The first phase of liberation is nirvana in this life. In early Buddhism, nirvana is realized here and now through the Noble Path. It ends all attachment and blows out the three fires of craving, aversion, and delusion.
The second phase of liberation is henosis, or union with Ultimate Reality. In Plotinian Neoplatonism, union with the One is the ultimate goal: a return to the Source. This takes place after death. In Buddhist terms, this stage is called paranirvana.
So the first step is to become free from the chains that bind you to the cycle of rebirth. Nirvana is liberation from suffering and defilement in this life. Then, after the dissolution of the body, you experience henosis: the ultimate union with the One.
This synthesis respects early Buddhism: nirvana is not postponed to death. It respects Neoplatonism: henosis remains the ultimate union with the One. It gives our synthesis a unique structure: a two‑part soteriology that neither tradition has on its own. It also avoids claiming that nirvana is the same thing as henosis, in a way that would be rejected by both traditions.