Until we are awakened, we live in samsara. Habit keeps us trapped in this cyclic existence, which is characterized by suffering. The cycle of samsara in Buddhism is broken when we choose to follow the noble eightfold path toward nirvana.
Samsara is a Pali and Sanskrit word which can be translated as wandering, flowing onward, or cyclic change. The concept of samsara is related to the repeating cycle of birth, life, and death, which is also known as the wheel of life, the wheel of existence, or the karmic cycle.
According to the Buddhist world view, all life cycles through a process of becoming, existing and dissipating. We have been doing this since the beginning of time, and will continue to do so without end. This cycle can be understood on a gross level, as we mark birthdays, lifetimes and the day of death. It can also be understood on a moment-to-moment level, as we ‘die’ to one chapter of our lives and get born into another.
In Buddhism, this cyclic existence is particularly characterized by suffering. For it is our habitual dissatisfaction and discontentment with the present moment, our ignorance, that keeps us in the self-perpetuating cycle of samsara. Not understanding the true nature of reality, we keep placing our hope for happiness and contentment in the ordinary existence of the mundane world.
Some of us have even managed to craft ourselves a designer samsara, with all the comforts of material luxury and supportive, kind and loving communities. And yet, our material goods break down, become obsolete or out of fashion, our families and friends grow old and leave us, and our world continues to change. Even in the best case, samsara can never lead to anything but pain. And so, where else can we go?
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