mi gnas pa'i myang 'das - Non-Abiding Nirvana
The reason it was important to classify the practitioners to the two main groups, and three kinds, is that for the lower two they will reach Nirvana, the definition of no more mental afflictions in their mind stream.
For the higher level practitioner, they need omniscience to benefit all beings, so they will go beyond this Nirvana, and achieve full omniscience in addition of no mental afflictions in their mind stream. The blockage for omniscience is obstacles to full knowing, and these will be removed from the mind.
This kind of Nirvana has a special name, mi gnas pa'i myang 'das - Non-abiding Nirvana.
gnas pa is abiding, and the mi in front of it is a negation, so it's non-abiding. myang 'das is the shorter form for Nirvana in Tibetan.
What this term really means is that fully enlightened beings don't abide in Samsara, nor in the Nirvana of just removal of all mental afflictions.
Anyway, this is important to know in general, as there could be confusion about Nirvana and various practitioners, and as you have seen, there's a difference. Actually, according to Mahayana sooner or later the lower practitioners will wake up to the universal responsibility and through Mahayana practices reach mi gnas pa'i myang 'das.
Next, even more about Nirvanas!
For the higher level practitioner, they need omniscience to benefit all beings, so they will go beyond this Nirvana, and achieve full omniscience in addition of no mental afflictions in their mind stream. The blockage for omniscience is obstacles to full knowing, and these will be removed from the mind.
This kind of Nirvana has a special name, mi gnas pa'i myang 'das - Non-abiding Nirvana.gnas pa is abiding, and the mi in front of it is a negation, so it's non-abiding. myang 'das is the shorter form for Nirvana in Tibetan.
What this term really means is that fully enlightened beings don't abide in Samsara, nor in the Nirvana of just removal of all mental afflictions.
Anyway, this is important to know in general, as there could be confusion about Nirvana and various practitioners, and as you have seen, there's a difference. Actually, according to Mahayana sooner or later the lower practitioners will wake up to the universal responsibility and through Mahayana practices reach mi gnas pa'i myang 'das.
Next, even more about Nirvanas!