Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra
Also known as: Mahaparinirvana Sutra, Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, Nirvāṇa Sūtra, Great Nirvana Sutra, Da banniepan jing, Nehan-gyō
A major Mahayana sutra centering on the Buddha’s final teaching, the Nirvana Sutra proclaims universal Buddha-nature, defines nirvana’s four attributes, and reinterprets the Buddha as eternal. It integrates doctrine with narrative scenes around the Buddha’s last days and key disciples and patrons.
Description
The Nirvana Sutra (Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra) presents the Buddha’s culminating exposition on nirvana and the inherent Buddha-nature (tathāgatagarbha) of all sentient beings, including debates over the salvability of the icchantika. It articulates nirvana’s four marks—Permanence, Bliss, Self, and Purity—reframing earlier notions and asserting the Tathāgata’s unceasing presence. Narrative frames include the Buddha’s final instructions, the repentance and rehabilitation of King Ajātaśatru, and dialogues with leading disciples and bodhisattvas. The work survives in multiple recensions: a shorter six-scroll Chinese translation and an expanded forty-scroll version influential across East Asia, shaping Tiantai, Chan/Zen, and Nirvana School thought.
Historiography
The text exists in several recensions, most prominently the shorter Chinese translation by Faxian and Buddhabhadra (T374, 6 fascicles, 416 CE) and the longer Dharmakṣema translation (T376, 40 fascicles, 421–432 CE). Sanskrit fragments and Central Asian materials suggest layered composition and expansion. Doctrinal differences—especially concerning the icchantika and universality of Buddha-nature—reflect development across redactions. The sutra profoundly influenced East Asian Buddhism, spawning extensive commentaries and shaping Tiantai and early Chan exegesis.
Date Notes
Likely composed in India with later Central Asian redactions; translated into Chinese by Faxian/Buddhabhadra (6 fascicles, 416 CE) and Dharmakṣema (40 fascicles, 421–432 CE).
Symbols
Major Characters
- Gautama Buddha
- Ananda
- Mahakasyapa
- Manjushri
- Maitreya
Myths
- The Buddha’s Final Teachings
- The Death and Parinirvana
- Buddha-Nature and the Eternal Dharma
Facts
- Among the most influential tathāgatagarbha scriptures in East Asia.
- Defines nirvana by four attributes: Permanence, Bliss, Self, Purity.
- Affirms universal Buddha-nature, including debates on the icchantika.
- Recasts the Buddha as eternally present beyond physical death.
- Features Ajātaśatru’s confession and moral restoration.
- Survives primarily in Chinese recensions; Sanskrit is fragmentary.
- Short (6-scroll) and long (40-scroll) versions reflect layered redaction.
- Shaped Tiantai, early Chan/Zen, and the Nirvana School exegetical traditions.
- Employs parables (treasure, medicine) to communicate doctrine.
- Frequently paired in study with Lotus, Śrīmālādevī, and Tathāgatagarbha Sutras.