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NIRVANA AND HEAVEN Most religions have an ultimate goal that each believer should or at least try to accomplish. While Buddhists try to attain that ultimate goal called Nirvana, Christians in the other hand, try to be close to God by achieving their ultimate goal, which is to reach Heaven. Nirvana and Heaven are two different goals of two different religions that can be compared and contrasted. For a better understanding of the similarities and differences of Nirvana and Heaven first we have to understand what each one means or represents. Nirvana is a state of mind; more precisely it is an eternal state of being. Nirvana is a state where the death and rebirth cycle comes to an end. Nirvana also means the end of suffering and human pain. It is a state where desires do not exist and the individual consciousness comes to an end. Heaven is not a state of mind but rather it is an actual place. Heaven is a place of ultimate joy and fulfillment where all those who go there would be close to God. But in Heaven not only God lives; Angels and Saints live in Heaven too. One of the similarities between Heaven and Nirvana is that both lead to salvation. Once Buddhists attain Nirvana, they escape from pain and human suffering. When