By learning from the Dharma, understanding the Four Noble Truths, the three jewels, living by the five precepts and following the eightfold path, you will help complete the path to enlightenment. Nirvana, meaning to extinguish or unbind, occurs when a Buddhist has reached a state in which he has gained knowledge and freedom from all that has always prevented him from achieving nirvana. Whether it is passion, desire, jealousy, selfishness or ignorance. When nirvana has been achieved, then there will be complete liberation from the samsara and karmic cycles.2. Compare and contrast Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. In Theravada Buddhism, only Gautama Buddha (Sakyamuni) is accepted. Theravada only accepts the bodhisattva Maitreya. In Theravada Buddhism, the Pali Canon is divided into 3 Tirpitakasas: Vinaya, Sutra and Abhidhamma. The Theravada sect emphasizes primarily self-liberation. It is interesting to see that Theravada spread south, including Thailand, Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos and Cambodia. Tripitaka is strictly written in Pali in the Theravada tradition. There is no distinction between the nirvana attained by the Buddha and the Arahat Buddha in the case of the Theravada tradition. Rituals are not emphasized in the Theravada sect. It is important to note that the stage between death and rebirth is ignored in the Theravada school. The principle of one meal a day is