Impermanence is everywhere, yet I still think things will last. I have reached the gates of old age, yet I still pretend I am young. Bless me and misguided beings like me, That we may truly understand impermanence. Patrul Rinpoche
Awareness contains impermanence, not the other way around. But they have this in common: Our liberation comes from recognition. Mingyur Rinpoche
Wisdom is the clear seeing of the impermanent, conditioned nature of all phenomena, knowing that whatever arises has the nature to cease. When we see this impermanence deeply, we no longer cling; and when we no longer cling, we come to the end of suffering. Joseph Goldstein
We usually appreciate only half of the cycle of impermanence. We can accept birth but not death, accept gain but not loss, or the end of exams but not the beginning. True liberation comes from appreciating the whole cycle and not grasping onto those things that we find agreeable. By remembering the changeability and impermanence […]
Clearly, in order to end one’s own suffering, there is nothing more important than to realize that when one acts as if the body and mind constituted a lasting, separate, independent self, one unthinkingly attributes to them qualities which they simply do not have. Nothing in the whole stream of mental and physical phenomena that […]
Meditation on the impermanence of this life and the certainty of death is an extremely powerful method to destroy the delusions of anger and pride. If we want to destroy pride, anger, attachment and many other negative minds right away, the most powerful method is this meditation. If we want to relax and be happy, […]
Better it is to live one day seeing the rise and fall of things than to live a hundred years without ever seeing the rise and fall of things. Buddha
Real flowers are much more beautiful than plastic ones, in part because of their impermanence. People appreciate the seasons, the autumn and the spring, because the seasons are a process of change. Each season is a precious time. In this way, impermanence is beauty. Chögyam Trungpa
Once we recognize that all things are impermanent, we have no problem enjoying them. In fact, real peace and joy are only possible when we see clearly into the nature of impermanence. Thich Nhat Hanh
It is impossible to be at your best or your worst at all times. Who is always consistent? Everyone changes according to different situations and as they go through life’s different phases. There is no point in feeling great pride or great shame simply because of temporary circumstances. 17th Karmapa
Whatever is born is impermanent and is bound to die. Whatever is stored up is impermanent and is bound to run out. Whatever comes together is impermanent and is bound to come apart. Whatever is built is impermanent and is bound to collapse. Whatever rises up is impermanent and is bound to fall down. So […]
I have noticed that some people are uncomfortable when they are told that change is a fundamental part of life, or that nothing lasts forever. Yet impermanence is just a basic fact of our existence—it is neither good nor bad in itself. When we face impermanence wisely, we have an opportunity to cultivate a more […]
At first, we may react to the truth of our precious impermanent body by grasping even more tightly to it. When we understand the big gap between what we want and how things actually work, we may feel resigned to begrudgingly accept that everything – including our own body and those of our loved ones […]
Fear and anxiety are the dominant psychological states of the human mind. Behind the fear lies a constant longing to be certain. We are afraid of the unknown. The mind’s craving for confirmation is rooted in our fear of impermanence. Fearlessness is generated when you can appreciate uncertainty, when you have faith in the impossibility […]
If you don’t reflect on death and impermanence, there’ll be no way to practise Dharma purely, practice will remain an aspiration, one that is constantly postponed, and you may feel regret the day that death comes, but by then it’s too late! Chatral Rinpoche
The concentration on ‘impermanence’ helps free us from our tendency to live as though we and our loved ones will be here forever. The concentration on ‘non-craving’ is an opportunity to take time to sit down and figure out what true happiness really is. We discover that we already have more than enough conditions to […]
It may sound as if you must have devotion in order to have an understanding of the view, that devotion ignites the practice of the Dharma. But as you become more seasoned in practicing the Dharma, especially the Vajrayana, the gap between devotion and the goal of the devotion becomes very small. As you become […]
Life is something to be greatly cherished. It unfolds from moment to moment. Meditating on death and impermanence makes us aware of that fact, and teaches us to cherish each and every moment of our lives. If we make just one moment meaningful, that amounts to the same thing as making our whole life greatly […]
Why do we need to contemplate impermanence? The fact that things change does not mean we lose something. Rather, it is a sign that we have new opportunities and new options. We meditate on impermanence in order to see that the change that takes place moment to moment represents moment after moment of opportunity. The […]
Young people think their lives will last a long time; old people think life will end soon. But we can’t assume these things. Our life comes with a built-in expiration date. There are many strong and healthy people who die young, while many of the old and sick and feeble live on and on. Not […]