The word "nirvana" is heard quite often. For example, people might say they have achieved nirvana when they are truly happy or they might talk about going to nirvana as an eternal reward after death. Then, of course, there is the rock band that adopted the term Nirvana with some irony. Furthermore, the word is fully integrated into modern vocabulary. But in reality, for most people in the Western world, religious nirvana is a total mystery. Both known religious traditions, Hinduism and Buddhism, focus on liberation from the endless cycle of rebirth and death and the suffering that comes from that cycle, known as samsara. However, there are important distinctions in how the two traditions view this liberation. Many associate nirvana with Buddhism, which arose from Hinduism in Asia in the 5th century BC. It began as a push within Hinduism, based on the life and philosophy of a man named Siddhartha Gautama, and eventually veered off to form its own path. Siddartha Gautama was a prince who renounced his royal heritage, sat under a tree, meditated, and recognized that the world's problems begin with a fundamental ignorance (avidya) that leads to one's suffering; beings lack an enduring self or soul. The Indian god Brahma prayed to him to teach others what he had learned for the sake of their path to liberation. Buddha failed to fully interpret his new understanding of the universe, but he succeeded in spreading the essential message of his enlightenment and trying to guide people towards achieving the same understanding. He traveled from place to place teaching the four noble truths: (1) Life is suffering. (2) This suffering is caused by ignorance of the true nature of the universe. (3) You can only end this suffering by overcoming… middle of the card… his caste in the next life. It is a very long process and will most likely take several lifetimes. When a soul finally reaches the higher classes, he can achieve moksha by eliminating his negative karma. This may include doing good deeds to set the scales right and also separating oneself from all earthly distractions. When a soul finally escapes the cycle, it becomes one with Brahman when the last corporeal incarnation dies. This is a higher place of existence that surpasses the suffering of earthly life. The soul is reunited with the immaterial energy that created the universe. Probably the most important difference between Hinduism and Buddhism is that Buddhism teaches that anyone could achieve enlightenment and escape samsara if they followed the right path, totally rejecting the caste system that defined the universe. traditional Hinduism from which it originates.