concept
Sanskrit
Samsara
lit. “wandering, continuous flow”
The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth — the wheel that keeps turning until liberation.
Origin
Central to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. All beings are trapped in samsara, driven by karma from one life to the next, until they achieve moksha (Hindu liberation) or nirvana (Buddhist liberation). Tibetan Buddhism depicts samsara as the Wheel of Life — a vivid mandala held by Yama, lord of death, showing the six realms beings cycle through.
Modern usage
Used in Western Buddhist and yoga circles as the technical term — far less common in casual speech than karma or nirvana. Occasionally invoked to describe any grinding repetitive cycle: 'corporate samsara' for the salaried-life treadmill.
Tags
rebirth
buddhism
hinduism