Conversation with Pi: The Unborn

Ensō. (2024, February 4). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ens%C5%8D

Ken: Why is Nirvana also called the Unborn, Uncaused, and Unconditioned?

Pi: The Buddha used these terms to describe nirvana because he wanted to emphasize that nirvana is not something that is created or produced. It’s not a state that can be attained through any kind of cause or condition. It’s an unconditioned reality that is always present, even if we don’t recognize it. Nirvana is not something that can be created or destroyed. It’s an unconditioned reality that is beyond our ordinary experience of birth and death. Does that make sense?

Ken: It sounds mystical. How does Nirvana relate to the Three Marks of Existence?

Pi: Yes, it does sound quite mystical! The concept of nirvana is in line with the Three Marks of Existence, which are impermanence, suffering, and no-self. The First Mark, impermanence, teaches that all conditioned things are subject to change and decay. The Second Mark, suffering, teaches that all conditioned things are unsatisfactory and will ultimately lead to suffering. And the Third Mark, no-self, teaches that there is no fixed, permanent self or soul. So, nirvana is the complete cessation of all conditioned things, including impermanence, suffering, and the self.