Have any Mahayana Buddhists attained Nirvana today?

[Santi253]

In this Youtube interview, Bhikkhu Bodhi says that maybe some Tibetan and Chinese monks living today have attained Nirvana:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4-nx4jEkCE

A common misconception is that Mahayana Buddhists postpone or avoid Nirvana. In actuality, the Nirvana which a Mahayana Buddhist seeks is called non-abiding Nirvana, which sees beyond the duality between Nirvana and samsara, thus allowing the Bodhisattva who's attained Nirvana to continue being active in the world, rather than transcending the world after death:
https://books.google.com/books?id=u0sg9 ... va&f=false

I've created a poll here for others to give their honest opinion as to whether any Mahayana Buddhists alive today (or in modern times) have attained Nirvana. Since it's a matter of personal opinion, there is no "right answer" in this poll.

While I'm unsure as to whether he's a Buddha yet, I would guess that Thich Nhat Hanh has attained Nirvana.

[santa100]

While I'm unsure as to whether he's a Buddha yet, I would guess that Thich Nhat Hanh has attained Nirvana.

Sorry to break this to many Mahayana friends who believe in the idea of "everyone are already Buddhas here and now" as advocated in some of Ven. Nhat Hanh's books, it's exceedingly rare to see a Buddha in the world, such that in MN 115, the Buddha said:

It's impossible that two Fully Enlightened Ones could arise contemporaneously in one world system."

Now, onto Nhat Hanh's Nirvana, not sure how useful it is to speculate. Unless one's already attained some supernormal power to see the mind of others, one will never know for sure so there's really no point in speculating on whether Nhat Hanh or anyone else has attained Nibbana or not. One thing for sure is that it's not easy to truely "know" someone, as taught by the Buddha in AN 4.192:

It's through living together that a person's virtue may be known, and then only after a long period, not a short period; by one who is attentive, not by one who is inattentive; by one who is discerning, not by one who is not discerning.

"It's through dealing with a person that his purity may be known, and then only after a long period, not a short period; by one who is attentive, not by one who is inattentive; by one who is discerning, not by one who is not discerning.

"It's through adversity that a person's endurance may be known, and then only after a long period, not a short period; by one who is attentive, not by one who is inattentive; by one who is discerning, not by one who is not discerning.

"It's through discussion that a person's discernment may be known, and then only after a long period, not a short period; by one who is attentive, not by one who is inattentive; by one who is discerning, not by one who is not discerning."

[Santi253]

It's through living together that a person's virtue may be known, and then only after a long period, not a short period; by one who is attentive, not by one who is inattentive; by one who is discerning, not by one who is not discerning.

Can we guess, by someone's fruits, if they've attained Nirvana?

[santa100]

Can we guess, by someone's fruits, if they've attained Nirvana?

And how useful will that guess be? Have you lived with that person, dealt with that person, went thru adversity with that person, and discussed with that person for a very long time before making that guess?

[Caodemarte]

Sure,all of them and neither have they left it.
The same is true of everybody else by the way.

[Justsit]

Sure,all of them and neither have they left it.
The same is true of everybody else by the way.

[Aloka]

While I'm unsure as to whether he's a Buddha yet, I would guess that Thich Nhat Hanh has attained Nirvana.

Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh had a severe brain hemorrhage in 2014 and is currently being cared for in Thailand.

[aflatun]

Sure,all of them and neither have they left it.
The same is true of everybody else by the way.

na saṃsārasya nirvāṇāt kiṃ cid asti viśeṣaṇam
na nirvāṇasya saṃsārāt kiṃ cid asti viśeṣaṇam

nirvāṇasya ca yā koṭiḥ koṭiḥ saṃsaraṇasya ca
na tayor antaraṃ kiṃ cit susūkṣmam api vidyate

There is no distinction whatsoever between saṃsāra and nirvāṇa.
There is no distinction whatsoever between nirvāṇa and saṃsāra.

What is the limit of nirvāṇa, that is the limit of saṃsāra.
There is not even the finest gap to be found between the two.

Mūlamadhyamakakārikā 25.19-20
Siderits and Katsura

(I voted yes. I have great love and admiration for Masters Sheng Yen and Guo Ru among others)

[BasementBuddhist]

What is the point of the Dhamma? Teaching people to see how things really are, to cause revulsion of the things they cling to, to lead to dispassion, which leads to non-clinging, and thus enlightenment. If the Mahayanist system leads to dispassion and to non-clinging, then I believe that it could definitely lead to Arahants.

[Santi253]

Can we guess, by someone's fruits, if they've attained Nirvana?

And how useful will that guess be? Have you lived with that person, dealt with that person, went thru adversity with that person, and discussed with that person for a very long time before making that guess?

It gives us encouragement in our own path if we can be assured that others living today have attained Nirvana.

[Santi253]

While I'm unsure as to whether he's a Buddha yet, I would guess that Thich Nhat Hanh has attained Nirvana.

Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh had a severe brain hemorrhage in 2014 and is currently being cared for in Thailand.

Shakyamuni had health problems near the end of his life too, which are well-attested in the Pali canon.

[Aloka]

While I'm unsure as to whether he's a Buddha yet, I would guess that Thich Nhat Hanh has attained Nirvana.

Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh had a severe brain hemorrhage in 2014 and is currently being cared for in Thailand.

Shakyamuni had health problems near the end of his life too, which are well-attested in the Pali canon.

Yes, human beings in general tend to get terminally ill before they die. What's your point ? I was just giving an update on Ven Thich Nhat Hanh's health.

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[DNS]

all roads lead to Everest base camp, but from there, Buddhism is the only route to the summit.
Donald Lopez (Tricycle article)

Buddhism holds that anyone can get to heaven leading a moral life and precepts from any religion, but the ultimate Nibbana is through the Buddhist path. Anyone from any Buddhist tradition can make it to the summit, but once there, any wrong views will immediately vanish (whatever those might be; any Mahayana or any Theravada wrong views).

[aflatun]

all roads lead to Everest base camp, but from there, Buddhism is the only route to the summit.
Donald Lopez (Tricycle article)

Buddhism holds that anyone can get to heaven leading a moral life and precepts from any religion, but the ultimate Nibbana is through the Buddhist path. Anyone from any Buddhist tradition can make it to the summit, but once there, any wrong views will immediately vanish (whatever those might be; any Mahayana or any Theravada wrong views).

Even those odious monotheists?

I'm of course joking, and I dig your post. I like to think "to the base camp" is precisely where some of my 'heretical' spiritual heroes got...at least... (Plotinus, Shankara, Meister Eckhart, Pseudodionysius, Avicenna, etc)

It's probably good to bear in mind that the Buddha regarded his early teachers (presumably Eternalists, but I'm not sure) as having little dust in their eyes.

[santa100]

It gives us encouragement in our own path if we can be assured that others living today have attained Nirvana.

Well, then you know the drill per AN 4.192. You're gonna have to live with that person, deal with that person, go thru adversity with that person, and discuss with that person for a very long time to find out for yourself. Personally, I don't have much time for all of that. Beside, the Buddha and His noble disciples already provided ample amount of inspiration and encouragement for me. So frankly, what level of enlightenment Ven. Nhat Hanh's attained doesn't make any difference to me. But I guess things work differently for different people..