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轮回 (lún huí) — (Buddhism) samsara; the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth; (figurative) endless cycle or repetition

Definition

A Buddhist term for samsara — the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth that beings are trapped in until enlightenment. Used figuratively for any inescapable repetitive cycle (e.g. in love, war, or history).

noun
(Buddhism) samsarathe cycle of birthdeathand rebirth(figurative) endless cycle or repetition
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 轮回，。
    Fó jiào rèn wéi zhòng shēng zài lún huí zhōng shòu kǔ, zhǐ yǒu xiū xíng cái néng jiě tuō.
    Buddhism holds that all beings suffer in samsara, and only through spiritual practice can they achieve liberation.
  • 轮回，。
    Zhè ge xún huán sì hū shì yí gè wú jìn de lún huí, yǒng yuǎn méi yǒu chū kǒu.
    This cycle seems to be an endless samsara, with no way out forever.
  • ，轮回。
    Ài qíng zhōng de fēn fēn hé hé, jiù xiàng yì zhǒng qíng gǎn de lún huí.
    The breakups and reunions in love are like a kind of emotional samsara.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

轮lúnturn
回huíreturn

轮 and 回 both suggest turning or recurring, so together they express an endless cycle.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 輪; 轮 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
侖
侖lún輪lún
Same sound today

The traditional form 輪 uses 車, a carriage, and 侖 for the sound; the simplified 轮 is a later shorthand.

Open 轮 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

回 comes from a drawing of a spiral, showing something turning around.

Open 回 →
Appears in
Religion & Belief

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