Samsara: the Eternal Cycle of Reincarnation
Samsara is the eternal cycle of reincarnation. It is the karmic cycle that causes us to be reborn in a new body after we die.
Samsara is a fundamental concept of Eastern religions, notably Buddhism and Hinduism. According to these traditions, we are all prisoners of samsara, because we are ignorant of the true nature of reality.
So we move from one life to the next, trying in vain to escape this cycle of suffering. However, only enlightenment can put an end to samsara and free us from this wheel of reincarnation.
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What is samsara?
What is samsara? It is an essential concept in Hinduism and Buddhism. It designates the cycle of births and deaths, which we owe to both karma and avidya. Samsara is a wheel that turns endlessly, because one never stops being reborn until one has achieved liberation (moksha).
When a person dies, his soul (jiva) leaves his body and enters the invisible world called "lokas". She is judged there according to her actions in her past life (karma), then she is reborn in a new body according to her caste and karma. This new life will be more or less happy depending on the person's karmic balance sheet.
The aim of samsara is therefore to enable human beings to atone for their faults and acquire the necessary merits to obtain final liberation. The cycle can be interrupted by performing certain meritorious acts such as sacrifices or almsgiving, which allow one to earn positive karmic “credits”. Reading sacred texts, prayer and contemplation also have this power.
The origin of samsara
Samsara is a term used in various religious and philosophical traditions to refer to the cycle of rebirths. Human beings, according to these traditions, are born from parents who were themselves born from parents, and so on until the origin of the world.
These successive births are supposed to take place in different planes of existence, or in the same planes at different times. The goal of samsara is liberation (moksha), or the end of the cycle of rebirth.
The cycle of samsara
The cycle of samsara refers to the process of rebirth and reincarnation to which human beings undergo according to the teachings of Buddhism.
The term samsara comes from Sanskrit and means “wandering” or “passage”. According to this doctrine, human beings are trapped in a cycle of rebirth that is caused by a fundamental ignorance of the causes and consequences of our actions.
This ignorance prevents us from seeing the true nature of existence, which leads to ever more negative karma and therefore greater suffering.
Fortunately, there is a way to escape this infinite cycle through enlightenment (bodhi). Upon attaining enlightenment, one understands that all things are impermanent and that there is no fixed ego within oneself. We also realize that our actions have inextricable consequences, which finally allows us to act with compassion and wisdom.
The ultimate goal of Buddhism, therefore, is to help human beings achieve this higher state of consciousness so that they can end their own suffering and that of others.
Reincarnation in samsara
Samsara is the wheel of life. It is the incessant cycle of birth and death, suffering and desire. Reincarnation is the phenomenon that allows samsara to continue.
According to Buddhist and Hindu traditions, we are doomed to be reborn again and again until we manage to escape the cycle of rebirth. It could take millions of years!
Reincarnation is a complex process that is difficult to understand. But basically it means that our soul leaves our body when we die and goes to reincarnate in another body.
This process is dictated by karma, that is, the actions we committed in our previous life. If we have done harm, we will be reborn in a suffering body; if we have been generous, we will be reborn in a privileged body. This is how Buddhist karma works: every action has a positive or negative consequence that will be felt in a future incarnation.
Buddhists thus aspire to free their soul from the cycle of rebirth by achieving enlightenment (nirvana). To achieve this, they must follow the Teachings of the Buddha and lead an impeccable moral life.
Besides, perhaps this should also be the case for all of us…
The causes of samsara
According to the teachings of Buddhism, it is a consequence of karmic actions that we all committed in our past lives. The goal of Buddhism is to end samsara in order to achieve nirvana, a state of permanent happiness.
The causes of samsara are linked to our mind and our erroneous perceptions. We create our own reality based on what we think and feel. If we think the world is hostile and dangerous, that is what we will see around us.
If we perceive others as potential enemies, that is what they will become to us. These misperceptions result in karmic actions that fuel the cycle of samsara.
To end samsara, one must purify one's mind and awaken one's consciousness. We must free ourselves from illusions and attachments that create duality and suffering. This can be accomplished through meditation, study of Buddhist teachings, and observance of certain religious practices.
By following this path, one eventually reaches nirvana where one experiences permanent peace and supreme happiness.
The end of samsara
The purpose of samsara is to free beings from suffering by helping them achieve enlightenment. The end of samsara means total liberation from suffering, limitations and repetitive cycles.
This can be achieved by developing a deep understanding of oneself and the nature of existence. There are several possible ways to achieve this, but they all have one thing in common: you must first understand that everything is impermanent and that nothing is truly solid or permanent.
Then, one must develop infinite compassion for all living beings and learn to live in harmony with them. Finally, one must achieve enlightenment, that is, perfect understanding of all things.
