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Traditional Tibetan painting or Thanka showing the wheel of life and realms of samsāra

Samsāra or Samsāra (Sanskrit: संसार), (in Tibetan called "khorwa")^[1], literally meaning "continuous flow", is the cycle of birth, life, death, rebirth or reincarnation within Hinduism, Buddhism, Bön, Jainism, Sikhism, and other Indian religions. In modern parlance, samsara refers to a place, set of objects and possessions, but originally, the word referred to a process of continuous pursuit or flow of life. In accordance with the literal meaning, the word should either refer to a continuous stream of consciousness, or the continuous but arbitrary drift of passions, desires, emotions, and experiences.

In most Indian religions, life is not considered to begin with birth and end in death, but as a continuous existence in the present lifetime of the organism and extending beyond. The nature of the actions (karma) committed during the course of each lifetime, (good or ill) determines the future destiny of each being. Samsara is closely linked with the idea of rebirth (or reincarnation), but mainly refers to the condition of life, and the experience of life.

In Buddhism, at the moment of death the consciousness (consciousness of the different senses, such as eye consciousness, ear consciousness etc.), acts as the seed for the spawning of the new consciousness in a new biological structure, conducive to the volitional (Saṅkhāras) impulses at the moment of death (which are themselves affected by previous volitional impulses). In other Indian religions, the volitional impulses accrued from the present life are transmitted to a consciousness structure popularly known as the soul, which, after an intermediate period (in Tibetan called the bardo), forms the basis for a new biological structure that will result in rebirth and a new life. This cyclical process ends in the attainment of moksha. If one lives in extremely evil ways, one may be reborn as an animal or other unfortunate being.^[2]

In a modern vernacular context, particularly in the Himalayas, samsara is also a word used to describe how life is full of attachments and comings-and-goings, a subtle state of suffering. For example, when saying goodbye to a loved one, one might utter, "ah... samsara."

Etymology and origin[link]

Samsara means "to flow on", to perpetually wander, to pass through states of existence.

The historical origins of a concept of a cycle of repeated reincarnation are obscure but the idea appears frequently in religious and philosophical texts in both India and ancient Greece during the middle of the first millennium BCE.^[3] Orphism, Platonism, Jainism and Buddhism all discuss the transmigration of beings from one life to another. . Reincarnation was adopted from this religious culture by Brahmin orthodoxy, and Brahmins first wrote down scriptures containing these ideas in the early Upanishads.^{[4][5][6][7][8][9]}

Cycle of rebirth[link]

The concept of samsara is closely associated with the belief that one continues to be born and reborn in various realms in the form of a human, animal, or other being (depending on karma).^[2] In particular, Jainism^[10] maintains that, if one performs extremely evil karma, also as a plant or even as a rock, and similar tendencies can be found in Purāṇas, in the Bhagavadgītā, in the Manusmṛti^[11] and in similar texts. Nonetheless, most philosophic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism^[12] maintain that plants and even more obviously rocks cannot be included in samsāra since they lack the possibility of experience (bhoga) and, hence, of karma.

[edit] Saṅsāra in Hinduism

In Hinduism, it is avidya, or ignorance, of one's true self that leads to ego-consciousness of the body and the phenomenal world. This grounds one in kāma (desire) and the perpetual chain of karma and reincarnation. Through egoism and desire one creates the causes for future becoming. The state of illusion that gives rise to this is known as Maya.

Through ascetic practice one finally attains sanctity and liberation (moksha or mukti).

Broadly speaking, the holy life (brahmacarya) which leads to liberation is a path of self-purification by which the effects of sins are released.

The Hindu Yoga traditions hold various beliefs. Moksha may be achieved by love of Ishwar/God (see bhakti movement, see Mirabai), by psycho-physical meditation (Raja Yoga), by discrimination of what is real and unreal through intense contemplation (Jnana Yoga), and through Karma Yoga, the path of selfless action that subverts the ego and enforces understanding of the unity of all.

The Rig Vedic, Yajur Vedic and Atharva Vedic Upanishads like Aiteraya Upanishad, Taittiriya Upanishad, Swetaswatara Upanishad, Mundaka Upanishad etc. contains the most ancient ideas on Reincarnation of soul.^[13][14][15] As confirmed by latest research in the field of archeology and Astronomy, Vedas were older than 2600 BC which takes it far earlier than all other religious texts.^[16] Hence, based on this, the earliest known texts to have spoken about karma, sansara and Moksha or Mukti, are the Vedas and other Dharmic Texts. (Dharmic Texts stands for the Vedas, Ithihasas and Puranas). The Vedas describe Karma as the result of enjoying the sensory pleasures of this material universe.^[17]

[edit] Saṅsāra in Jainism

In Jainism, Saṅsāra is the worldly life characterized by continuous rebirths and reincarnations in various realms of existence. Saṃsāra is described as mundane existence, full of suffering and misery and hence is considered undesirable and worth renunciation. The Samsāra is without any beginning and the soul finds itself in bondage with its karma since the beginningless time. Moksha is the only liberation from samsāra.

[edit] Samsara in Buddhism

The concept of Samsara as a cycle of rebirth and suffering within the six realms is taught in Buddhism. To understand the concept of Samsara it is important to know about the six realms, rebirth, karma, and nirvana, which is known as the state beyond the suffering of Samsara.

[edit] Saṅsāra in Sikhism

In Sikhism, it is thought that due to the commendable past actions and deeds (known as karma or kirat) that people obtain the chance of human birth, which is regarded in Sikhism as the highest possible opportunity on Earth and therefore should not be wasted. Only by continued good actions and the "Grace of the Almighty" can one obtain liberation from the continuous cycle of births and deaths of various bodily forms that the soul has been undergoing since the creation of the universe. The end of the cycle of transmigration of the soul is known as mukti. For Sikhs, the state of mukti can be achieved whilst still alive, known as "Jivan Mukat", literally "liberated whilst alive".

[edit] Samsāra in Surat Shabda Yoga

In Surat Shabda Yoga, attaining self-realization results in jivan moksha/mukti, liberation/release from sansara, the cycle of karma and reincarnation while in the physical body.^{[citation needed]}

Surat Shabda Yoga cosmology presents the constitution of the initiate (the microcosm) as an exact replica of the macrocosm. Consequently, the microcosm consists of a number of bodies, each one suited to interact with its corresponding plane or region in the macrocosm. These bodies developed over the yugas through involution (emanating from higher planes to lower planes) and evolution (returning from lower planes to higher planes), including by karma and reincarnation in various states of consciousness.^{[citation needed]}

In popular culture[link]

Samsara appears in the manga series Naruto, in which there's an Eye Technique after Byakugan and Sharingan called the Rinnegan. In English, it literally means the Samsara Eye, and allows the user to perform any Jutsu wanted because its power taps directly into the wheel of life. It is also frequently referenced in the Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga video game series, of which the plot revolves around one point; to reach a paradise called Nirvana.

See also[link]

• Karma
• Reincarnation
• Metempsychosis
• Nirvana
• Great Perfection
• Ego (spirituality)
• Nondual
• Maya (illusion)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Sansara – Tour of This Universe and Beyond
• Reincarnation: A Simple Explanation
• Karma in Sikhism
• About Reincarnation

Ron Fricke is an American film director and cinematographer, considered to be a master of time-lapse photography and large format cinematography. He was the director of photography for Koyaanisqatsi (1982) and directed the purely cinematic non-verbal non-narrative feature Baraka (1992). He designed and used his own 65 mm camera equipment for Baraka and his later projects. He also directed the IMAX films Chronos (1985) and Sacred Site (1986). His most recent work was as cinematographer for parts of the film Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (he was hired to shoot the eruption of Mt Etna in Sicily for use in scenes of the volcanic planet Mustafar). The sequel to Baraka, Samsara, was released in 2011.

Fricke writes about his work: "I feel that my work has evolved through Koyaanisqatsi, Chronos and Baraka. Both technically and philosophically I am ready to delve even deeper into my favorite theme: humanity's relationship to the eternal".[1]

Filmography[link]

As Director[link]

• Chronos (1985)
• Sacred Site (1986)
• Baraka (1992)
• Samsara (2011)

As Cinematographer[link]

• Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
• Atomic Artist (1982)
• Chronos (1985)
• Sacred Site (1986)
• Baraka (1992)
• Samsara (2011)

See also[link]

• Godfrey Reggio, director of Koyaanisqatsi

External links[link]

• Ron Fricke at the Internet Movie Database

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Shawn Ku
Ku at the screening of Beautiful Boy at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	New Jersey, U.S.
Years active	current

Shawn Ku is a U.S. choreographer and motion picture director.^[1] He has also danced on Broadway,^[2] and acted in an independent feature-length film. Inspired by his family's personal connection to the Virginia Tech shooting and unexpected death of a visiting friend, Shawn Ku developed his 2010 film "Beautiful Boy" from those experiences.^[3]

Personal life[link]

Ku went to Harvard University as a premedical major and was accepted to Columbia medical school, before beginning his entertainment career.^[4]

Credits[link]

• Samsara (2001) - actor
• Making Tracks (2002) - choreographer
• Pretty Dead Girl (2004) - writer, director
• The American Mall (2008) - choreographer, director
• Beautiful Boy (2010) - writer, director

References[link]

External links[link]

• Shawn Ku at the Internet Movie Database

This article about a United States film director is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Christy Chung (simplified Chinese: 钟丽缇; traditional Chinese: 鍾麗緹; Mandarin Pinyin: Zhōng Lìtí; Jyutping: Zung1 Lai6 Tai6; Vietnamese: Chung Lệ Đề, born 19 September 1970) is Chinese-Canadian actress. She was born in Montreal to a Chinese father and a Vietnamese mother.

Chung grew up in Brossard, Quebec, a suburb of Montreal, with French and Vietnamese as mother-tongues. She later learned English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

While studying for a career in the tourism industry at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), she entered and won the "Miss Chinese Montreal" contest in 1992. She then went to Hong Kong, in her first trip away from home, to participate in the Miss Chinese International Pageant 1993, in which she won despite not knowing a single Chinese word. This opened doors for her to launch her acting career there, despite not speaking a word of Cantonese at the time, and despite her extremely limited acting experience (an uncredited ten-second non-speaking role as a gum-chewing prostitute in Denys Arcand's Love and Human Remains). She had to choose between acting in Hong Kong and becoming the weather-forecast presenter at Société Radio-Canada, the French-language government television network in Canada.

A role in The Bride with White Hair 2 brought her instant recognition, and she became a well-known star in Chinese-language popular culture, acting in a large number of films including some films starring Stephen Chow, as well as The Bodyguard from Beijing starring Jet Li. She was married for a time to Glen Ross, and gave birth to daughter (Yasmine) in Montreal in the middle of the 1998 Ice Storm. Chung and Ross were divorced in 2002, but remain on good terms. Chung has sole custody of Yasmine.

Giving birth to Yasmine temporarily had a negative effect on her career because of a stereotypical impression that a mother could not function as a sex symbol, but her career recovered in 2000. More recently, she had roles in Samsara and Jackie Chan's movie The Medallion. She added Thai to her language repertoire when she starred in Nonzee Nimibutr's 2001 film Jan Dara. Singapore FHM magazine voted her the "Sexiest Woman in Asia" in 2000.

She is a brand ambassador and spokeswoman to slimming service Marie France Bodyline, prominently appearing on billboards and print ads, and is also known to be a fan of English football club Chelsea.

Despite her success, she remains mostly unknown in Quebec, where she was born and grew up, because she has done most of her film work in Cantonese.

Chung was recently seen at the 2007 Sina Awards and is currently working on an album.

In 2003, Chung married to music producer Jon Yen. They have two daughters, Jaden Chloe Yen, who was born on August 2008, and Cayla Janie Yen (3.3 kg) on February 8, 2010. Chung and Jon Yen divorced in 2011, citing pressures on Jon Yen from her success in showbiz.

She has also since retired from showbiz, and has been living in Beijing. Chung is now a restaurant owner. She recently starred in Bruce Lee, My Brother playing the role of Bruce Lee's mother and Aarif Lee portrayed Lee.^[1]

Filmography[link]

• Dear Enemy (film) (2011)
• Bruce Lee, My Brother (2010)
• Hong Kong Express (2005) (TV)
• Astonishing (2004) - Mandy
• Fantasia (2004) - Jane Lam, aka Little Britney
• Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils (2003 TV series) - Kang Min
• The Medallion (2003) - Charlotte Watson
• Never Again (Lee Soo Young Music Video) (2001) - the Mother in the Video
• Samsara (2001) - Pema
• Jan Dara (2001) - Khun Boonlueang
• Asian Charlie's Angels (2001) (TV)
• Gen-Y Cops (2000) - Inspector Chung
• Conman in Tokyo (2000) - Banana
• Tau mung (2000) - Sophia
• Troublesome Night (1997) - Mrs. To
• All's Well, Ends Well 1997 (1997) - Little Shien
• '97 Aces Go Places (1997) - Li Lai-Shen
• The God of Cookery (1996) - High School Fantasy Girl
• Tai Chi Boxer (1996) - Rose
• Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Star (Yun cai zhi li xing) (1996) - Christie Lee/Angel of Nine Heavens
• Red Wolf (1995) - Lai
• Doctor Mack (1995) - Jamie
• Passion 1995 (1995) - Tina
• Faithfully Yours (1995) - Miss Tang
• Man Wanted (1995) - Yung
• Love on Delivery (1994) - Lily
• Hail the Judge (1994) - Stone Mansion
• Modern Romance (1994) - Ady
• Mermaid Got Married (1994) - Wong Siu May, the mermaid
• I Wanna Be Your Man (1994) - Ron
• The Bodyguard from Beijing (1994) - Michelle Yeung
• Whatever You Want (1994) - Pearl Ko
• The Sting 2 (1993) - Lily
• The Bride with White Hair 2 (1993) - Moon

^{[2] [3]}

References[link]

External links[link]

• Christy Chung at the Internet Movie Database
• hkcinemagic entry
• Interview (French)
• La Presse article (French)
• http://www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/2002/010302/cover.html