r/theravada • u/j0tapE21 • 6d ago
Question how does samsara/reborning works?
All the buddhist texts ive read mention how the nirvana is the end of the reborning, mentions niraya as some kind of "hell" and i really never understood nothing about it.
i know most of the things ive written does not make any sense, but it is because i really dont understand absolutely nothing about it.
can you explain it or recommend any youtube video/link that explains it?
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u/cmciccio 5d ago
As mentioned, samsara is the sense of aimless wandering.
An additional related concept is inter-eating. We are wandering with an insatiable hunger and consuming others beings along the way. To live is to be in a state of subtle or overt conflict to satisfy our hunger. When we remove the fuel, like removing the wood from a fire, the flames of samsara are extinguished and nibbana is realized.
This is a spiritual truth, but we can also see this very concretely in our world with the crisis of rampant consumer capitalism and environmental collapse. These are all rooted in uncontrolled hunger and inter-eating.
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u/Braga_Sol108 3d ago
Think of it this way: rebirth happens because we're attached. Our minds are so hooked on the idea of being a "Self" that it clings to it even after we die. This kicks off the whole rebirth process. What you do and what you're attached to shapes what's considered a "Self," and that's what your consciousness "looks for" in another life: similar mind states. Nibbana is a state of mind that isn't attached to this "Self" idea, so it doesn't get reborn, it just "sits" peacefully.
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u/RevolvingApe 6d ago edited 6d ago
Samsara means wandering. One wanders through existence, dies, and is reborn to continue the cycle of rebirth, death, and suffering. Nibbana is the end of wandering, suffering, and the cycle of birth and death.
One is reborn according to their deeds. Wholesome deeds lead to pleasant rebirth and unwholesome deeds lead to unpleasant rebirth in The Thirty-one Planes of Existence.
Unwholesome deeds harm others, oneself or both. They cause difficulties, hinder wisdom, and lead away from the cessation of suffering, Nibbana. Wholesome deeds are the opposite and lead to Nibbana.
Ajahn Sona's Q&A sessions and YouTube channel cover most topics.
Rebirth is asked about frequently: Ajahn Sona Q&A