stoppage to a flow; and in this sense we may take the word to imply the complete cessation Vide, The Prin,ciples
Suzuki, Ch. XIII. The word nir.v&na is derived as nir+ 6 (fused with the d v y ) + tn. The prefix nir implies negation, the root dva means to blow and the suffix ta is added in the impersonal voice (i.e., bhtivaviicya).
of
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