The Third Noble Truth of Buddhism – Nirodha

This section explains Nirodha the third noble truth of Buddhism. The Third Noble Truth in Buddhism is Nirodha, which translates as the cessation or end of suffering. It is a central tenet in the Buddha’s teachings, affirming that suffering does not have to be permanent and that it is possible to overcome it. The Buddha taught that suffering can cease through the cultivation of right effort, wisdom, and ethical conduct. By understanding and applying the teachings of the Buddha, individuals can overcome the causes of suffering and ultimately achieve a state of peace and liberation.

Nirodha is closely related to the concept of nibbana, which is often referred to as the cessation of suffering. However, nibbana is a complex and profound concept, and the Buddha explained it in two distinct ways: nibbana with remainder and nibbana without remainder.

Nibbana with Remainder

Nibbana with remainder refers to the experience of nibbana that can be attained during a person's lifetime. It occurs when a person, through practice and meditation, reaches a state of profound spiritual awakening. In this state, their mind and heart are free from the delusions of craving, attachment, and ignorance. This marks the cessation of suffering in the person’s present experience. However, while they have achieved a deep state of liberation and peace, their physical body remains in the world and continues to experience the natural processes of life, including ageing, sickness, and eventual death. Thus, although the person has attained the highest spiritual state, they are not yet fully free from the cycle of samsara (the cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth) while still alive.

This stage is often seen as the experience of an enlightened being, or an arhat (in Theravada Buddhism), who has reached a profound state of wisdom and understanding but continues to live out their remaining life in the world. They no longer experience suffering in the same way that unenlightened beings do, but their body remains subject to the physical realities of existence.

Nibbana without Remainder

Nibbana without remainder refers to the final attainment of nibbana at the time of death. When a person reaches this stage, they have completely transcended the cycle of samsara; birth, death, and rebirth. At this point, both the mind and body are fully liberated. The individual has let go of all attachment, craving, and ignorance, and there is no longer any rebirth into the cycle of suffering.

This state signifies the end of the individual’s journey in the cycle of samsara, and the person is no longer bound by the karmic forces that perpetuate existence. Nibbana without remainder is often described as a state of ultimate peace and freedom, where the cycle of suffering is permanently broken.

The Path to Nirodha – Ending Craving

The cessation of suffering, as outlined in Nirodha, is attainable through the cessation of craving. Craving is the underlying cause of suffering, as explained in the Second Noble Truth (Samudaya). The Buddha taught that by recognising and overcoming craving, individuals can end their suffering.

Buddhists practice various methods to achieve this, the most important of which is meditation. Meditation is a key aspect of the Buddhist path, as it allows individuals to cultivate mindfulness and awareness. Through meditation, Buddhists develop a deeper understanding of the nature of their thoughts, feelings, and desires, ultimately gaining insight into the impermanence of all things. This understanding helps to reduce attachment and craving, which in turn leads to the cessation of suffering.

Meditation is also a means of developing right effort, which is one of the components of the Noble Eightfold Path. Right effort involves making a sustained effort to cultivate wholesome mental states, while abandoning unwholesome ones. By practising right effort, a Buddhist works to diminish the mental defilements that fuel craving, such as greed, hatred, and ignorance.

Attaining Nibbana in Life and Death

The Buddha’s teachings indicate that nibbana can be attained both during one’s life and at the time of death. In life, through disciplined practice and meditation, an individual can experience the profound peace of nibbana with remainder, where they are free from the mental defilements that cause suffering, though their physical body continues to live in the world. At death, the individual who has fully attained enlightenment experiences nibbana without remainder, escaping the cycle of samsara and the endless process of rebirth.

The attainment of nibbana, whether with or without remainder, is the ultimate goal in Buddhism. It represents the complete cessation of suffering, ignorance, and attachment, and the realisation of true peace and liberation.

Nirodha; the cessation of suffering is not just the theoretical end of suffering, but a practical reality that can be experienced through conscious effort, meditation, and wisdom. The Buddha’s teachings offer a clear path for anyone willing to commit to the practices that lead to nibbana and ultimate freedom from suffering.