Impermanence

Overview

Guide: Impermanence
Guide: Impermanence
Beacons	Adaptation

Guides are a Pathway in The Map of Everyday Enlightenment which are typically articles about a particular time and place for meditative practices. Guides contain Landmarks that highlight examples of how this could work for you, as well as other explanations of how to make use of certain concepts or techniques. The Landmarks in Guides can be reviewed in the context of progress through the Realms of Everyday Enlightenment, and when used in that way, Guides become another way to decide where to go next.

Impermanence, a fundamental concept deeply woven into the fabric of existence, is the understanding that all phenomena, without exception, are in a constant state of change. This Lens focuses on observing the transitory nature of thoughts, emotions, sensations, and external circumstances. When we fully internalize this concept, we realize that everything we experience — joy, suffering, thoughts, identities — are not static but are dynamic and fleeting. This understanding leads to an acceptance and even an embracing of change, contributing to a sense of calm, resilience, and peace amidst the ebb and flow of life. The reality of impermanence invites us to live fully in the present moment, cherishing it as a unique and unrepeatable snapshot of life.

Landmark: Impermanence Basic Understanding
Beacons	Adaptation
Realms	Enrollment
Lenses	Impermanence
Guides	Eating
Trails	Learn About Adaptation

The Landmark of Impermanence Basic Understanding asks whether you are aware of the impermanence of all things at all times, that they are changing, decaying, and will not last. This Landmark is within the Realm of Enrollment, and is part of the Beacon of Adaptation, more specifically the Lens of Impermanence.

Landmark Lookouts:

• Notice Things Appear Solid: Are you able to notice how much we rely on the idea that things are solid and reliable?
  
• Think About How Things Won't Last: Can you feel a shift in perception as you think about something's impermanence, and how everything is going to change and decay over time?
  

A ready example of Impermanence can be found when you are drinking water.

• Next time you reach for your trusty water bottle, pause before you take a sip. We're going to try something.
• Hold the bottle in your hands. Really feel its weight, texture, temperature. Notice its shape, its color, its solidity.
• Seems permanent, right? It's a bottle, it's there, and it's real.
• Now, give it a little shake. Hear the water sloshing around inside? That's change right there. The water is moving, it's active. It's never the same from one moment to the next.
• Now take a sip. Feel the water going down your throat, refreshing and cool. The level of the water in the bottle has changed. The weight is different. Even the temperature might have changed slightly with your hand wrapped around it.
• So, even though it's still a bottle, it's not exactly the same bottle as it was a moment ago, is it?
• Continue with your work, but every time you reach for a sip, take a moment to notice these changes. The bottle gets lighter with each sip. The condensation on the outside might evaporate. The temperature shifts.
• Now take it a step further. Think about the water you're drinking. From your mouth, it goes into your system, hydrating you, becoming a part of you. So, in a way, the water’s journey continues, changing and flowing, just like everything else in this world.
• Through this everyday act, remind yourself: it's all in constant flux, even the seemingly solid and unchanging.