If the existence of the ordinary mortal is one of suffering, the state of the enlightened sage, whose delusions have been eliminated, is the complete tranquility of nirvana. In his first sermon, the Buddha described nirvana as “the utter passionless cessation of, the giving up of, the forsaking of, the release from, the absence of longing for this craving.” Craving represents all the obstructions, including ignorance, that hinder the realization of the ideal state. Nirvana is the state in which all obstructions have been eliminated and one can function in accord with the ideal.
Basic Buddhist Concepts