संसार Saṃsāra, a central concept in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, refers to the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth that all beings are trapped in. It is often depicted as a continuous wheel, symbolizing the perpetual nature of existence. This cycle is driven by कर्म Karma, the law of cause and effect, where one’s actions in past lives influence their current and future existences.
In Hinduism, संसार Saṃsāra is intertwined with the belief in आत्मन् Atman (the soul) and ब्रह्मन् Brahman (the ultimate reality). The journey through संसार Saṃsāra is seen as the soul’s progression towards Moksha, the liberation from the cycle of rebirths. This liberation is achieved through righteous living, devotion, and understanding the true nature of the self as one with Brahman.
Buddhism views संसार Saṃsāra as a cycle of suffering, दुःख Duḥkha, caused by desire and ignorance. The ultimate goal is to attain Nirvāṇa, a state of liberation and freedom from the cycle of rebirths. The path to Nirvāṇa is The Eightfold Path , which encompasses right view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration. By following this path, one can extinguish desires and ignorance, leading to the cessation of suffering and the end of संसार Saṃsāra.
संसार Saṃsāra is often depicted metaphorically as a wheel (the Wheel of Samsara), with each spoke representing different realms of existence, from heavenly realms to hellish ones. These realms are not eternal; beings move through them based on their karma. Good actions can lead to rebirth in favorable conditions, while negative actions can result in suffering in less desirable states.