user10878: If the path leads to liberation then liberation should be conditioned and impermanent. But nirvana is beyond extremes so the path cannot lead to nirvana. How does it work then?

user254: I like the Brahmana Sutta (SN 51.15) which uses "going to a park" to illustrate it.
Incidentally (and I don't think this is the main point of the sutta) I think that "park" was the same word as used for "monastery", because in earliest times the monks were in parks rather than monasteries.

user-1: In much the same that water is wet regardless of whether you are swimming or standing on the beach, you still have to jump into the ocean to know for certain.          

user6994: The meaning of nirvana being unconditioned is that nirvana does not arise due to causes and conditions. This is because nirvana is a negative phenomena, since it is the final true cessation.
However, we say that the achievement of nirvana is caused by path.
In the same way, the absence of John in the room is permanent and unconditioned. If John leaving the room caused the absence of John in the room, it would follow that John's absence would start a moment after John left, since a cause and its effect are not simultaneous.

user10304: Because we are in fact, in Nirvana, but we - don't know about it. Thus we are spending all our lives wandering around. The path is that finally one decided not to wander but taking a path one believed that's the right path to go home; going through this path from beginning to end we then be shown that in fact, we are actually all the time already in Nirvana. That's why the path should be abandoned at the end of the path; or sometimes the path is metaphorized as the boat ferrying one to the other side of the ocean. So... How does it work then? hmmmm... it's working like, a minus minus 1 will be a 1 {-(-1)=1}.  
Or, following Tenzin Dorje's, it's like, "John is not home". However, to realize the fact for oneself, one must walk (The Path) from where he is back home, open the door, then, "Ooops, John is really not home!"
=====
§。Sequel。§
By sheer chance, this someone has the Mahayanist mind, thus the story continues:
He looks up the wall the portrait of John The Great staring back at him like Da Vinci's Mona Lisa the enigmatic smile. With disbelief slowing he turns to the mirror on the table, examining his face, "Goshhh... I'm John The Great!" He then once again reaches into his pocket re-took the key out, fondling it in his hand, musing, "Holy crap... all those years since I lost my mind I was wandering around in delusion, believing I'm John Lemon... "
§§§ 。。。balloons 。popcorns 。sob 。applause 。tears-snots-saliva 。 ...The End 。。。§§§

user8044: This Path is a process where the practitioner goes from the Conditioned to the Unconditioned. Stream Entry represents the point at which the gravitational pull of the 'Unconditioned' exerts a greater force than that of the 'Conditioned'. A Stream Entrant's practice is likely to be less affected by the conditions around them; this would depend upon an individual's propensities so, for example, someone who had a tendency to over-indulgence in food may become less bound by that desire even when delicious food is around, or someone who always became angry when contradicted may find it easier to hold their temper in check under that condition. 
What follows after Stream Entry isn't merely the tidying up of a few loose ends, but rather undertaking the complete and radical overhaul of our ethical lives, of body, speech and mind, to the point of perfection. When viewed in this way, the attainment of Stream Entry begins to look like the beginning of the principal task of the spiritual life. The Once-Returner is no longer dominated by hatred or craving, that there are no longer any times in their lives when they are overwhelmed by such unskillful emotions. These emotions may arise occasionally in a weakened form, and only in the midst of awareness – they don't dominate.
When it comes to the next level, in addition to having broken the first three fetters and possessing an unshakeable faith in the Three Jewels, the Non-Returner has attained complete ethical purity. It's not that they don't conceal their unskilfulness, they just don't have any, whether of body, speech or mind. They are almost flawlessly motivated by generosity, love and wisdom.
The last five fetters remain of course, but these are exceptionally subtle in comparison to what has been broken in the fourth and fifth fetters. Also, because Non-Returners are not subject to any hindrances, the Eight Jhānas are readily accessible to them. There are examples of both monastic and lay Non-Returners in the Canon. There is the figure of Gatikāra the Potter, for example, who remains in the household life to care for his ageing parents, but he is an extraordinarily holy man.
Then there is the example in the householder Ugga of Vesālī (Anguttara Nikāya VIII,21) who had four young wives before he attained the state of Non-Returner, at which point he told them he could no longer remain their husband. So he asked them to choose between remaining in his house and “doing good deeds”, returning to their former families, or marrying another man of their choice. When his first wife said she wished to take another husband he gave her to the man she indicated, reporting that on doing so he felt no change of composure in his heart. This seems to imply that, although he had attained ethical perfection and equanimity on becoming a Non-Returner, prior to that, as a Once-Returner, he had still experienced craving and thus fell short of the highest ethical standards. This shows that going from the Conditioned to the Unconditioned is a process.

user8157: The eightfold path is said to be conditioned, as follows:

To whatever extent there are phenomena that are conditioned, the noble eightfold path is declared the foremost among them. AN 4.34

Where as Nirvana is said to be unconditioned:

There is, bhikkhus, a not-born, a not-brought-to-being, a not-made, a not-conditioned. If, bhikkhus, there were no not-born, not-brought-to-being, not-made, not-conditioned, no escape would be discerned from what is born, brought-to-being, made, conditioned. But since there is a not-born, a not-brought-to-being, a not-made, a not-conditioned, therefore an escape is discerned from what is born, brought-to-being, made, conditioned. Ud 8.3

What is plainly obvious is the liberation of an arahant (from suffering) is permanent (until the ending of the life of the arahant).

Tassata sā vimutti sacce ṭhitā akuppā hoti.Tañhi, bhikkhu, musā yaṃ mosadhammaṃmosa taṃ saccaṃ yaṃ amosadhammaṃ nibbānaṃ
His release (liberation), being founded on truth, does not fluctuate, for whatever is deceptive is false; Nirvana — the undeceptive — is true. MN 140

Therefore, liberation (from suffering) must be unconditioned, just as Nirvana is unconditioned.
In summary, the eightfold path does not create or condition Nirvana. Instead, the eightfold only removes the obscurations to Nirvana (which was always there but unknown due to obscurations).

It is just as if a man, traveling along a wilderness track, were to see an ancient path, an ancient road, traveled by people of former times. He would follow it. Following it, he would see an ancient city, an ancient capital inhabited by people of former times, complete with parks, groves & ponds, walled, delightful.
In the same way I saw an ancient path, an ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times. And what is that ancient path, that ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times? Just this noble eightfold path: right view, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
I followed that path. Following it, I came to direct knowledge of... cessation...
Nagara Sutta: The City


10878: <p>If the path leads to liberation then liberation should be conditioned and impermanent. But nirvana is beyond extremes so the path cannot lead to nirvana. How does it work then?</p>
 254: <p>I like the <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn51/sn51.015.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Brahmana Sutta (SN 51.15)</a> which uses "going to a park" to illustrate it.</p>

<p>Incidentally (and I don't think this is the main point of the sutta) I think that "park" was the same word as used for "monastery", because in earliest times the monks were in parks rather than monasteries.</p>
 -1: <p>In much the same that water is wet regardless of whether you are swimming or standing on the beach, you still have to jump into the ocean to know for certain.          </p>
 6994: <p>The meaning of nirvana being unconditioned is that nirvana does not arise due to causes and conditions. This is because nirvana is a negative phenomena, since it is the final true cessation.</p>

<p>However, we say that the achievement of nirvana is caused by path.</p>

<p>In the same way, the absence of John in the room is permanent and unconditioned. If John leaving the room caused the absence of John in the room, it would follow that John's absence would start a moment after John left, since a cause and its effect are not simultaneous.</p>
 10304: <p>Because we are in fact, in Nirvana, but we - don't know about it. Thus we are spending all our lives wandering around. The path is that finally one decided not to wander but taking a path one believed that's the right path to go home; going through this path from beginning to end we then be shown that in fact, we are actually all the time already in Nirvana. That's why the path should be abandoned at the end of the path; or sometimes the path is metaphorized as the boat ferrying one to the other side of the ocean. So... <code>How does it work then?</code> hmmmm... it's working like, a minus minus 1 will be a 1 {-(-1)=1}.  </p>

<p>Or, following Tenzin Dorje's, it's like, "John is not home". However, to realize the fact for oneself, one must walk (The Path) from where he is back home, open the door, then, "Ooops, John is really not home!"</p>

<p>=====</p>

<p>§。<em>Sequel</em>。§</p>

<p><em>By sheer chance, this someone has the Mahayanist mind, thus the story continues:</em></p>

<p>He looks up the wall the portrait of John The Great staring back at him like Da Vinci's Mona Lisa the enigmatic smile. With disbelief slowing he turns to the mirror on the table, examining his face, "Goshhh... I'm John The Great!" He then once again reaches into his pocket re-took the key out, fondling it in his hand, musing, "Holy crap... all those years since I lost my mind I was wandering around in delusion, believing I'm John Lemon... "</p>

<p><em>§§§ 。。。balloons 。popcorns 。sob 。applause 。tears-snots-saliva 。 ...The End 。。。§§§</em></p>
 8044: <p>This Path is a process where the practitioner goes from the Conditioned to the Unconditioned. Stream Entry represents the point at which the gravitational pull of the 'Unconditioned' exerts a greater force than that of the 'Conditioned'. A Stream Entrant's practice is likely to be less affected by the conditions around them; this would depend upon an individual's propensities so, for example, someone who had a tendency to over-indulgence in food may become less bound by that desire even when delicious food is around, or someone who always became angry when contradicted may find it easier to hold their temper in check under that condition. </p>

<p>What follows after Stream Entry isn't merely the tidying up of a few loose ends, but rather undertaking the complete and radical overhaul of our ethical lives, of body, speech and mind, to the point of perfection. When viewed in this way, the attainment of Stream Entry begins to look like the beginning of the principal task of the spiritual life. The Once-Returner is no longer dominated by hatred or craving, that there are no longer any times in their lives when they are overwhelmed by such unskillful emotions. These emotions may arise occasionally in a weakened form, and only in the midst of awareness – they don't dominate.</p>

<p>When it comes to the next level, in addition to having broken the first three fetters and possessing an unshakeable faith in the Three Jewels, the Non-Returner has attained complete ethical purity. It's not that they don't conceal their unskilfulness, they just don't have any, whether of body, speech or mind. They are almost flawlessly motivated by generosity, love and wisdom.</p>

<p>The last five fetters remain of course, but these are exceptionally subtle in comparison to what has been broken in the fourth and fifth fetters. Also, because Non-Returners are not subject to any hindrances, the Eight Jhānas are readily accessible to them. There are examples of both monastic and lay Non-Returners in the Canon. There is the figure of Gatikāra the Potter, for example, who remains in the household life to care for his ageing parents, but he is an extraordinarily holy man.</p>

<p>Then there is the example in the householder Ugga of Vesālī (Anguttara Nikāya VIII,21) who had four young wives before he attained the state of Non-Returner, at which point he told them he could no longer remain their husband. So he asked them to choose between remaining in his house and “doing good deeds”, returning to their former families, or marrying another man of their choice. When his first wife said she wished to take another husband he gave her to the man she indicated, reporting that on doing so he felt no change of composure in his heart. This seems to imply that, although he had attained ethical perfection and equanimity on becoming a Non-Returner, prior to that, as a Once-Returner, he had still experienced craving and thus fell short of the highest ethical standards. This shows that going from the Conditioned to the Unconditioned is a process.</p>
 8157: <p>The eightfold path is said to be conditioned, as follows:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>To whatever extent there are phenomena that are conditioned, the noble eightfold path is declared the foremost among them</em>. <a href="https://suttacentral.net/en/an4.34" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>AN 4.34</em></a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Where as Nirvana is said to be unconditioned:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>There is, bhikkhus, a not-born, a not-brought-to-being, a not-made, a not-conditioned. If, bhikkhus, there were no not-born, not-brought-to-being, not-made, not-conditioned, no escape would be discerned from what is born, brought-to-being, made, conditioned. But since there is a not-born, a not-brought-to-being, a not-made, a not-conditioned, therefore an escape is discerned from what is born, brought-to-being, made, conditioned.</em> <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.8.03.irel.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>Ud 8.3</em></a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>What is plainly obvious is the liberation of an arahant (from suffering) is permanent (until the ending of the life of the arahant).</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>Tassata sā vimutti sacce ṭhitā akuppā hoti.Tañhi, bhikkhu, musā yaṃ mosadhammaṃmosa taṃ saccaṃ yaṃ amosadhammaṃ nibbānaṃ</em></p>
<p><em><strong>His release</strong> <strong>(liberation)</strong>, being founded on truth, <strong>does not fluctuate</strong>, for whatever is deceptive is false; Nirvana — the undeceptive — is true.</em> <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.140.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>MN 140</em></a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Therefore, liberation (from suffering) must be unconditioned, just as Nirvana is unconditioned.</p>
<p>In summary, the eightfold path does not create or condition Nirvana. Instead, the eightfold only removes the obscurations to Nirvana (which was always there but unknown due to obscurations).</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>It is just as if a man, traveling along a wilderness track, were to see an ancient path, an ancient road, traveled by people of former times. He would follow it. Following it, he would see an ancient city, an ancient capital inhabited by people of former times, complete with parks, groves &amp; ponds, walled, delightful.</em></p>
<p><em>In the same way I saw an ancient path, an ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times. And what is that ancient path, that ancient road, traveled by the Rightly Self-awakened Ones of former times? Just this noble eightfold path: right view, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.</em></p>
<p><em>I followed that path. Following it, I came to direct knowledge of... cessation...</em></p>
<p><a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn12/sn12.065.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>Nagara Sutta: The City</em></a></p>
</blockquote>
