Spiritual Transcendence

Wang Wei's brow furrowed as he watched the result of Feng Heng's battle; he had caught an idea and was trying to extrapolate from it before it left his mind.

'Enlightenment…Spiritual Practice…Buddhism, Taoism, or any religion or philosophical ideals or pursue,' he thought. 'Is it possible to achieve transcendence through spiritual practice alone, without cultivating shenanigans? Would a monk who has achieved Nirvana or a Taoist Priest who became one with the Dao escape the shackles of the universe and achieve transcendence?'

Those questions appeared simple but were more complex than they appeared on the surface. For example, could someone like Maitreya be said to have achieved Nirvana in her spiritual practice?

"Not necessarily,' thought Wang Wei. 'She achieved the part about escaping the shackles of Samsara and even death entirely, but what about the part of achieving ultimate peace and freedom? Has she transcended suffering or attachment?