Impermanence Series

Buddhist Philosophy › Impermanence

English (5) | Deutsch (3) | Français (2) | བོད་ཡིག (5)


The Immanence of Death (from the Wheel of Existence)

Courtesy of Himalayan Art Resources

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This existence of ours is as transient as autumn clouds.

To watch the birth and death of beings is like looking at the movement of a dance.

A lifetime is like a flash of lightning in the sky,

Rushing by, like a torrent down a steep mountain.

Texts on the subject of impermanence (anitya; mi rtag pa):

Advice

Pithy advice on not wasting one's time but making the most of the opportunity afforded by a precious human life.

In this famous poem Könchok Tenpe Drönme offers a powerful and moving contemplation on impermanence and mortality, inspiring the reader to focus on Dharma practice without delay.

Mipham Rinpoche elaborates on the practice that he introduced in The Wheel of Analytical Meditation (dpyad sgom 'khor lo ma) by offering further instruction on contemplating how the five aggregates are multiple, impermanent, painful and devoid of self.

Composed in a single day in 1891, this celebrated verse text offers a practical guide to meditating analytically on the multiplicity, impermanence, suffering nature and selflessness of the aggregates, as an antidote to the mental afflictions (kleśa; nyon mongs).

Songs and Poems

When Jamyang Khyentse witnessed the devastating effect of frost upon flowers, he considered this a metaphor for impermanence in a broader sense and composed a poignant song of reflection.

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