Nibbana in Early Buddhism

Secularization, or, in other words, de divinization of human consciousness', a historical process has created a crisis of conscience for a modern man, who has lost faith in the existence of God, but, wants to become a Saint. The people, with similar crisis of conscience, can, fruitfully seek guidance from the Buddha, an Asian from ancient India, who discovered the Path to solve the 'only problem', which not only modern Europe is seized with, but, is also influencing the rest of the civilized world. The Buddha delineated the Path, which can lead such reasonable persons to discover the Nibbanic state of mind, and, consequently, become Saints, arahatas in Buddhist terminology, however, without professing faith in Almighty God, thus, simultaneously resolve the crisis and solve the 'only problem'. This book is an attempt to identify the Path.

Dr. H.S. Sobti born in 1937 at Dhamial, District Rawal-Pindi, now in Pakistan. Migrated to Delhi in 1947, after Partition.
Pursued interdisciplinary studies in a regular way. Passed M.A. in Panjabi Language and Literature (1961); LL.B. (1978); M.A. in Philosophy (1980); all from University of Delhi. Awarded Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Buddhist Studies by the University of Delhi in 1983.
Well-known literary critic in Panjabli academic world. Worked as a Co editor of SEDH, a Panjabi journal of Literary Criticism and Culture, besides, regularly contributing articles. Published Prasidh Panjabi Novel Vol. one in 1980, a collection of articles concerned with textual criticism of important Panjabi novels.,br> Presented papers creditably in the 9th International Buddhist Conference, held in December 1983. at Bodhgaya, Bihar; First International Conference on Buddhism and National Cultures, held in October 1984 in New Delhi, International Symposium on India and World Literature, held in New Delhi February 1985.
Papers published in Buddhist Journals. Pursuing post-doctoral study on A Comparative study of Buddhism and Sikhis’m as also translation Pali Jatakas into Panjabi language.

Buddhism is a psycho-ethical tradition, proceeding with a system of thought as well as a definite path for realization of the flavour of life in state of existence. The 'thought' (pariyatti) and the 'practice' (patipath) go together like two wheels of a chariot for harmonious way-faring in life. For this, it has taken up only one problem and presents a practical solution. The problem is the 'Suffering of the man and its total eradication is the 'solution'. The former is called Dukkha and the latter Nibbana. In between two, there is a path which gradually takes one from the state of former to the state of latter. It is the basic characteristics of Dhamma, the righteous path, which is described by the Buddha as an evergoing raft (Kullupamo Dhammo). In short, both the Dukkha and Nibbana are the basic facts of life. The Dhammic-way-faring is to take the being from the state of 'Suffering' to the state of eternal bliss.
Nibbana, according to this tradition is a state of 'eternal bliss' (ekanta sukkham nibbanam). A man after its attainment realizes and visulizes face to face the ultimate truth that "his process of becoming is over, holy life is successfully led, the duties which were assigned to him as a man have perfectly been done, the carrying of burden of the accumulations of so many previous existences is over, and there is no further becoming for him." Such experiences lifts him up to a state where there prevails the 'bliss' alone (sitibhutomhi nibbuto).
The teachings of the Buddha are mainly directed for realization of this blissful state. As great rivers flowing in different directions, ultimately merge into the great ocean, similarly, all his teachings lean towards Nibbana. It is the only flavour of the Dhamma and Vinaya like the only flavour salty of the great ocean. It has found expression throughout his Sermons in the active life of forty-five years and it is through them, it has been made clear as a realizable fact in this very life (ditthadhamma vedaniyam):
It is true that Nibbana is the underlying stream of the Buddha's teaching, at the same time, its preaching in various ways in different discourses makes a man, sometimes, bewildered in determining its nature. In the background, various scholars have interpreted it in different ways. The writer of the present book Dr. Harcharan Singh Sobti has taken up this issue and going deep in the original sources as well as the modern researches, evaluated the materials in tune of the tradition and made a bold statement that it is a positive state, realizable in this very life by rightly following the path prescribed by the Buddha. In this way Dr. Sobti has given clear expression of the nature of Nibbing in a very lucid and understandable style in English and paved a path for scholars, enquirers and those set on the path with unwavering confidence. In this way, he has nicely displayed the harmoniously going together of theory and practice of the tradition. For this he deserves my hearty congratulations and showering blessings. I hoer, further, that his search will continue in future and more unexplored materials will come to light with beautiful exposition.

The seventeenth century of modern Europe, which brought into T being, the geniuses like Kepler, Galileo and Newton, goes into the annals of human history, as a century of scientific revolution. These scientists, interestingly enough, were deeply religious persons. Johannes Kepler (1571-1630), German astronomer and mathematician, (who was Protestant, and, later on, took refuge with Jesuits), while recognizing 'a divine ravishment in investigating the works of God' states, that:
There is God in us, and our warmth
comes from His movements. This spirit
has descended from the heavenly seats.¹ Kepler is aptly identified as an epitome of Copernican astronomy, when, with an absolute certainty, the former conforms to the view, that, "all the planets revolve around the Sun, with the exception of the moon, which alone has the earth as its centre". Kepler's most revolutionary discovery was "that the orbit of the planet is not a perfect circle", on the contrary it is elliptic. Thus, Kepler substituted ellipses, for circles and established that each planet moves on an ellipse, which resulted in undermining awe, associated with circles, considered as perfect figures, since the times of ancient Greece. Later on, Galilei Galileo (1564-1642), an Italian practical scientist, subscribing to empirical method, in his book, Dialogue on the Great World Systems (1632) only, avowed the system of Copernicus. Nicholaus Copernicus (1473-1543), Polish astronomer, dedicated his book, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres (1543) to Pope Paul III. He refrained from publishing his book that he might be charged with calling in question the authority of Catholic Church. Because, Copernicus's observations proved directly opposed to the system of Claudius Ptolemy (2nd Century A.D.), Greek astronomer of Alexandria, and has concluded that:
You see, therefore that for all these
reasons it is more probable that the earth
moves than that it is at rest.⁴ To add, Copernicus observed two separate motions of the earth: the earth oscillates round the Sun once in a year, and, simultaneously, the earth turns on its axis once every day. The system of Copernicus was not only diametrically opposed to that of Ptolemy, it was also not in accord with the Holy Bible.
Galileo in his 'hand writing on the margin of his own copy of the Dialogue', comments:
And who can doubt that it will lead to the worst disorders when minds created free by God are compelled to submit slavishly to an outside will?⁵ Again, in his letter written in the year 1615 and addressed to the Grand Duchess Christina of Tuscany, Concerning the Use of Biblical Quotations in Matters of Science, Galileo wrote:
Methinks that in the discussion of natural problems, we ought not to begin at the authority of places of scriptures, but at sensible experiment and necessary demonstrations. For, from the Divine Word, the Sacred Scripture and nature did both alike proceed. Nature, being inexorable and immutable, and never passing the bounds of the laws assigned her, ... I conceive that concerning natural effects, that which either sensible experience set before our eyes, or necessary demonstrations do prove unto us, ought not, upon any account, to be called into question, much less condemned upon the testimony of texts of scripture, which may under their words, couch senles seemingly contrary there to.... Nor does God less admirably discover himself to us in Nature's actions, than in the Scripture's sacred dictions.⁵