noun
Buddhist term referring to the current, transient world of suffering, as opposed to the Pure Land or the afterlife. Often used in religious or philosophical contexts.
今世界の苦しみから逃れるために、彼は仏門に入った。
To escape the suffering of this world, he entered the Buddhist priesthood.
今世界は無常であると説かれる。
It is taught that this world is impermanent.
Also a Buddhist term for the present world, but more common and less formal than 今世界.
Compound of 今 (kon, 'now') and 世界 (sekai, 'world'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term is primarily used in Buddhist contexts.