Nirvana Sutra: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Nirvana Sutra or Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (Chinese: Niepan Jing) is one of the major texts of East Asian Mahāyāna Buddhism. Note that this is one of two Buddhist texts having approximately the same title, the other being part of the Pali Canon. However, both for historical reasons and for the sake of clarity, the former is generally referred to by its Sanskrit title, Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (or simply "Nirvana Sutra"), and the latter by its Pali title, Mahaparinibbana Sutta.

The Nirvana Sutra presents an account of the Buddha's final sermon prior to his parinirvana (his physical death). It stresses the claim that all sentient beings possess the inherent nature of a Buddha, and that all beings, even icchantikas (incorrigible beings), will eventually become Buddhas. The sutra exists in different versions of varying lengths. Faxian, the monk who intially brought the text to China from India, prepared a brief a translation containing six fascicles, but Dharmakṣema's slightly later translation had forty fascicles. Still later, Huiguan, Huiyan, Xie Lingyun, and others during the Liu Song dynasty integrated and amended the translations of Faxian and Dharmakṣema into a single edition of thirty-six fascicles. That version is called the "southern text" of the Nirvana Sutra, while Dharmakṣema's version is called the "northern text." Thus, there are three Chinese versions:

• The "six fascicle text", translated during the Eastern Jin Dynasty by Buddhabhadra and Faxian between 416 and 418, T 376.12.853-899.
• The "northern text", with 40 fascicles, translated in the Northern Liang kingdom by Dharmakṣema between 416 and 423, T 374.12.365c-603c.
• The "southern text" with 36 fascicles, translated in the Liu Song Dynasty by Jñānabhadra and Huining, T 375.12.605-852.