Buddha Taught Everything is Impermanence
(ANICCA) and “No man ever steps in the same river
twice”
Researched by- Myoma
Myint Kywe
ဦးျမင့္ၾကြယ္ ( ၿမိဳ ႔မ ျမင့္ၾကြယ္ ) သမိုင္းပညာရွင္
ဆိုရွိကိ ကရာေတးအသင္း နည္းျပခ်ဳပ္
This
idea of things being Anicca (impermanence) is a very famous Buddhist
thought. The basic idea is that everything is ever-changing. In Buddhism, the three marks of existence are three
characteristics (Pali: tilakkhaṇa) shared by all sentient beings, namely
impermanence (anicca), suffering or unsatisfactoriness (dukkha),
and non-self (anatta).
Anicca (impermanence), dukkha (suffering), and anatta (insubstantiality/ non-self) are the three characteristics common to all sentient
existence.
The anicca (impermanence) is one of the essential doctrines or three marks of existence in Buddhism and preached by Buddha. anicca is a pali word composed with two combined words: "nicca" and the privative particle "a". "nicca" implies the idea of permanence, of continuity. anicca means the absence of continuity, the absence of permanence.
‘Anicca’
is the Buddha concept since 588 BC that all of existence is in a
constant state of flux and impermanence. Buddhism is now 2,603 years old
and has about 1600 million followers worldwide. The Lord Buddha was born
in 623 B.C. in a country called Kapilavatthu in Nepal. Born in the noble Sakya
clan, he was named Prince Siddhattha Gotama.
The Lord Gautama Buddha gained a
flash of insight that he felt gave him an answer to the problem of suffering.
He began to share with other the meaning of His enlightenment since B.C
588. The Lord Buddha and his disciples travelled vast areas (on foot)
throughout India to expound the Dhamma, helping lots of suffering people along
the way. His relentless effort lasted for 45 years.
For the 45 years (between 588 BC– 543 BC), the Buddha
spent his time travelling around India and neighbouring countries,
preaching and teaching about the Four Noble Truth and the Noble Eightfold Path.
The Noble Eightfold Path is one of the principal teachings of the Buddha, who
described it as the way leading to the cessation of suffering (dukkha)
and the achievement of self-awakening.
Anicca (impermanence or inconstant), dukkha (suffering or unsatisfactoriness) and anatta (non-existence
or non-selfhood) together make up the ti-lakkhana, or three characteristics of
all phenomenal existence. That the human body is subject to change is
empirically observable in the universal states of childhood, youth, maturity,
and old age. Similarly, mental events come into being and dissolve. Recognition
of the doctrine of impermanence is one of the first steps in the Buddhist's
spiritual progress toward enlightenment. Impermanence is one of the essential
doctrines or three marks of existence in Buddhism.
The Buddha says, "Life is
suffering". What does "suffering" mean? The sutras say:
"Impermanence therefore suffering". Everything is impermanent and
changeable. The Buddha says that life is suffering because it is impermanent
and ever-changing. For example, a healthy body cannot last forever. It will
gradually become weak, old, sick and die. One who is wealthy cannot
maintain one’s wealth forever. Sometimes one may become poor. Power and status
do not last as well, one will lose them finally. From this condition of
changing and instability, although there is happiness and joy, they are not
ever lasting and ultimate. When changes come, suffering arises.
Thus, the Buddha says life is
suffering. Suffering means dissatisfaction, impermanence and imperfection.
If a practising Buddhist does not understand the real meaning of
"suffering" and think that life is not perfect and ultimate, they
become negative and pessimistic in their view of life. Those who really
understand the teaching of the Buddha will have a totally different view. We
should know that the theory of "Life is suffering" taught by
the Buddha is to remind us that life is not ultimate and lasting, and hence we
should strive towards Buddhahood — a permanent and perfect life.
The Buddha passed into Parinibbana
(or passed away in simplified layman's term) at the ripe old age of 80,
B.C 543. When Buddha died, his physical death is defined as Parinibbana. Known as the Buddha or Enlightened
One, Gautama Buddha taught that people can escape the circle of rebirth by
eliminating desire and by following rules of behaviour, the Noble Eightfold
Path. Since B.C 588, Buddhism has become one of the world's great
religions.
Buddha did NOT claim
to be God. Buddha did NOT claim that he was God, the child of a
God or even the messenger from a God. Buddha claimed that he was a
noblest person who perfected himself and taught that if we followed his
example, we could perfect ourselves also.
The Buddha is NOT a creator God.
The Buddha is the supreme teacher of humans
and Gods, who teaches us the way to restore Wisdom and Understanding by
conquering the greed, hatred, and ignorance which blind us at the present
moment.
Teaching
of Buddha is like that immeasurable sky and universe with no end at all.
Teaching of Buddha is more many
years earlier than discoveries famous scientists. Teaching of Buddha is more supreme than
science, philosophy and most supernatural powers abilities. Buddhism is
certainly more scientific than any other religion. The Buddhism is more
scientific verifiable than other religions.
(BUT, all religion is good. All religion has good teaching
accordingly).
Did the teachings of
Buddha influence great Philosophers?
Heraclitus
is pretty cool in Buddhism.
Confucius is pretty cool in
Buddhism.
They
may be strongly influenced by Buddhist philosophy.
Heraclitus
of Ephesus
(535 BC – 475 BC) says about
impermanence.
The
ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus also expressed this in his famous
aphorisms:
“All
entities move and nothing remain still,
You
cannot step twice into the same river.”
Heraclitus
of Ephesus
was one of the Greek philosophers in the world.
Everything
flows and nothing stays.
Everything flows and nothing abides.
Everything gives way and nothing stays fixed.
Everything flows; nothing remains.
All is flux, nothing is stationary.
All is flux, nothing stays still.
All flows, nothing stays.
Everything flows and nothing abides.
Everything gives way and nothing stays fixed.
Everything flows; nothing remains.
All is flux, nothing is stationary.
All is flux, nothing stays still.
All flows, nothing stays.
Nothing is permanent; life is a flux. Heraclitus
has said that you cannot step twice in the same river. It is impossible to step
twice in the same river because the river has flowed on; everything has
changed. And not only has the river flowed on, you have also flowed on.
You are also different; you are also a river flowing. Like River you also have quite a lot of things moving in your life, happiness, depression, joy and sorrow all are moving at the top of your life. But something inside you is never changing and omnipresent. The moment you can find that center which never changes. Then everything about your life also changes. A river by its very nature is never the same, because the water has changed, never to return, you can never step into the same river twice.
You are also different; you are also a river flowing. Like River you also have quite a lot of things moving in your life, happiness, depression, joy and sorrow all are moving at the top of your life. But something inside you is never changing and omnipresent. The moment you can find that center which never changes. Then everything about your life also changes. A river by its very nature is never the same, because the water has changed, never to return, you can never step into the same river twice.
You
cannot step twice into the same river; for other waters are continually flowing
in. No man ever steps in the same river twice for it is not the same river and
he is not the same man. (You cannot step twice into the same stream. For
as you are stepping in, other waters are ever flowing on to you)
"We
both step and do not step in the same rivers. We are and are not."
Impermanence
is one of the three marks of existence. Heraclitus
holds and recommended about Buddha’s impermanence or doctrine of impermanence Buddhism (anicca).
No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's
not the same man. – Heraclitus is cool in Buddhism.
He
was right. The water in the river today is completely different from the water
we bathed in yesterday. Yet it is the same river. When Confucius (551
BC–479 BC) was standing on the bank of a river watching it flow by he said,
“Oh, it flows like that day and night, never ending.” Confucius was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of the spring
and autumn period
of Chinese history.
Standing
by a stream, the Great philosopher (Confucius) said, It flows on like
this—does it not?—never ceasing day or night. We imagined, one day
Confucius and his students traveled to a river bank. They saw the current of
the river was constantly pushing forward. In sight of this nature’s phenomenon,
he alerted his student time could not be turned back and there were a lot to be
done in our limited lifetime.
Everybody
is impermanence (anicca).
Everything
is changing from moment to moment.
All
entities move and nothing remain still.
I
believe impermanence (anicca) is natural universal law based on truth.
I also believe impermanence (anicca) is impermanent.
Everyone is always dying and being reborn, everything changes.
I also believe impermanence (anicca) is impermanent.
Everyone is always dying and being reborn, everything changes.
Impermanence
(anicca) is more than an idea. It is a practice can help us to see the true
nature of reality.
Just
as the light of a candle has the power to dispel darkness in a room, so
also the light developed in one man can help dispel darkness in several
others. As in the days of the Buddha (BC 623-BC 543), one should work hard to
maintain the awareness of anicca, and if one can do so he will surely
get himself rid of many troubles.
Buddhist
philosophy is the elaboration and explanation of the delivered teachings of the
Buddha as found in the Tripitaka and Agama. Its main concern is
with explicating the Dharma constituting
reality. (In Buddhism, an agama (sacred work or scripture) is a
collection of Early Buddhist scriptures). The Buddhist Path is a gradual path, a Middle
Way consisting of Virtue, Meditation and Wisdom as explained in the Noble
Eightfold Path leading to happiness and liberation.
We
can get peace of mind through meditation on Anicca.
Together
we can all get through life’s challenges by teaching of Buddha.
http://www.theravada-dhamma.org/blog/?tag=anicca
http://performance.internationalcounselor.org/?p=87