The Buddhist term for liberation from samsara, the cycle of rebirth, is nirvana.
Nirvana is the ending of the causes that sustain suffering and repeated rebirth. Buddhist traditions commonly connect it with the extinguishing of craving, hatred, and delusion. The word is related to an image of a flame going out, although Buddhist explanations stress that nirvana is not simply annihilation.
In early Buddhist teachings, nirvana is the goal realized by overcoming ignorance and attachment. The Buddha is described as attaining awakening during his lifetime and entering final nirvana, or parinirvana, at death. Different Buddhist schools explain the nature of nirvana in distinct philosophical ways.
Nirvana is not the same as samsara, which names conditioned existence, or karma, which refers to intentional action and its consequences. Dharma can mean the Buddha’s teaching, the truth, or phenomena depending on context.