Many people believe that they will happy if they get what they need. Good job, lots of money, health, family, etc., etc. – the list goes on. But in practice, this happiness is due, not real. The joy of getting the desired speeds, there are new desire. In the end all life is spent in pursuit of those or other achievements.
The state of Nirvana eliminates the need for anything. It is directly related to the extinction of the human self, the very self which has a name and surname, profession, attitudes and beliefs, desire and attachment. But what will be left of a person if the person disappears?
Consciousness and awareness
Consciousness is usually defined as the ability to recognize – that is, to understand what is happening, their status and place in the world. The thinking ability of a person directly associated with consciousness. But what happens when the thinking process stops?
In those moments, just looking at the world. Everyone sees, hears, perceives, but doesn't analyze. To be aware means to be present, to be, to be in the present moment. There is only what exists in this moment, nothing else – no past, no future. No thoughts, and so there are no experiences, hopes and aspirations.
In such moments a person begins to realize its division into two parts – "I" as person and "I" as the awareness as to Who is Watching. Try to observe your thoughts and you will realize that it is possible that there is someone who thinks – "I", ego, and the true eternal self of man – his essence, the spirit, the monad, looking at the thought process.
The achievement of Nirvana
The state of Nirvana is directly related to the loss of human "I", ego, personality. Disappears one who aspired, feared, dreamed, wished, etc., etc. Personally, you can never reach Nirvana, because on this journey you die as a person, as an ego. That is the ego seeks to achieve Nirvana, not realizing that on this way, it will die. But at the time of this death, man is born anew as a being of a higher order. Now he is the awareness, the being itself. Pathetic human personality, a product of the mind, disappeared. This process is known as enlightenment, it leads to a Nirvana like state of freedom from passions and desires.
How to reach Nirvana in practice? First of all, you need to realize the arbitrariness and narrowness of human views, knowledge, and reasoning. Clear the mind from all the excess, throw away everything that is not valuable, not what you can do. This is a very difficult and long work, as the ego frantically clings to life. To live, it needs someone to be – to have name and surname, profession, social status, something to represent in this world. As soon as all of this piling up of mental constructions begins to crumble, weakened and ego.
At some point the person realizes that he no longer aspires to Nirvana and in General to anything. All he can do is to be – to stay in the present moment without expectations and aspirations. In this state one day comes that brief moment when the ego dies. Enlightenment comes, man is born anew.
The state of enlightenment is very nice is the nicest thing that you can experience. This man is not a creature that just sits with a beatific smile and wants nothing to do. From the previous identity it is memory, some former interests and aspirations. But they already have over the human forces – if he is working to achieve anything, it is only out of habit, for the sake of process. One thing is not better than another, the person simply is engaged in something, enjoying it all. In his consciousness there is an absolute rest.