In Buddhism, Nirvana (Pali: Nibbāna) is presented as the ultimate goal of the path: the complete cessation of suffering and liberation from the cycle of rebirth, or samsara. The term itself literally means “blowing out” or “extinguishing,” and this image points to the quenching of the inner fires that keep beings bound to dissatisfaction and repeated existence. These fires are often named as greed, hatred, and delusion—the three poisons that generate karma and perpetuate confusion. When these defilements are fully extinguished, the pervasive sense of unease and dissatisfaction known as dukkha comes to an end, and a state of profound peace becomes possible.

Nirvana is described as an unconditioned, unborn, and unmade reality, standing in contrast to all phenomena that arise due to causes and conditions. It is not the annihilation of a permanent self, since Buddhist teaching denies such a self from the outset; rather, it is the ending of clinging, ignorance, and the karma-producing activities that drive rebirth. In this sense, Nirvana signifies a freedom that is both negative—freedom from defilements and suffering—and positive, as a state of perfect peace and liberation beyond ordinary conceptual grasp. For the practitioner, it represents the fulfillment of the Buddhist path, where the fires of greed, hatred, and delusion have been fully extinguished and no further rebirth occurs.