samsara
UK[sʌmˈsɑːrə]US[sʌmˈsɑːrə]
n
(in hinduism, buddhism, jainism, and sikhism) the cycle of death and rebirth to which life in the material world is bound.
Etymology
the term 'samsara' is a direct borrowing from sanskrit, where it literally means 'a wandering through' or 'a flowing on'. it is derived from the prefix 'sam-' (meaning 'together' or 'completely') and the verbal root 'sṛ' (meaning 'to flow' or 'to go'). in ancient indian religious thought, this concept was used to describe the perpetual, cyclical journey of the soul through a succession of lives, a process driven by karma. the english adoption of the term in the 19th century preserved this profound metaphysical meaning, encapsulating the entire concept of the cycle of rebirth in a single, untranslated word from the eastern philosophical tradition.
Analysis
the word is a loanword from sanskrit, adopted as a whole into english. it is not productively formed from english morphemes.
Examples
buddhist teachings emphasize the goal of achieving nirvana to escape the endless suffering of samsara.
the law of karma determines the conditions of one's next birth within the wheel of samsara.
many hindu scriptures discuss methods for attaining liberation from the cycle of samsara.