nirodha

Nirodha is a term from Sanskrit (nirodha in Pali) meaning cessation, ending, or suppression. In Buddhist usage it denotes the cessation of suffering and the mental defilements that sustain it. The word is most commonly associated with the stopping of craving, aversion, and ignorance, which together give rise to dukkha (suffering) and cyclic existence.

In the core teachings, nirodha is the Third Noble Truth: suffering ends, and this cessation is attainable. The path to its realization is the Noble Eightfold Path, which cultivates ethical conduct, disciplined concentration, and wisdom. Through right practice, the mind quiets its reactivity and insight arises, leading to the eradication of craving and ignorance and the cessation of conditioned existence.

Nirodha-samāpatti is a related technical term found in early Buddhist literature. It describes a deep meditative attainment in which perception and feeling temporarily cease, yielding a profound state of stillness. It is considered a form of jhana or absorptive practice in some traditions, and is distinguished from nirvana as a specialized, temporary attainment rather than the full realization of liberation. Its interpretation varies across schools, but it is generally treated as an indicator of advanced concentration rather than itself the ultimate freedom.

Across Buddhist traditions, nirodha remains a central concept linking the diagnosis of suffering, its cause, and the possibility of its complete cessation through disciplined practice and insight. It underpins the understanding that liberation involves the ending of craving, ignorance, and the conditioned cycle of existence.