Living in Impermanence – Embrace Impermanence with an Even Mind

Back in his early days as a layperson, Ven. Chang Chi (常持法師) was once troubled by life due to its impermanence. After becoming a monastic, he has constantly witnessed the aging, illness, and death of people through his work of visiting dying patients. The venerable shared that impermanence is a reality of the world. By constantly and thoroughly acknowledging impermanence, we will realize that it is a stranger we are most familiar with. But if we turn a blind eye to it, we will remain oblivious to this most familiar stranger.


Original Chinese text / Ven. Chang Chi (常持法師)

We are afraid of impermanence because most of us lack a thorough understanding of it. Furthermore, we hardly make any effort to prepare ourselves for it in our daily life. In the Sutra on Impermanence (佛說無常經), the Buddha taught about impermanence by explaining the phenomena of formation, existing, decay, and disappearance in the material world, as well as the arising, abiding, changing and extinction of mental activities. Although aging, sickness, and death are unlovable, unglamorous, undesirable, and unappealing, they are always present in the course of everyone's life. This is the reality of impermanence.

During my early days as a laity, I had anxiety and fear resulting from ignorance about impermanence, and tried to resist and run away from it. After entering monastic life, I have gradually gained a better understanding of impermanence by developing right knowledge and view both from my own and others' experiences. Thus, I started to face impermanence with a healthy mindset, as well as practice "accepting whatever causes and conditions arrive in my way," thereby learning to live in every present moment with right mindfulness. By doing so, I have been able to keep a stable mind and remain unaffected by various internal and external phenomena. With a calmness of mind, we can then have the compassion and wisdom to face the impermanent changes of causes and conditions. Then, we will be able to live in harmony with impermanence as we slowly learn to accept it.

Overwhelming confusions in life due to ignorance about impermanence

I remember not long after my compulsory military service, three of my classmates died of accidents within a week. Two of them were my high school classmates, and the other was my college classmate. One of them came from a farming family and had to help with the spraying of pesticides. Having inhaled the pesticide being applied and due to the remaining venom in his body caused by a previous snake bite, he suddenly died. Another classmate and his girlfriend were driving when they saw a dog running into the middle of the road. While trying to rescue the dog, he was hit by a car and died. The college classmate of mine passed out due to a cerebral hemorrhage caused by low blood pressure while he was preparing for a national exam. Living alone at the time, he was already dead when his family found out. These three incidents made me realize how fragile life is. One can be gone in an instant without any warning sign.

Later, my mother fell ill. While taking care of her in the hospital, I often asked myself, "Is this the inevitable course of our lives?" I was not only puzzled by life, but also felt perplexed and helpless. During that period, I often walked up and down the wards, the newborn babies room, and the outpatient clinic. Almost everyone I saw in the hospital looked sad and worried. Even outside the newborn babies room, while some parents rejoiced to see their newborns, others were worried about their babies who were born with congenital disorders.

All this made me feel that life is actually suffering. So, a thought struck me: I wish to help the people in the hospital not suffer anymore. Later, on a care visit trip, when I had the opportunity to enter the hospital again, I suddenly remembered this very thought. Realizing that I was fulfilling exactly the wish I had made, I felt both gratified and grateful at once.

Engaging in Chan practice and applying the Buddhadharma in the face of impermanence

It is often not until we witness the death of a friend or a family member that we realize how close we are to impermanence and death. When impermanence occurs, our emotions often cause physical and mental feelings as well as reactions. These feelings can be categorized into three sensations: the feeling of pain, the feeling of pleasure, and the feeling of neither pleasure nor pain. From the Buddhist perspective, they are all suffering. Most people are only aware of the ordinary suffering (duḥkha-duḥkhatā) or the suffering of decay (vi-pari-ṇāma-duḥkhatā). It is more difficult for people to be aware of the suffering induced by the changes that occur in conditioned existence (saṃskāra-duhkhatā). Therefore, most people just fear or get perplexed by death without wanting to explore it. Having no clue about the cause of death and how to respond to it, thinking, "It's not going to be me," they thus tend to repress their feelings and are reluctant to look into it. Such a mentality is especially common among the young. It is only when it really happens to us that we begin to sigh, wondering: "Why me?"

After becoming a monastic, I had more opportunities to witness the life-and-death moments of others. It is especially the case when I was serving in the Social Care Department, with numerous life-and-death situations playing out before me every day, in addition to unexpected situations taking place at any time. There were times when one moment I found my body and mind still experiencing mood swings, and then the next moment I had to get myself ready to help a patient on the deathbed or an already deceased person. To adjust my physical and mental state rapidly, I would try to relax my body and mind while picking up the method of Chan practice. First, I would bring myself to remain clear about "where my body is, where my mind is" or recite the Buddha's name silently to keep my body and mind calm and at peace through awareness and mindfulness. Only by letting go of our own preferences and concerns over gains and losses, and focusing on taking care of the deceased and those around us at that present time, can we truly empathize with the dying, their family members, relatives, and friends, and share our inner positive strength and warmth with them.

Through others' experiences about life and death, I have experienced impermanence. Furthermore, according to the causes and conditions of each deceased person, their relationship with family members, their state of being in hospital, at home or elsewhere, their view on life, and their attitude toward death, I expressed care and support for the deceased, in addition to taking those around them into consideration.

If I had the opportunity to talk to the moribund person before their passing, I would first try to gain more understanding of their unique context while keeping company with them. If not, I would try to put myself in their shoes: "If I were them, what would I do in that situation? What would I need?" Through approaching death in terms of its undeniable and pressing reality, I constantly ponder, "What did the Buddha teach us? How can it help us find peace in the midst of ever-changing causes and conditions?" Only by practicing to navigate myself with these concepts and methods, can I confidently share the Buddhadharma with other people.

As I acquainted myself with impermanence, I have gradually begun to verify the Buddha's teachings on birth, death, and impermanence using my own personal experience. Also, I started to apply the teachings in the Sutra on Impermanence in daily life. In the Sutra, the Buddha concisely noted "With the three Fours and the two Fives, the perfect illumination can be fathomed." The three "Fours" refer to the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, the Four Right Exertions (sammappadhāna), and the Four Bases of Power (iddhipāda). The two "Fives" are Five Spiritual Faculties (pañca-indriya) and Five Strengths (pañcabala).

The Five Spiritual Faculties comprise the faculties of faith, perseverance, mindfulness, meditation, and wisdom. By cultivating the Five Spiritual Faculties sequentially, one will spontaneously gain the Five Strengths, which include the powers of faith, persistence, mindfulness, meditation, and wisdom. The three "Fours" and the two "Fives," together with the Seven Factors of Awakening and the Noble Eightfold Path mentioned in the Sutra – "the Seven and the Eight can open the gate to the Four Noble Truth" – consist of the Thirty-seven Factors of Enlightenment. We can start with the contemplation of body, feeling, mind, and phenomena as the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, and then proceed with the Four Right Exertions. We can transform our physical, verbal, and mental activities by practicing these wholesome teachings, either sequentially or interchangeably. If we can further practice them with the concept of "no-self," we can free ourselves from vexations and even the cycle of birth and death. Overall, my working experience at the Social Care Department is indeed a great help for my spiritual cultivation.

Reaching the end peacefully by accepting impermanence

Among the patients I had accompanied at the end of their lives, a middle-aged man in his 50s left a deep impression on me. At the time, I would go to the Taipei Veterans General Hospital every Thursday afternoon to visit patients in the wards. The man's older sister registered him for the Buddhist support service at the hospital's Buddha Hall. When I met him at the ward, the first thing he said to me was, "Why me?" That is what most people would ask when suffering from a physical ailment. This was especially puzzling for him, who looked young for his age. He did not smoke or drink at all, and remained single throughout his life. He might not have had a smooth career, but he did not have unhealthy habits.

Given the fact that it was our first meeting – not to mention that he was not familiar with Buddhism – it did not seem helpful to bring up too many Buddhist terms. Therefore, I came up with the Buddha's parable of being struck by an arrow: When we get struck by an arrow, thoughts like –  "Where was the arrow from? Why did it come at me?" – are of no help at all. What we should be thinking about is how to get the arrow out and how to treat the wound. So I asked him, "Would it help if you knew why it happens to you? If it doesn't, why not think of ways to help your situation?" Obviously a person with good virtuous roots, he grasped the point immediately, and slowly began to accept the present situation and stopped complaining.

Then I told him that no matter how much time he had left, if he could live each moment and each day with peace of mind, the rest of his days would be more meaningful and valuable than that in the past. Before leaving, I gave him a Buddhist chanting player and advised him to listen to the recitation of the Buddha's name as he found convenient. I also explained to him, "The simple phrase 'Amitabha' implies infinite life and infinite light, as well as the Buddha's infinite blessings and care for all sentient beings. If you are experiencing indescribable hardship, just pour out your distress to Amitabha."

Although I only met him twice, the change in him was significant, especially with regard to the issue of death. His attitude changed from resisting and complaining, feeling perplexed and helpless, to finally being able to face it and prepare for it using a positive mindset. As for our second meeting, nearly a month after we first met, his condition had deteriorated to the point where he had to wear an oxygen mask. I went to visit him in the ward, whispering in his ear, "Are you ready for it?" He looked at me and nodded, indicating his readiness. "Have you been reciting the Buddha's name?" He nodded again. "Now that you know the situation and have been preparing for it, you don't need to worry or be afraid. As long as you have faith in yourself and in the Buddha, the Buddha will certainly show compassion to us and help us." After these brief words, at around eleven o'clock that night, I learned that he had passed away. His sister told me, "My brother passed away peacefully, to the recitation of the Buddha's name."

Embrace impermanence and live our life with an even mind

Now that I have gained some real life experiences, along with Chan practice and Buddhist cultivation, I have come to realize that "impermanence" is an all-too-common reality that we are experiencing at any time in our lives. Life is made up of impermanence. The point is not to dodge it, but rather to enable ourselves to remain unaffected and maintain our inner peace in the midst of impermanence. Therefore, I am no longer passively running away from impermanence like I used to do, but, instead, proactively embrace it with an even mind. With constant awareness of the arising and perishing of thoughts, I realize that impermanence is the normal state of the world. Since impermanence is the normality, we should accept it as it is. By practicing earnestly, we will be better adept at grasping the reality, and our faith will become stronger. As we grow in wisdom and compassion, we can transcend the grief, sorrow and fear derived from ignorance.
 
In the face of impermanence, the most important thing is to keep an even mind, remain relaxed in the body and mind, and adopt a positive attitude towards the causes and conditions in any given moment. As we practice reducing our self-centeredness, we are cultivating blessings and wisdom. Since it is invaluable to be born a human being, we should cherish this rare opportunity to dedicate ourselves as the conditions allow and live a worthy life of dignity, making our present life a fulfilling journey while embracing our next rebirth in peace and comfort.



Related articles:

The Sutra on Impermanence – The Teachings of Impermanence

Contemplation of the Mind in Practicing Four Foundations of Mindfulness

Living in Impermanence – Embrace Impermanence with an Even Mind

A Brief Introduction to the Sutra on Impermanence

Learning the Contemplation on Impermanence from the Masters – Master Class for Living with Impermanence



Resource: Issue 428 of Humanity Magazine (April 2019), Dharma Drum Publishing Corporation
Translation: Li Siang-ling
Editing: Keith Brown, Chang Chia-cheng (張家誠)