Theory of Impermanence in Buddhist Philosophy.

Buddhism first period explain  Impermanence  way very reasonable, accordingly, impermanence is a fact undeniable and unavoidable, since nothing belongs to this earth is eternal, unchanging, all things phenomena can not be beyond this principle. This is one of the  important knowledge in Buddhism  that any Buddhist must understand.

What is impermanence?

Impermanence (Pali: Anicca or Anitya in Sanskrit) is one of the essential doctrines and is a part of the Three Laws of  Truth  (the three imprints of the Dhamma are:  impermanence,  non-self  and suffering ).

The doctrine asserts that all life is conditional, without exception, only "fleeting, volatile and unsustainable." Everything is influenced by time, whether material or mental, objects combined in a continuous change of condition, can be attenuated and destroyed.

Impermanence is a characteristic of  emptiness , everything exists based on interdependence, arising and transforming from one form to another, none of which exists independently, none of which exists, all are empty.

Human life is influenced by this principle through the aging process, the repeated cycle of birth and death (  samsara  ), nothing lasts, and everything decays. However, Buddhism suggests that getting rid of these things is possible and that is through  Nirvana .

The world we live in is called the phenomenal world. It's a mixed world of bad and good things, suffering is a striking feature of people trapped in this cycle. Their suffering arises because they are dependent on desire, which leads to attachment and hence causes attraction and disgust.

People suffer when, in contact with things they do not like or when they are separated from the things they associate with, their wishes are not fulfilled. Unity or antipathy to phenomena arising from attachment and desire is the responsibility for our suffering. The problem of suffering is acute and is a serious problem in our world, because everything is subject to impermanence and there is no way to get rid of it.

Impermanence is closely related to the doctrine of selflessness, no "self", eternal self or soul does not change. The Buddha says  that because there is no physical or mental object, it is permanent, craving or attachment is one of the causes of suffering (dukkha). Understanding the doctrine of impermanence and non-self is an important step in the path of Buddhist spiritual development towards  enlightenment .

Meaning of Impermanence in Buddhism

Buddhism claims that there are five processes that humans can not control and no one can change. These five processes are: aging, illness, death, decay and loss.

The Buddha had a completely different view from the most basic Hindu concept and according to his teachings, the first Buddhists did not believe in the existence of an eternal and inherent reality that could be called God or soul. To them, it is clear and verifiable that our existence is a constant change.

Thus, early Buddhism said that in this world  nothing is fixed and eternal , everything can change. The Buddha and his followers have said that decline is something that is available in all things, and we should accept it.

According to the Buddha's teachings,  life is like a river . This is a moment of progress, a series of different moments, linked together to make an impression of a continuous flow. It moves from one cause to another, acting to act, from one point to another, one from another, creating an impression that it is a continuous event. and united, but the truth is not so.

The river of yesterday is not like the river of today. The river of the moment will not be like the river in the next moment. So life changes constantly, becoming something or another every second.

For example, the life of an individual. It is a mistake to believe that a person will remain a person throughout their lives. He changes every moment, living and dying for a moment, from moment to moment.

It is an illusion to believe that the person you see yesterday is like the person you are seeing or the person you are seeing will be just like the person you will see in a few minutes. Science also talks about this problem, the cells live and die constantly on our bodies, they change constantly although we do not pay attention.

Impermanence is undeniable truth . What really is the present moment, the present is the product of the past, or the result of the cause and the action before it. Because of ignorance, one thinks that all of them are part of a continuous reality. But in reality they are not.

The different stages in the life of a man, childhood, adulthood, old age are not the same at any time. The child does not like to grow up and become a young man, until the child becomes an old man. The seed is not a plant, although it produces the plant, and the fruit is not a plant, although it is produced by the plant.

The concept of impermanence and continuously became the center of the original Buddhist teachings. By recognizing it, by observing it and by understanding it, we can find a suitable remedy for the sadness of our lives and achieve liberation from this process.

No one can escape the five facets of impermanence until they attain liberation or nirvana based on the  Noble Eightfold Path , practice the right and nurture the good. During our existence  we can not escape from impermanence , but we can learn to deal with it by understanding its meaning and being calm before changes that we can not avoid. off.

The Meaning of Impermanence in Hinduism

Hindus also believe in the ephemeral nature of life , but they looked at this issue in a different way. According to Hinduism, man has both a permanent and an impermanent aspect.

As long as man is related to what is impermanent, people also endured suffering and rebirth, but when turned his attention to the aspect of eternity hidden inside, we can usher in a A new door for the ability to overcome impermanence and achieve liberation.

Therefore, Hinduism shows that wealth can often be overcome by locating and reaching agreement with the center of existence in themselves. This center is called the soul or  ego immortal, eternal and stable .

In Hinduism, personal self (Atman) is the basic truth that exists in every organism on a micro level. The Brahman is the basic and supreme truth of all existence. He realizes that Atman will become Brahman and attain immortality.

The Buddha is completely different from the solution proposed in the Veda - the root of Brahmanism and the source of Indian civilization.) To overcome impermanence. He completely eliminated the established beliefs. For the Buddha, the immediate and urgent problem of life is suffering and it needs to be addressed directly, without having to worry about speculative theories of existence or eternal existence. sentimental.

Understanding Impermanence To Reduce Pain

The Buddha says that  suffering is not a characteristic inherent in the world of impermanence , suffering arises when we cling to it. When clinging disappears, impermanence no longer causes suffering. The solution to suffering is to stop the clinging, but not to get rid of the world.

A means to reduce clinging is to see the temporary nature of what we cling to. This insight can show us the hopelessness of trying to find enduring happiness in what is impermanent, or it can encourage us to examine deeply why we cling.

Impermanence can be understood in three ways. First, a clear, normal understanding of impermanence. Second is understanding from the insight, from the intuitive, directly see the nature of things. Finally, having an impermanent vision can lead to liberation.

The ordinary understanding of impermanence  is accessible to all. We see old age, illness and death. We realize that things change, the seasons change, the society changes, our emotions change, and the weather changes.

There are changes that make us happy but there are also changes that make us tired of boredom, understanding that change is inevitable to help us let go of the clinging, everything will also by.

I have an aunt who is suffering from cancer, the doctor says she will not be able to live any longer, it's been 2 years. But she has been cooking vegetarian rice and has worked in the temple for over 10 years, and she is still healthy to do so for many years to come. A calm, calm mind accepts death as a commonality, a progressive idea of ​​escape from clinging to life, which may be the reason that she still exists.

Some people think that  impermanence makes people pessimistic , everything they love loses, values, achievements, family ... everything, so what do we live for? To But on the other hand, impermanence is a salvation!

I do not have a car at present but thanks to impermanence, it gives me confidence that I can buy myself a car in the future. Without impermanence, I am stuck with not owning a car, and I will never have it. You are poor at the present, do not worry, you can change in the future.

I can feel depressed today and thanks to impermanence, I can feel great tomorrow. Impermanence is not necessarily a bad thing, it depends on how we understand it. Even if, my new car was scratched by a vandal, or my best friend cheated on me, if we had the right view on impermanence, we would not have to worry about this problem.

We find that our experience does not correspond to the true nature of the universe. We realize that reality differs a lot from any of our ideas about it. Suzuki Roshi summarizes the Buddhist understanding as follows: " It is not always the case ."

Ajahn Chah once said, "If you let go a little, you will have a little peace. If you let go much you will have a lot of peace. If you let go completely, you will be perfectly peaceful. "

In addition to the ordinary understanding of impermanence, the practice of Buddhism through  meditation  helps us to open up a world that can immediately perceive impermanence, ie, penetrating in every moment of arising and passing. Through every experience can understand. With  mindful concentration , we see things constantly in the flow of movement, even experiences that often seem to be persistent.END=NAM MO SAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=THICH CHAN TANH.THE MIND OF ENLIGHTENMENT.VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.25/6/2018.