Aspects of Mahayana Buddhism and its Relation to Hinayana c7.s3.t19.1

c7.s3.t19.1

In the *Visuddhimagga*,⁵ Buddhaghosa retains the conception found in the *Kathāvatthu* and selects only those passages from the Nikāyas which lend support to his view. In describing its guṇas, he comments on a passage of the *Aṅguttara Nikāya* (ii. 34) where Nibbāṇa is described as suppressing pride, removing lust, destroying ālaya (of the five kāma-guṇas), and arresting the cycle of existence in the three worlds. While commenting on the etymology of the word Nibbāṇa,⁶ he says that it is the going out of the ‘vana’ which is a synonym of taṇhā and is so called because it acts as a hindrance to the four kinds of birth (yonis), five forms of existence (gatis), seven viññāṇa existences (*i.e.* the planes of existence above the Arūpa worlds) and nine sattāvāsas (abodes of sentient beings). This shows only the aspect of quietude (upasama) of Nibbāṇa. He then takes up the well-known passage of the *Saṃyutta Nikāya* (iv. 362, 369 ff.)⁷ to show that Nibbāṇa is truth, transcendental, difficult to be seen, without decay, eternal, indescribable immortal, happy, peaceful, wonderful, healthy, pure and is an island of refuge. It appears from the selection of passages made by Buddhaghosa that he is a supporter of the view that Nibbāna is eternal and that it is a lokottara¹ state beyond the Kāma, Rūpa and Arūpa dhātus.