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Mahaparinirvana Sutra

Also known as Nirvana Sutra

The Mahaparinirvana Sutra, or Nirvana Sutra, is a Mahayana Buddhist scripture set during the last days of the Buddha. It teaches that the Buddha is eternal and that all beings possess Buddha-nature and can attain enlightenment. Dharmakshema's Chinese translation, made around 421 under the Northern Liang, made it one of the most influential texts of East Asian Buddhism.

Mahaparinirvana Sutra
Image: Deadkid dk · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Northern Liang

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Mahaparinirvana Sutra. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/mahaparinirvana-sutra
MLA
“Mahaparinirvana Sutra.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/mahaparinirvana-sutra. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Mahaparinirvana Sutra.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/mahaparinirvana-sutra.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Mahaparinirvana Sutra’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/mahaparinirvana-sutra (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻