What Is Impermanence in Buddhism? - Lion's Roar

It makes happiness possible. Impermanence is permanent, the ongoing process of living and dying and time. Permanence is nirvana, bliss, ... Lion'sRoar LRClicktoshareonFacebook(Opensinnewwindow)ClicktoshareonTwitter(Opensinnewwindow)ClicktoshareonPinterest(Opensinnewwindow)ClicktoshareonReddit(Opensinnewwindow)Changeisn’tjustafactoflifewehavetoacceptandworkwith,saysNormanFischer. Tofeelthepainofimpermanenceandlosscanbeaprofoundlybeautifulreminderofwhatitmeanstoexist. NorwegianphotographerEirikSolheimgluedacameratoawindowshelfinhishomeandriggedittotakeapictureeverythirtyminutesforayear.Frommorethan16,000digitalimagesthecamerafedintoacomputersystem,heselected3,888daytimephotos.Bytakingoneverticallinefromeachofthoseimagesinsequenceandcompilingthemfromlefttoright,hecreatedthissinglephotographencompassingallfourseasons. PractitionershavealwaysunderstoodimpermanenceasthecornerstoneofBuddhistteachingsandpractice.Allthatexistsisimpermanent;nothinglasts.Thereforenothingcanbegraspedorheldonto.Whenwedon’tfullyappreciatethissimplebutprofoundtruthwesuffer,asdidthemonkswhodescendedintomiseryanddespairattheBuddha’spassing.Whenwedo,wehaverealpeaceandunderstanding,asdidthemonkswhoremainedfullymindfulandcalm. AsfarasclassicalBuddhismisconcerned,impermanenceisthenumberoneinescapable,andessentiallypainful,factoflife.ItisthesingularexistentialproblemthatthewholeedificeofBuddhistpracticeismeanttoaddress.Tounderstandimpermanenceatthedeepestpossiblelevel(weallunderstanditatsuperficiallevels),andtomergewithitfully,isthewholeoftheBuddhistpath.TheBuddha’sfinalwordsexpressthis:Impermanenceisinescapable.Everythingvanishes.Thereforethereisnothingmoreimportantthancontinuingthepathwithdiligence.Allotheroptionseitherdenyorshort-shrifttheproblem. AwhileagoIhadadreamthathasstayedwithme.Inahazygrotto,mymother-in-lawandI,comingfromoppositedirections,aretryingtosqueezethroughadimdoorway.Bothofusarefairlylargepeopleandthespaceissmall,soforamomentwearestucktogetherinthedoorway.Finallywepressthrough,shetoherside(formerlymine),Itomine(formerlyhers). Almostallmytalkingandwriting,andmuchofmythinking,isinonewayoranotherinreferencetodeath,absence,disappearing. It’snotthatsurprisingtomethatIwoulddreamaboutmymother-in-law.Hersituationisoftenonmymind.Mymother-in-lawisnearingninety.Shehasmanyhealthproblems.Sheisusuallyinpain,can’twalkorsleepatnight,andislosingtheuseofherhandstoneuropathy.Sheliveswithherhusbandofmorethansixtyyears,whohasadvancedAlzheimer’sdisease,can’tspeakacoherentsentence,anddoesn’tknowwhoorwhereheis.Despiteallthis,mymother-in-lawaffirmslife100percent,asshealwayshas.Sheneverentertainstheideaofdeath,asfarasIknow.Allshewantsandhopesforisagoodandpleasantlife.Sinceshedoesn’thavethisrightnow(thoughshehasn’tgivenuphopeforit),sheisfairlymiserable,asanyoneinhersituationwouldbe. I,ontheotherhand,amfairlyhealthy,withnoexpectationofdyinganytimesoon.YetfromchildhoodIhavebeenthinkingaboutdeath,andthefactofdeathhasprobablybeenthemainmotivatorinmylife.(WhyelsewouldIhavedevotedmyselffulltimetoBuddhistpracticefromanearlyage?)Consequently,almostallmytalkingandwriting,andmuchofmythinking,isinonewayoranotherinreferencetodeath,absence,disappearing. Sothisdreamintriguesandconfusesme.Ismymother-in-lawabouttopassoverfromlifetodeath,thoughtemporarilystuckinthecrowdeddoorway?Ifthat’sthelogicofthedream,thenImustbedead,stuckinthatsamedoorwayasItrytopassthroughtolife.Ofcoursethismakesnosense!Butthen,thelongerIcontemplatelifeanddeath,thelesssensetheymake.SometimesIwonderwhetherlifeanddeathisn’tmerelyaconceptualframeworkweconfuseourselveswith.Ofcourse,peopledoseemtodisappear,and,thishavingbeenthecasegenerallywithothers,itseemsreasonabletoassumethatitwillbethecaseforusatsomepoint.Buthowtounderstandthis?Andhowtoaccountforthemanyanomaliesthatappearwhenyoulookclosely,suchasreportedappearancesofghostsandothervisitationsfromthedead,reincarnation,andsoon. Itisverytellingthatsomereligionsrefertodeathas“eternallife,”andthatintheMahaparinibbanaSuttatheBuddhadoesn’tdie.Heentersparinirvana,fullextinction,whichissomethingotherthandeath.InBuddhismgenerally,deathisn’tdeath—it’sastagingareaforfurtherlife.Sotherearemanyrespectableandlessrespectablereasonstowonderaboutthequestionofdeath. TherearealotofolderpeopleintheBuddhistcommunitiesinwhichIpractice.Someareintheirseventiesandeighties,othersintheirsixties,likeme.Becauseofthis,thethemeofdeathandimpermanenceisalwaysonourmindsandseemstocomeupagainandagainintheteachingswestudy.Allconditionedthingspassaway.Nothingremainsasitwas.Thebodychangesandweakensasitages.Inresponsetothis,andtoalifetime’sexperience,themindchangesaswell.Thewayonethinksof,views,andfeelsaboutlifeandtheworldisdifferent.Eventhesamethoughtsonehadinyouthormidlifetakeonadifferentflavorwhenheldinolderage.Theotherdayafriendaboutmyage,whoinheryouthstudiedZenwiththegreatmasterSongSaNim,toldme,“Healwayssaid,‘Soondead!’Iunderstoodthewordsthenasbeingtrue—veryZen,andalmostfunny.Nowtheyseempersonalandpoignant.” “Allconditionedthingshavethenatureofvanishing,”theBuddhasaid.Whatisimpermanenceafterall?Whenwe’reyoungweknowthatdeathiscoming,butitwillprobablycomelater,sowedon’thavetobesoconcernedwithitnow.Andevenifweareconcernedwithitinyouth,asIwas,theconcernisphilosophical.Whenweareolderweknowdeathiscomingsoonerratherthanlater,sowetakeitmorepersonally.Butdowereallyknowwhatwearetalkingabout? Deathmaybetheultimateloss,theultimateimpermanence,butevenonalesser,everydayscale,impermanenceandthelossitentailsstillhappensmoreorless“later.”Somethingisherenowinaparticularway;lateritwillnotbe.Iamorhavesomethingnow;laterIwillnot.But“later”isthesafestofalltimeframes.Itcanbesafelyignoredbecauseit’snotnow—it’slater,andlaternevercomes.Andevenifitdoes,wedon’thavetoworryaboutitnow.Wecanworryaboutitlater.Formostofusmostofthetime,impermanenceseemsirrelevant. Butintruth,impermanenceisn’tlater;it’snow.TheBuddhasaid,“Allconditionedthingshavethenatureofvanishing.”Rightnow,astheyappearbeforeus,theyhavethatnature.It’snotthatsomethingvanisheslater.Rightnow,everythingisinsomeway—thoughwedon’tunderstandinwhatway—vanishingbeforeourveryeyes.Squeezinguncomfortablythroughthenarrowdoorwayofnow,wedon’tknowwhetherwearecomingorgoing.Impermanencemaybeadeeperthoughtthanweatfirstappreciate. Changeisalwaysbothgoodandbad,becausechange,evenwhenitisrefreshing,alwaysentailsloss. Impermanenceisnotonlyloss;itisalsochange,andchangecanberefreshingandrenewing.Infact,changeisalwaysbothgoodandbad,becausechange,evenwhenitisrefreshing,alwaysentailsloss.Nothingnewappearsunlesssomethingoldceases.AstheysayonNewYear’sEve,“Outwiththeold,inwiththenew,”markingbothahappyandasadoccasion.AswiththesceneintheMahaparinibbanaSutta,there’sdespairandequanimityatthesametime.Impermanenceisboth. Inoneofhismostimportantessays,thegreat12th-centuryJapaneseZenmasterDogenwrites,“ImpermanenceisitselfBuddhaNature.”ThisseemsquitedifferentfromtheclassicalBuddhistnotionofimpermanence,whichemphasizesthelosssideoftheloss/change/renewalequation.ForDogen,impermanenceisn’taproblemtobeovercomewithdiligenteffortonthepath.Impermanenceisthepath.Practiceisn’tthewaytocopewithorovercomeimpermanence.Itisthewaytofullyappreciateandliveit. “IfyouwanttounderstandBuddhaNature,”Dogenwrites,“youshouldintimatelyobservecauseandeffectovertime.Whenthetimeisripe,BuddhaNaturemanifests.”Inexplainingthisteaching,Dogen,inhisusualinside-out,upside-downway(DogenisuniqueamongZenMastersinhisintricatelydetailedliterarystyle,whichusuallyinvolvesverycounterconceptualwaysofunderstandingtypicalconcepts),writesthatpracticeisn’tsomuchamatterofchangingorimprovingtheconditionsofyourinnerorouterlife,asawayoffullyembracingandappreciatingthoseconditions,especiallytheconditionofimpermanenceandloss.Whenyoupractice,“thetimebecomesripe.”Whilethisphrasenaturallyimpliesa“later”(somethingunriperipensintime),Dogenunderstandsitistheoppositeway:Timeisalwaysripe.BuddhaNaturealwaysmanifestsintime,becausetimeisalwaysimpermanence. Ofcourse,timeisimpermanenceandimpermanenceistime!Timeischange,development,andloss.Presenttimeisungraspable.Assoonasitoccurs,itimmediatelyfallsintothepast.AssoonasIamhere,Iamgone.Ifthiswerenotso,howcouldthemeofthismomentevergivewaytothemeofthefollowingmoment?Unlessthefirstmedisappears,clearingtheway,thesecondmecannotappear.Somybeinghereisthankstomynotbeinghere.IfIwerenot,nothere,Icouldn’tbehere! Inwords,thisbecomesveryquicklyparadoxicalandabsurd,butinliving,itseemstobeexactlythecase.Logicallyitmustbeso,andonceinawhile(especiallyinalongmeditationretreat)youcanactually,viscerally,feelit.Nothingappearsunlessitappearsintime.Andwhateverappearsintimeappearsandvanishesatonce,justastheBuddhasaidonhisdeathbed.Timeisexistence,impermanence,change,loss,growth,anddevelopment—thebestandtheworstnewsatonce.DogencallsthisstrangeimmenseprocessBuddhaNature.“BuddhaNatureisnootherthanallare,becauseallareisBuddhaNature,”hewrites.Thephrase“allare”istelling.Are:existence,being,time,impermanence,andchange.Allare:existence,being,time,impermanence,andchangeisneverlonely;itisalwaysall-inclusive.We’reallalwaysinthistogether. TheotherdayIwastalkingtoanoldfriend,anexperiencedZenpractitioner,aboutherpractice.Shetoldmeshewasbeginningtonoticethatthepersistentfeelingofdissatisfactionshealwaysfeltinrelationtoothers,theworld,andthecircumstancesofherinnerandouterlife,wasprobablynotaboutothers,theworld,orinnerandoutercircumstances,butinsteadwasaboutherdeepestinmostself.Dissatisfaction,shesaid,seemsinsomewaytobeherself,tobefundamentallyengrainedinher.Beforerealizingthis,shewenton,she’dassumedherdissatisfactionwasdueinsomewaytoapersonalfailingonherpart—afailingthatshehadhopedtocorrectwithherZenpractice.Butnowshecouldseethatitwasfarworsethanthat!Thedissatisfactionwasnotabouther,andthereforecorrectable;itwasbuiltintoher,itwasessentialtoherself! ThisseemstobeexactlywhattheBuddhameantwhenhespokeofthebasicshakinessofoursenseofsubjectivityinthefamousdoctrineofanatta,ornonself.Thoughweallneedhealthyegostooperatenormallyintheworld,theessentialgroundingofegoisthefalsenotionofpermanence,anotionthatweunthinkinglysubscribeto,eventhough,deepinourhearts,weknowit’suntrue.Iamme,Ihavebeenme,andIwillbeme.Icanchange,andIwanttochange,butIamalwayshere,alwaysme,andhaveneverknownanyotherexperience.Butthisignorestherealitythat“allconditionedthingshavethenatureofvanishing,”andarevanishingconstantly,asaconditionoftheirexistingintime,whosenatureisvanishing. Nowonderwefeel,asmyfriendfelt,aconstantnaggingsenseofdissatisfactionanddisjunctionthatwemightwellinterpretascomingfromachronicpersonalfailing(thatis,oncewe’dgottenovertheevenmorefaultybeliefthatotherswereresponsibleforit).Ontheotherhand,asDogenwrites,“allareisBuddhaNature.”Thismeansthattheselfisnot,asweimagine,animprovablepermanentisolatedentityweandwealoneareresponsiblefor;insteaditisimpermanenceitself,whichisneveralone,neverisolated,constantlyflowing,andimmense.ItisBuddhaNatureitself. Dogenwrites,“ImpermanenceitselfisBuddhaNature.”Andadds,“Permanenceisthemindthatdiscriminatesthewholesomenessandunwholesomenessofallthings.”Permanence!?Impermanenceseemstobe(asDogenhimselfwriteselsewhere)an“unshakableteaching”inbuddhadharma.Howdoes“permanence”managetowormitswayintoDogen’sdiscourse? Icomebacktomydreamofbeingstuckinthedoorwaybetweenlifeanddeathwithmymother-in-law.Whichsideiswhich,andwhoisgoingwhere?Impermanenceandpermanencemaysimplybebalancingconcepts—words,feelings,andthoughtsthatsupportoneanotherinhelpingusgropetowardanunderstanding(andamisunderstanding)ofourlives.ForDogen,“permanence”ispractice.Itishavingthewisdomandthecommitmenttoseethedifferencebetweenwhatwecommitourselvestopursuinginthishumanlifetime,andwhatwecommitourselvestolettinggoof.Thegoodnewsin“impermanenceisBuddhaNature”isthatwecanfinallyletourselvesoffthehook.Wecanletgoofthegreatandendlesschoreofimprovingourselves,ofbeingstellaraccomplishedpeople,inwardlyorinourexternallives.Thisisnosmallthing,becauseweareallsubjecttothiskindofbrutalinnerpressuretobeanddomoretodaythanwehavebeenanddoneyesterday—andmorethansomeoneelsehasbeenanddonetodayandtomorrow. Thebadnewsin“impermanenceisBuddhaNature”isthatit’ssobigthereisn’tmuchwecandowithit.Itcan’tbeenoughsimplytorepeatthephrasetoourselves.AndifwearenotstrivingtoaccomplishtheGreatAwakening,theUltimateImprovement,whatwouldwedo,andwhywouldwedoit?Dogenassertsawayandamotivation.Ifimpermanenceisthewormattheheartoftheappleofself,makingsufferingabuilt-infactorofhumanlife,thenpermanenceisthepetalemergingfromthesepaloftheflowerofimpermanence.Itmakeshappinesspossible.Impermanenceispermanent,theongoingprocessoflivinganddyingandtime.Permanenceisnirvana,bliss,cessation,relief—thenever-ending,everchanging,andgrowingfieldofpractice. Impermanenceisnotonlytobeovercomeandconquered.Itisalsotobelivedandappreciated. IntheBuddha’sfinalsceneastoldinthesutra,thecontrastbetweenthemonasticswhotoretheirhair,raisedtheirarms,andthrewthemselvesdownintheirgrief,andthosewhoreceivedtheBuddha’spassingwithequanimitycouldn’tbegreater.Thesutraseemstoimplydisapprovaloftheformerandapprovalofthelatter.Orperhapstheapprovalanddisapprovalareinourreading.ForifimpermanenceispermanenceisBuddhaNature,thenlossislossisalsohappiness,andbothsetsofmonasticsaretobeapproved.Impermanenceisnotonlytobeovercomeandconquered.Itisalsotobelivedandappreciated,becauseitreflectsthe“allare”sideofourhumannature.Theweepingandwailingmonasticswereexpressingnotonlytheirattachment;theywerealsoexpressingtheirimmersioninthishumanlife,andtheirloveforsomeonetheyrevered. Ihaveexperiencedthismorethanonceattimesofgreatloss.WhileImaynottearmyhairandthrowmyselfdowninmygrieving,Ihaveexperiencedextremesadnessandloss,feelingthewholeworldweepinganddarkwiththefreshabsenceofsomeoneIlove.Atthesametime,Ihavefeltsomeappreciationandequanimity,becauseloss,searingasitcanbe,isalsobeautiful—sadandbeautiful.Mytears,mysadness,arebeautifulbecausetheyaretheconsequenceoflove,andmygrievingmakesmelovetheworldandlifeallthemore.EverylossIhaveeverexperienced,everypersonalandemotionalteachingofimpermanencethatlifehasbeenkindenoughtoofferme,hasdeepenedmyabilitytolove. Thehappinessthatspiritualpracticepromisesisnotendlessbliss,endlessjoy,andsoaringtranscendence.Whowouldwantthatinaworldinwhichthereissomuchinjustice,somuchtragedy,somuchunhappiness,illness,anddeath?Tofeelthescourgeofimpermanenceandlossandtoappreciateitatthesametimeprofoundlyasthebeautifulessenceofwhatitmeanstobeatall—thisisthedeeptruthIhearreverberatingintheBuddha’slastwords.Everythingvanishes.Practicegoeson. ClicktoshareonFacebook(Opensinnewwindow)ClicktoshareonTwitter(Opensinnewwindow)ClicktoshareonPinterest(Opensinnewwindow)ClicktoshareonReddit(Opensinnewwindow) AboutNormanFischer isapoet,essayist,andSotoZenBuddhistpriestwhohaspublishedmorethanthirtyvolumesofpoetryandprose,includinglastyear’sWhenYouGreetMeIBow.HeisthefounderofEverydayZen,acommunitybasedintheSanFranciscoBayarea,aswellasaformerabbotoftheSanFranciscoZenCenter.Heandhiswife,KathieFischer,alsoaSotoZenpriest,havetwochildrenandthreegrandchildrenandliveinMuirBeach,California.  We’regladtohaveyouhere.Butfirst:whoare“we”? 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