Nibbana and Nirvana are the same, Nibbana is Nirvana in the Hindu language.
There are two names to the people who reach Nirvana and their are many ways to get there,, the names are Arhats and Bodhisattvas. There are all kinds of spriptures. (See bottom for links to ones.)
The Middle Path is part of the Eightfold Path, and it opens the eyes to Nirvana and the teachings of the Buddha.
Nirvana is Samsarsa, and Samsara is Nirvana, they are closer than anyhting even a coin and it's two sides.
Two-thousand five-hundred (2,500) years ago, the Buddah tought something that is now part of moderrn science, he called this Anicca, or everything is impermanent. All things chang constantly, decaying , dying, and being changed into something else. The current knowledge of molecular structure proves this, this also refers to the human soul, buddhist deny the existance of a human soul., they beleive in reincarnation. A persons individuality ends at his or her death. He is not born as an animal, person or anything else, which is all that is in the universe.
Hinduism beleive his soul merges with the Being, which is all that it is in the universe. The individual soul disperses into the being and carries no individuality into a new existance. Hindu preists view the Buddha preists as heresy.
Buddha and Hinduism taught the Nirvana can only be reached one way. Which is through the extinguish bad deeds, with good deeds. You can't reach Nirvana without the help of preists you cannot reach Nirvana (or Nibbana.)
Buddism also challanged the Hindu god and goddeses. To offer sacrifices, hold rituals, and worship gods was useless to do, so is Vedas the Hindu scripture, their prayers, and their priests, meaning the whole Hindu Caste System was denied and useless. And since the Buddhist deny the existance of a soul, they also deny the Law of Karma, which is the rise of the Hindu cast.
Once a Zen master was asked "What is Nirvana?" He answered "The cat is climbing up the post." The student confessed that he did not understand. And the the Zen Master said "So ask the post?"
According to the Hindu people, the Hindu preist is the closest to Nibbana. they say with long preperation and some self-discipline, anyone can reach Nibbana.
Nirvana is understood as Dharma, Nirvana can be experinced before death by meditation under a Bo tree, that is no fulll Nirvana.
Nirvana is wandering from the Sangsara.
There are two major schools or sects, they are the Zen Master and the disciples, and the other is the Koan.
The people that beleive in Nirvana are: Buddha, Hindu, Jainism, Zen, Sikhs, and Jains.
Jainism is divided into two-sects, the Swantannbara- whose preists are clad in white, and Digarrbara- whose priests are sky clad, wearing only loin clothes.
There are many millions of Sikhs in India, they are called the Kukkas:
Kes- which means long hair, they comb it twice a day and have long beards.
Kunga- which means a wooden comb worn in their hair
Kach- which are white drawers worn next to the skin
Kara- mwans an iron braclet Khanda- a short two-edged dagger always worn in public.
Jains are strict vegitarians, they will not eat meat, even in the case of life or death. They are also pacifists and noncombatants. They will serve as medical workers and stretcher bearers at a time of war, but will not bear arms. They won't hurt a living thing. So they can't be butchers or slaughter house workers, they can't be fishermen or even farmers, at a risk of hurting a worm. They are usally monks, teachers, artists, traders, businessmen, or bankers. they also permit suicide in old age. Starvation of the elderly is a holy death..
Nirvana has no beginning and no end, and nature has no beginning and no end. Nirvana is beyond paradisesm, heavens, hells, and worlds.
NEAT LINKS
The Ten Commandments (according to the Budda)
The Five Commandments of the Soul
The Eightfold Path
Wanto to Know About Zen Click Here
The Four Noble Truths
The Ten Perfections
Back to the Homepage
Books to check out:
Liston, Robert. "By These Faiths Religions Today." New York: Messner, 1977.
Dumoulin, Heinric. "The Cultral, Political, and Religious Significance of Buddism in the Modern World." New York; Macmillian, 1976.
Evans-Wentz, W.Y. "The Tibetan Book of the Dead." U.S.A.: Oxford University Press, 1960.
Humphreys, Christmas. "Zen A way of Life." U.S.A.: Emerson, 1962.