From Dr. Justice Chandradasa Nanayakkara
The coronavirus pandemic has greatly facilitated the concept of impermanence (Annicca) put forward by Lord Buddha. The ongoing virulent Covid-19 pandemic, which has caused immense suffering, agony, death and despair for tens of millions of people around the world, has taught us the core teachings of the Buddha, the three characteristics (Tilaakkana) of our existence in this world, namely impermanence (annicca), suffering or unsatisfactory (dukka) and not-self or insubstantiality (annatta). Impermanence is one of the fundamental teachings of Buddhism that can be observed throughout the nature of the universe. All sub-things, that is, all things that arise as the effect of causes and which in turn produce effects, are embodied in the single word annicca.
Nowadays people live in uncertain times and no one knows exactly what will happen to our lives and the lives of our loved ones as the pandemic we are going through is unprecedented and unpredictable.
All things change, nothing is ever the same. Everything that goes out changes and is perishable. Change is the essence of life and the essence of existence. Impermanence is the universal law of all phenomenal things and teaches us that nothing stays the same for two consecutive moments. What is built up eventually crumbles and falls, whoever is born will eventually die and what comes together will eventually separate.
We can visualize four areas of impermanence; physically, emotionally, mentally and socially. We can see the physical world changing and changing through the periodic changes of the seasons, aging, sickness and death. In the emotional world we can see impermanence through the constant changes in feelings and emotions, while one moment we might be euphoric, happy and elated in the next moment, sad and melancholy. Mentally our ideas, thoughts and concepts change from time to time and new ideas and concepts arise. After all, from a social point of view, we enter into new relationships, we meet new people, we break up with our loved ones, we change our jobs and find new jobs, at some point we lose our loved ones and loved ones, etc.
In other words, reflecting on impermanence brings to the surface the terrible truth that everything we have acquired, earned and achieved, all of our precious possessions, material things, even our most intimate and cherished relationships, our loved ones inevitably succumb to time and decay and cease to exist.
In one of the discourses recorded in Anguttara Nikaya, the Buddha offered the following parable to explain the limited and volatile nature of human life. “Just as a drop of dew on the tip of a blade of grass will quickly disappear at sunrise and will not last long, so too, Brahamin, human life like a dewdrop, is limited, short and fleeting and has a lot of suffering. full of tribulation … none who are born escapes death. Therefore, given the limited and volatile nature of human life, it becomes important for Buddhists to develop “mindfulness of death.”
King Pasenadi of Kosala in Savatthi once asked Lord Buddha, “Venerable Lord, is there anyone born free from aging and death,” then Lord Buddha replied, “Oh, great King, no one who is born is free from aging and death. Even the wealthy, rich, with great wealth and possessions, with abundant gold and silver and abundant treasures, because they are born, are not free from aging and death. “
The famous Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said: “Nobody goes into the same river twice, because it is not the same river and he is not the same man”. There is no static being, no immutable substrate. In his notes on the novel “Chance”, Joseph Conrad, one of the greatest Polish British writers, said, “The history of the people of this earth can be summed up in one sentence with infinite clarity:“ They were born, they suffered, they died ”. Similarly, James, the brother of Jesus, asks about the New Testament, “Why, you don’t even know what’s going to happen tomorrow. What is your life You are only a mist that appears for a short time and then disappears ”(James 4:14). The teacher (Jesus) in the Gospel of Mary Magdalene explains: “Everything that is born, everything created, everything that is composed will fall apart.”
Impermanence confronts us with our own mortality in the face of the devastating Covid-19 pandemic. The way things play out, we may not survive the day. If we look around our people, relatives, and possessions, one day it will all be gone. Lord Buddha’s last admonition to his disciples was: “All conditioned things are perishable, subject to change and eagerly pursue.”
Impermanence is closely related to the truth of suffering, which is the first noble truth in Buddhism. The Lord Buddha taught us that the cause of human suffering and dissatisfaction comes from clinging to worldly things under the mistaken belief that they will and will last forever, which in reality is not.
In other words, we cannot imagine an object in this conditioned world that is not Annicca. When we grasp the basic truth of impermanence (annicca), the tendency to cling to our attachments to worldly things will wane and our lives will be enriched with great equanimity so that we will be in a better position to let go of our belief in persistence and Stability of our life.
Impermanence is a constant challenge and people are faced with various life obstacles that are often beyond their control. Realizing the reality of impermanence will not only help us live in the present moment, but also increase our ability to overcome difficulties in life.
Although Buddhism emphasizes the universality of suffering, it cannot be called a pessimistic religion. It is neither completely pessimistic nor completely optimistic, but realistic as it not only emphasizes the truth of suffering but also suggests a means to end suffering and gain eternal happiness.
Man has performed great miracles over the centuries; his ingenuity and strength have enabled him to conquer space and subject matter to his will. Yet for all his skills and ingenuity, he remains fragile and vulnerable in the face of impermanence.
Even with the most brilliant application of modern science and technology, man has not yet seen the possibility of prohibiting the ephemeral nature of human life and its ultimate enemy, death
Impermance underscores the mortality and inevitable decline of powerful leaders and their false pride as time has ended the command of great leaders in the world. If we look at the ruins of large stupas and buildings in places like Anuradhapura and Pollonaruwa, we can see how they have undergone a natural process of decay over time.
