Korea Journal of Buddhist Studies ISSN:1598-0642(Print) 불교학연구

Nirvārṇ thought was born to be an aspect of religious grounds based on philosophical reason, spiritual culture and the life of ancient Indians. Buddhism had been developed including all the thoughts of Early Buddhism, School Buddhism, and Mahayana Buddhism as part of its ultimate purpose. This study compared different characteristics of Nirvāṇ thought in different periods and schools, and also researched the kinds of Nirvāṇ of Yogāāa-School, focusing on related literature. The characteristics of Nirvāṇ thought are different according to literature of specific periods. Early·School Buddhist scriptures focus on teaching people to remove anguish and suffering from life and reaching Nirvāṇ from the state of their bodies in this world. But Mahāāa Sūras, based on the Nirvāṇ thoughts of Early·School scriptures, are more specific and active in preaching Nirvāṇ by adding transcendental wisdom(prajñā, Jari-ita(自利利他) thought(by benefiting oneself, one benefits others.) and other schools’ thoughts. Regarding the essential nature of Nirvāṇ, the Sarvātivāins school claims the essential nature of Nirvātṇ exists as a true nature, and the Sautrātikas school claims that does not exist. The Madhyamaka-School of Mahāāa teaches that Nirvāṇ has the “nature of emptiness(śūyatā”, which means it has no true nature, because there is nothing to be removed and nowhere to reach for Nirvāṇ based on none-self(niḥvabhāa) and emptiness(śūya). There are three categories of Nirvāṇ in scriptures according to periods and schools; 2 kinds, 3 kinds, and 4 kinds. Some early Madhyamaka-School and Yogāāa-School’s literatures of Early·School·Mahāāa Buddhism teach 2 kinds of Nirvāṇ, and other early literatures of Yogāāa-School teach 3 kinds of Nirvāṇ. In addition post commentaries preach 4 kinds of Nirvāṇ. The Nirvāṇ thought and its kinds have been divided into 2, 3, and 4 kinds Nirvāṇ as educational thoughts were developed by periods and schools. And they have been established in order of sopadhiśṣ-nirvāṇ·anupadhiśṣ-nirvāṇ, sopadhiśṣnirvā-ṇ ·anupadhiśṣ-nirvā-ṇ·apratiṣṭita-nirvā-ṇ and sopadhiśṣ-nirvāṇ·anupadhiśṣ-nirvāṇ·apratiṣṭita-ni rvāṇ·anāikāikaprakritiśddha-nirvāṇ. Particularly in the literature of the Yogāāa-School, unlike other thoughts which combine bodhisattva of Mahāāa and the ideas of Yogāāa-School to preach Nirvāṇ, teach practice, wisdom, and the practice of compassion and its teaching is specific and detailed in above order.