Nibbāna in 19th-Century Criticism

Abstract

Nibbāna lies at the heart of Buddhist philosophy, yet its interpretation varies significantly across different cultural and philosophical contexts. This article examines the concept of Nirvana as presented in early Buddhist texts, particularly the Pali Canon, while critically analyzing its reinterpretation in the Western colonial period. Of particular interest is the work of Rhys Davids and other scholars within the Orientalist tradition, who frequently portrayed Nirvana as a state of “extinction” or “emptiness”, a view that stands in stark contrast to the Theravāda understanding of Nirvana as a state of liberation from craving (Taṇhā), ignorance (Avijjā), and all defilements (Kilesa). The article also draws on postcolonial theory to interrogate the power dynamics embedded in these interpretations, highlighting how Western scholarship has often objectified Buddhism as a subject of study rather than engaging with it as a living spiritual tradition. The findings point to the urgent need to reexamine the meaning of Nirvana within its original context, in order to recover a more holistic and spiritually resonant understanding one that honors both its doctrinal depth and its cultural roots.