Nirvana in Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana Buddhism: A Comparative Philosophical Study
Dorji Phuntsho
Journal of Humanities and Education Development 2026 DOI: 10.22161/jhed.8.4.1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative comparative and interpretive approach Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism |
| Keywords | Interpretation philosophy Doctrine Relevance law Soteriology Relation database Culmination Epistemology State computer science Emptiness |
| Key findings | Nirvana is consistently associated with the cessation of craving, ignorance, and suffering, but its interpretation differs across Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana traditions. |
Abstract
This study examines the concept of Nirvana in Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana Buddhism through a qualitative comparative and interpretive approach. Using selected canonical and commentarial texts, including the Majjhima Nikaya, the Heart Sutra, and the Bardo Thodol, the paper analyzes how each tradition understands liberation, suffering, and ultimate reality. The findings indicate that Nirvana is consistently associated with the cessation of craving, ignorance, and suffering, but its interpretation differs across traditions. Theravada emphasizes the realization of non-self and the unconditioned state as the culmination of disciplined insight and ethical practice. Mahayana reinterprets Nirvana through the doctrine of emptiness and non-duality, highlighting the inseparability of Nirvana and samsara. Vajrayana builds on these ideas by presenting liberation as the recognition of awakened awareness through esoteric practice, symbolic methods, and transitional states. The study also considers contemporary reinterpretations of Nirvana in relation to mindfulness, psychological well-being, and interfaith discourse. Overall, the paper suggests that Nirvana is best understood as a dynamic and evolving concept shaped by doctrinal, experiential, and historical contexts. The comparative analysis contributes to a clearer understanding of Buddhist soteriology and its relevance in modern study.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists Western Buddhist meditation practitioners and experts in Theravāda, Zen, and Tibetan... | 2017 | Qualitative study with mixed-methods | |
| A phenomenology of meditation-induced light experiences: traditional buddhist and neurobiological perspectives American Buddhist practitioners | 2014 | Qualitative study | |
| Common Core Thesis and Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Mysticism in Chinese Buddhist Monks and Nuns Chinese Pure Land and Chan Buddhist monks and nuns | 2011 | Mixed-methods study | n = 139 |
| Anger regulation in traumatized Cambodian refugees: the perspectives of Buddhist monks. Buddhist Cambodian monks in Massachusetts | 2011 | Qualitative study | n = 6 |
| The Lived Experiences of Experienced Vipassana Mahasi Meditators: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Experienced Vipassana Mahasi meditators | 2018 | Qualitative study |