Buddhist concept of impermanence

                Early Buddhism dealt with the problem of impermanence in a very rational manner. This concept is known as annichā in Buddhism, according to which, impermanence is an undeniable and inescapable fact of human existence from which nothing that belongs to this earth is ever free. Even the ancient western philosopher Heraclitus held the same opinion as he had declared that, ‘all things are in constant flux.’

According to Buddhist, there is no Being there is only a becoming the state of every individual being unstable, temporary, sure to pass away. Even among things we find in each individual form and material qualities and living organisms too possess a continually ascending series of mental qualities the union of which makes up the individual. Everything be it a person a thing or a God is therefore, merely a putting together of component elements .Further in each individual without exception the relation of its component parts is eternally changing and never the same for even two consecutive moments. Putting together implies becoming; becoming means becoming different and becoming different cannot arise without dissolution a passing away which must inevitably at some time or the other be complete.

But we may ask that why is it that all things are impermanent? The Buddhism will replay that this law of universal impermanence is inseparably connected with the cause and effect, for nothing in this phenomenal world can exist without some causes while the very name phenomenon presupposes origination which again implies destruction, exactly in the same way as destruction invariably implies origination. Buddha himself before departing this world said to said disciples, “Know that whatever exists arises from causes and conditions and is in every respect impermanent.”

The principle of Universal impermanence is being considered in a three-fold aspect, namely as ­-

(a)   The Impermanence of life period

(b)   Momentary Impermanence

(c)    The Impermanence of the self nature of conditional things.