About Sansara
The Circle of Life Explained
The concept of the circle of life is important and deeply rooted in the belief of Sansara. A circle is a unique shape because it lacks a beginning and an end. There is no way to tell where the circle truly begins or where the circle ends. The same holds true for Sansara. The circle of life flows continuously and it’s difficult to tell where it originally started or where it ends. The actual moment of physical death begins the process of reincarnation, or rebirth when a spiritual transformation of being takes place.
It is important to clarify the fact that the concept of continual life is not always a positive or pleasurable experience. To the contrary, it can be a very negative experience, even torturous. As stated earlier, an individual’s actions during life will affect what transpires after physical death. Depending on the person’s actions and history, the circle of life could easily become a circle of torture. Some believe that the person’s conscience and underlying thought process transfers to the new body, while others disagree. Others believe that the same conscience remains throughout the cycle, no matter what stage the body is in. It has been said that Sansara is not the question of why people are in the world, but the answer as to why they are present.
Aside from the numerous variations, what is most important to understand about Sansara is the continuity or infinite motion of the life cycle. Even though the cyclic changes may switch drastically or evolve slowly, according to Sansara, the cycle of life never ends.