Nothing in the world is permanent, and we’re foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we’re still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it. W. Somerset Maugham
There are very few truths on which we can all agree, regardless of our religious, political, or cultural leanings.
- Naps are wonderful
- It’s impossible to go to Costco and leave with just one thing
- Everything around us, material or otherwise, including our own lives, is impermanent.
I didn’t stick that last line in the list to sound morbid, but the reality of impermanence—for objects, living things, or anything else—is probably the only constant we can count on.
Impermanence is everywhere.
Not being able to recognize the boys from your high school class at the 20th reunion—because the last time you saw them, most of them had full heads of hair—is a clear reminder of how impermanent our physical appearances are.
And, as far as thoughts and emotions go, they are even fickler—ask any waiter who has to stand around while people agonize over their dinner choices, acting like they’re trying to choose what they want to eat for an entire year, not just for one meal.
We know we’re constantly changing bundles of contradictions. Yet, despite knowing this, we often act and live as though we are rooted in permanence, clinging to the promise of stability in an ever-changing world.
Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation. The Buddha
Maybe it’s a centuries-honed evolutionary defense mechanism that makes us forget the very fragile nature of our own existence. I agree: it wouldn’t be very motivating to do anything knowing our very future existence is at peril.
Unfortunately, our selective amnesia comes with some pretty severe drawbacks.
As Eastern Hindu and Buddhist philosophies are quick to point out, failing to recognize the impermanent nature of existence accelerates our downfall.
In Buddhist philosophy, impermanence (Anitya in Sanskrit) is a fundamental concept that explains the transient nature of all things.
Impermanence refers to the idea that all conditioned phenomena—the physical world, our bodies, thoughts, emotions, and the entire universe, are forever in a state of change and flux. Science does not argue with this position.
The philosophical conclusion, though, is startling. Precisely because everything is impermanent, attachment—to things, people, or experiences—inevitably leads to suffering (Dukkha). Clinging to all that we love and adore, assuming it is permanent, is the best way to ensure continued suffering since the world, by its very nature, is impermanent.
Our quest for happiness
Most people claim, at least based on surveys such as those by The World Happiness Report (which includes data from over 150 countries), that happiness and life satisfaction are among the top priorities for people around the world. Eastern philosophy would say that (happiness) is an easy ask and suggest this approach:
To be happy, avoid suffering. To avoid suffering, let go of attachment—if you have nothing to lose, you have nothing to cry about.
The $64K question then is this:
“If everything is impermanent, why should we care about anything at all?”
Again, Hindu and Buddhist philosophies are quick to tell us nihilism isn’t on the cards.
Impermanence does not mean we lack purpose; it simply means we act with greater mindfulness and purpose.
Non-attachment doesn't mean we stop caring; rather, it means we care without expectations or desired outcomes.
The ephemerality of our existence is not a reason for us to become indifferent. Instead, it is a reason to act with wisdom and compassion.
Letting go of attachment perhaps tops the long list of things that are easier said than done, such as cutting out junk food or maintaining a work-life balance.
I’m not going to purport this 1000-word amateur blog post has the roadmap on how we go from our very goal-centric, objective-driven existence to a state of detached mindfulness. It’s an existential question that almost all of humanity's greatest religious leaders and philosophers have grappled with for centuries.
But they have given us clues and practices that could make our lives at least a little easier.
The creation and destruction of a mandala in Tibetan Buddhism is one such profound practice from which we can derive some inspiration.
Monks spend days or even weeks meticulously creating a mandala in a process that requires immense concentration and patience. Once the mandala is complete, the monks ritualistically sweep away the sand to symbolize the impermanence of all things.
The creation and destruction of mandalas serve as a meditation on the transient nature of life, the futility of attachment, and the importance of mindfulness and acceptance.
As wise people have said before, “This too shall pass.” It’s a lesson we’d do well to remember every day.
No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river, and he’s not the same man. Heraclitus