The Barbie Movie as a representation of purusha and samsara

The Barbie movie can be read as a direct exploration of samadhi and material reality. Barbieland functions as a state of absorption: perfect, timeless, effortless, and untouched by suffering or death. Yet when Barbie begins to experience intrusive thoughts of mortality and bodily imperfection, this disturbance mirrors the inevitability of dukkha (suffering) breaking into absorption. Barbie’s entrance into the “real world” reflects a conscious leaving of samadhi to enter samsara, to experience emotion, relation, and impermanence.

In the Upanishads and Yoga Sutras, we see how samskaras (same scar, deep impressions) and karma shape the conditions of rebirth, binding the soul to an experience of growth. The Buddha’s Jataka tales echo this through stories of intentional rebirth undertaken to fulfill vows and cultivate wisdom. In Plato’s Republic (the Myth of Er), souls are described as choosing their next life before incarnating. Even Christianity suggests the soul agrees to descend into embodiment for the sake of divine purpose. Barbie’s decision to embrace human life also reflects the Bodhisattva’s (person who can reach Nirvana but delays doing so out of compassion to aid suffering) vow to enter samsara. Barbie accepts limitation and mortality and chooses experience over perfection.

The film reveals itself as a parable of both yogic philosophy and modern pop culture. This perspective connects something familiar to deep spiritual and philosophical ideas, helping us understand concepts like samsara in a tangible way. Using pop culture to illustrate these ideas makes them accessible, memorable, and inspiring, helping us easily connect philosophy to lived experience.