Impermanence

Impermanence (anicca) lies at the heart of the Buddha’s teaching. All conditioned phenomena — everything that arises due to causes and conditions — are subject to change. Nothing that comes into being remains unchanged; everything passes away in time.

At a gross level, we observe impermanence in the obvious cycles of birth, aging, decay, and death. Seasons change, bodies age, relationships evolve, and civilizations rise and fall. But deeper insight reveals that impermanence operates at every moment. Every thought, sensation, perception, and mental state arises and ceases with astonishing rapidity, giving the illusion of continuity where there is only flux.

The failure to recognise impermanence fuels much of our suffering. We cling to what is pleasant, fearing its loss; we resist what is unpleasant, hoping for its disappearance. This futile struggle against the nature of reality generates dissatisfaction, frustration, and anxiety. True peace arises only when we fully accept the fleeting nature of all things.

In meditation, direct observation of impermanence allows the practitioner to see through the delusion of stability. The mind becomes attuned to the arising and passing away of phenomena, loosening attachment and revealing the emptiness of inherent existence. This insight weakens craving and aversion, laying the groundwork for liberation.

Impermanence is not a pessimistic teaching but a profoundly liberating one. Because things are impermanent, we are not condemned to remain trapped in suffering. Change makes growth, healing, and transformation possible. It reminds us that no state — however painful — endures forever, and that freedom is always accessible through insight.

“All conditioned things are impermanent — when one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering.”
— Dhammapada 277