Saṃsāra is a sanskrit word that is often used in conjunction with terms or phrases such as transmigration, reincarnation, or the karmic cycle. When related to the Buddhist theory of karma it is generally pointing to the cycle of “death and rebirth”.
History
Saṃsāra appears in the early Upanishads as well as in early Buddhist teaching. Related ideas can also be found in early Jainism, as well as in various schools of Hindu philosophy. The concept of liberation from saṃsāra is at the core of the spiritual path of Buddhism as well as other Indian traditions.
This quote about teachings on saṃsāra from the early Buddhist period helps paint a picture of how much this concept was woven into Indian spiritual thought during that time in history.
“There was such constant interaction between Vedism and Buddhism in the early period that it is fruitless to attempt to sort out the earlier source of many doctrines, they lived in one another’s pockets, like Picasso and Braque (who were, in later years, unable to say which of them had painted certain paintings from their earlier, shared period).”
– Karma and Rebirth in Classical Indian Traditions, Wendy Doniger
Concepts Of Saṃsāra Within Buddhism
Specifically within the Buddhist framework, saṃsāra is linked to the teachings on karma and its results, and refers to the idea that sentient beings are trapped in a cycle of births, deaths and rebirths. While at first this may seem to point only at something like reincarnation or transmigration, there is more meaning to consider.
Within the teachings of the Buddha, the terms “birth” and “death” point not only to birth and death of the body, but also to the “birth” and “death” of feelings of identity, role, or “self”.
Through the teachings of dependent co-arising, the Buddha pointed to a progression of the formation of “self” as well as to its quenching. Here is an example of how the formation of a “self” can progress within this dependent co-arising model.
- When a sentient being experiences a sense contact through one of the six senses, a feeling-tone discrimination can take place. This is a quick categorization of the stimulus as pleasant, unpleasant, or neither-pleasant-nor-unpleasant.
- “Oh wow! Bananas are tasty!”
- Once the feeling tone has occurred, feelings of craving (for more, for less, or related to the experience being not interesting) can then arise.
- “Are there more bananas around here?”
- If this craving is present, it opens the door to clinging, more story, thinking and feelings arise related to the craving.
- “I can’t believe I never knew how good bananas are. I think I am going to get a bunch of them tomorrow.”
- From this clinging the process can then progress further into “becoming”. This could be thought of as feelings of taking on a related identity taking shape.
- “I wonder if there are banana related resources i find? I would love to get involved in this whole banana scene.”
- Once becoming has manifested, the identity is reified enough that there can be a feeling of the craving being an integral part of what is I/me/mine.
- “I have the banana shirt, hat, and license plate. My friends KNOW I am a banana person, yet they didn’t bring any bananas with them when they came over! What insensitive jerks!”
- From the stage of birth, the sentient being is assailed by difficulties, vexations and the whole spectrum of dukkha can further play out.
- “@#$%!!!””
This is a very simplified example of how dependent co-arising describes the process of the formation of an identity or “self”.
For most of us this cyclical process plays out to varying degrees all throughout life, moment to moment. The feelings and ideas about the “self” grow, are reified and challenged, and also fall away, again and again, in cycles both large (days, months or years) and very small (mind-moments, seconds and minutes).
This process of taking on a self or identity can be thought of as “birth”, and the falling apart or quenching of this self can be thought of as “death”. In this way, birth and death are experienced regularly in many places throughout life.
The Six Realms
The same type of process associated with this “self” being born described can play out in relation to many types of experiences.
The different types of qualities and feelings can be described as the six realms of saṃsāra.
What are the six realms of possible birth and death that beings endlessly cycle through? What experiences and mind-states are characterized by each of the realms?
- Heavens: Seeking immersion and distraction within refined and exquisite pleasures, music, art, and what seems beautiful. Apathy, distracted and aloof.
- Asuras: Jealousy, arrogance, fighting, hostility and revenge.. Feelings of avarice, potency and agency.
- Humans: Overthinking and analysis, planning, discriminating, career focus, striving and anxiety.
- Animals: Caught up in sex, survival, food, feelings of being trapped, fear, fight or flight.
- Hungry Ghosts: Feelings of scarcity, vices of all kinds, being lost in obsession and confusion.
- Hells: Stress, suffering, emotional turmoil, anguish, wishing for annihilation.
Why Does It Matter?
Buddhism views these six realms as an interconnected whole, all part of one map that we are trapped within. Since beginningless time confused beings have continued to wander endlessly through these realms, mistakenly looking for the best spot to take birth. This continues due to a combination of ignorance, desire and purposeful karma tied to ethical and unethical actions. Through the accumulation and loss of merit we fall from the highest heights, and climb up out of the lowest lows, only to repeat it all again and again. This applies both to the death of the identity, as well as to the death of both the body and the identity occurring together.
Paths To Freedom
The Buddha described realization of nirvāṇa (quenching of greed, hatred and delusion) as the only lasting freedom from this ceaseless cycle of birth and death. No safe refuge can be found anywhere within saṃsāra, not even in the heavens. Through cultivating virtuous behavior, samadhi and transcendent prajna wisdom nirvāṇa can be directly experienced.
Without finding and realizing nirvāṇa, one is born and dies, to then be reborn elsewhere in accordance with the completely impersonal causal nature of the workings of karma. This is the endless cycle of birth, death, re-birth, and re-death that awakening can finally end.
As we saw above, the steps of dependent co-arising describe the formation of the self that takes residence within the realms of saṃsāra. In the quenching of these same steps, the abiding and that-which-attempts-to-abide within samsara evaporate and the result is freedom from this endless wandering.
These same teachings are also described in the four noble truths, emphasized within all Buddhist traditions. The first two truths are related to suffering in saṃsāra and what leads to this. The second two truths are aimed at ending this saṃsāra-related re-becoming (rebirth) and how to do so.
It is in our best interest then, not to spend life endlessly seeking comfort or pleasant experiences without addressing this craving-based root behavior of taking saṃsāra as home or refuge. In so doing, a deep contentment and comfort is uncovered.
“This is peace, this is exquisite – the stilling of all fabrications, the relinquishment of all acquisitions, the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Nibbana.”
– AN 3.32