Nothing remains the same for two consecutive moments. Heraclitus said we can
never bathe twice in the same river. Confucius, while looking at a stream, said,
"It is always flowing, day and night." The Buddha implored us not
just to talk about impermanence, but to use it as an instrument to help us penetrate
deeply into reality and obtain liberating insight. We may be tempted to say
that because things are impermanent, there is suffering. But the Buddha encouraged
us to look again. Without impermanence, life is not possible. How can we transform
our suffering if things are not impermanent? How can our daughter grow up into
a beautiful young lady? How can the situation in the world improve? We need
impermanence for social justice and for hope.
If you suffer, it is not because things are impermanent. It is because you believe
things are permanent. When a flower dies, you don't suffer much, because you
understand that flowers are impermanent. But you cannot accept the impermanence
of your beloved one, and you suffer deeply when she passes away.
If you look deeply into impermanence, you will do your best to make her happy
right now. Aware of impermanence, you become positive, loving and wise. Impermanence
is good news. Without impermanence, nothing would be possible. With impermanence,
every door is open for change. Impermanence is an instrument for our liberation.