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Impermanence (Buddhism)

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(Redirected fromAnicca)
Doctrine of Buddhism
Part ofa series on
Buddhism
Translations of
Impermanence
EnglishImpermanence
Sanskritअनित्य
(IAST:anitya)
Paliअनिच्च
(anicca)
Burmeseအနိစ္စ
(MLCTS:anicca)
Chinese無常
(Pinyin:wúcháng)
Japanese無常
(Rōmaji:mujō)
Khmerអនិច្ចំ
(UNGEGN:ânĭchchâm)
Korean무상
(RR:musang)
Tibetanམི་རྟག་པ་
(Wylie: mi rtag pa, THL: mi tak pa)
Tagaloganissa
Thaiอนิจจัง
(RTGS:anitchang)
Vietnamesevô thường
Glossary of Buddhism
impermanence of life
According to Buddhism, living beings go through many births. Buddhism does not teach the existence of a permanent, immutable soul. The birth of one form from another is part of a process of continuous change.[citation needed]

Impermanence, calledanicca inPāli andanitya inSanskrit, appears extensively in thePali Canon[1] as one of the essential doctrines ofBuddhism.[1][2][3] The doctrine asserts that all of conditioned existence, without exception, is "transient, evanescent, inconstant".[1]

Anicca is one of thethree marks of existence—the other two aredukkha (suffering or unsatisfactory) andanatta (without a lasting essence).

Anicca is in contrast tonirvana, the reality that isnicca, or knows no change, decay or death.[1]

In the marks of existence

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Main article:Three marks of existence

Anicca is understood in Buddhism as the first of thethree marks of existence (trilakshana), the other two beingdukkha ('unease', fromdushta, "standing unstable") andanatta (non-self, non-soul, no essence).[2][3][4][5] It appears in Pali texts as,"sabbe sankhara anicca, sabbe sankhara dukkha, sabbe dhamma anatta", which Szczurek translates as, "all conditioned things are impermanent, all conditioned things are painful, alldhammas are without Self".[6]

All physical and mental events, states Buddhism, come into being and dissolve.[1][7][8][9] Human life embodies this flux in the aging process, the cycle of repeated birth and death (Samsara), nothing lasts, and everything decays. This is applicable to all beings and their environs, including beings who havereincarnated indeva (god) andnaraka (hell) realms.[10][11]

Everything, whether physical or mental, is a formation (Saṅkhāra), has a dependent origination and is impermanent. It arises, changes and disappears.[12][13] According to Buddhism, everything in human life, all objects, as well as all beings whether in heavenly or hellish or earthly realms inBuddhist cosmology, is always changing, inconstant, undergoes rebirth and redeath (Samsara).[10][11]

Association with anatta

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Anicca is intimately associated with the doctrine ofanatta, according to which things have no essence, permanent self, or unchanging soul.[14][15] Understanding anicca andanatta are steps in the Buddhist's spiritual progress toward enlightenment.[8][16][17]

Association with dukkha

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Impermanence is a source ofdukkha. The Buddha taught that because no physical or mental object is permanent, desires for or attachments to either causes suffering (dukkha).

Rupert Gethin onFour Noble Truths says:[18]

As long as there is attachment to things that are
unstable, unreliable, changing and impermanent,
there will be suffering –
when they change, when they cease to be
what we want them to be.
(...)
If craving is the cause of suffering, then the cessation
of suffering will surely follow from 'the complete
fading away and ceasing of that very craving':
its abandoning, relinquishing, releasing, letting go.

Anicca in everyday life

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One of the most important aspects of anicca is its use in ordinary life. People often react with panic, denial, or grief when facing change. Whether its a parent's illness, the end of a relationship, or even something small like a seat becoming uncomfortable. However, it becomes apparent that suffering from change usually isn't about the change itself, rather, its about clinging to what is pleasant and resisting loss.[19] Using anicca in everyday life involves cultivating a different kind of awareness where instead of meeting change with resistance, one meets it with presence.[20] Many people don't want to face the truth that they are too attached to pleasant things that they can enjoy through the senses. But these things don't truly bring happiness.[21]

Psychologically, anicca promotes emotional balance and resilience, similar to the growth mindset described in modern day psychology. The growth mindset refers to the understanding that challenges are opportunities for learning and transformation. By imbibing the concept of anicca, one can observe the constant flow of change in bodies, emotions, relationships, and life without clinging to them. In this way, anicca becomes not only a philosophical truth but a practical guide for living with openness, motivation, and compassion in an ever-changing world.[22] In the field of education, this understanding encourages both teachers and students to embrace learning as a dynamic process rather than fixed outcome. When educators recognize that each learner's abilities and emotions are constantly evolving, they can approach teaching with greater patience and flexibility. Similarly, students who internalize impermanence are less likely to fear mistakes or setbacks, viewing them instead as temporary stages of growth. By integrating this awareness into classroom settings, anicca fosters a compassionate every-day learning environment where adaptability and continuous improvement are values over perfection.[22]

References

  1. ^abcdeThomas William Rhys Davids; William Stede (1921).Pali-English Dictionary. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 355, Article onNicca.ISBN 978-81-208-1144-7.{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  2. ^abRichard Gombrich (2006).Theravada Buddhism. Routledge. p. 47.ISBN 978-1-134-90352-8.,Quote: "All phenomenal existence [in Buddhism] is said to have three interlocking characteristics: impermanence, suffering and lack of soul or essence."
  3. ^abRobert E. Buswell Jr.; Donald S. Lopez Jr. (2013).The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press. pp. 42–43, 47, 581.ISBN 978-1-4008-4805-8.
  4. ^Anatta Buddhism, Encyclopædia Britannica (2013);
  5. ^Phra Payutto (1995).Buddhadhamma: Natural Laws and Values for Life. Translated by Grant Olson. State University of New York Press. pp. 62–63.ISBN 978-0-7914-2631-9.
  6. ^Richard Francis Gombrich; Cristina Anna Scherrer-Schaub (2008).Buddhist Studies. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 209–210.ISBN 978-81-208-3248-0.
  7. ^Anicca Buddhism, Encyclopædia Britannica (2013)
  8. ^abRay Billington (2002).Understanding Eastern Philosophy. Routledge. pp. 56–59.ISBN 978-1-134-79348-8.
  9. ^Robert E. Buswell Jr.; Donald S. Lopez Jr. (2013).The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press. pp. 47–48, Article onAnitya.ISBN 978-1-4008-4805-8.
  10. ^abDamien Keown (2013).Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. pp. 32–38.ISBN 978-0-19-966383-5.
  11. ^abPeter Harvey (2012).An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices. Cambridge University Press. pp. 32–33,38–39,46–49.ISBN 978-0-521-85942-4.
  12. ^Paul Williams (2005).Buddhism: Buddhism in China, East Asia, and Japan. Routledge. pp. 150–153.ISBN 978-0-415-33234-7.
  13. ^Damien Keown (2004).A Dictionary of Buddhism. Oxford University Press. p. 15.ISBN 978-0-19-157917-2.
  14. ^Anatta Buddhism, Encyclopædia Britannica (2013)
  15. ^[a]Christmas Humphreys (2012).Exploring Buddhism. Routledge. pp. 42–43.ISBN 978-1-136-22877-3.
    [b]Brian Morris (2006).Religion and Anthropology: A Critical Introduction. Cambridge University Press. p. 51.ISBN 978-0-521-85241-8.,Quote: "(...) anatta is the doctrine of non-self, and is an extreme empiricist doctrine that holds that the notion of an unchanging permanent self is a fiction and has no reality. According to Buddhist doctrine, the individual person consists of five skandhas or heaps - the body, feelings, perceptions, impulses and consciousness. The belief in a self or soul, over these five skandhas, is illusory and the cause of suffering."
    [c]Richard Gombrich (2006).Theravada Buddhism. Routledge. p. 47.ISBN 978-1-134-90352-8.,Quote: "(...) Buddha's teaching that beings have no soul, no abiding essence. This 'no-soul doctrine' (anatta-vada) he expounded in his second sermon."
  16. ^Brian Morris (2006).Religion and Anthropology: A Critical Introduction. Cambridge University Press. pp. 51–53.ISBN 978-0-521-85241-8.
  17. ^John Whalen-Bridge (2011).Writing as Enlightenment: Buddhist American Literature into the Twenty-first Century. State University of New York Press. pp. 154–155.ISBN 978-1-4384-3921-1.
  18. ^Rupert Gethin (1998).The Foundations of Buddhism. Oxford University Press. p. 74.ISBN 978-0-19-160671-7.
  19. ^MCCRANIE, JAMES R. (2017-07-07)."Books, book reviews, anoles, and do we really know what we believe we know?".Zootaxa.4290 (2).doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4290.2.8.ISSN 1175-5334.
  20. ^MCCRANIE, JAMES R. (2017-07-07)."Books, book reviews, anoles, and do we really know what we believe we know?".Zootaxa.4290 (2).doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4290.2.8.ISSN 1175-5334.
  21. ^Carbine, Jason A. (2001-12-31),"Yaktovil: The Role of the Buddha and Dhamma",Life of Buddhism, University of California Press, pp. 162–178,doi:10.1525/9780520924895-026,ISBN 978-0-520-92489-5, retrieved2025-06-30
  22. ^abZhou, Ying (March 2025)."The Influence of Buddhist Impermanence (Aniccatā) on Motivationand Adaptability in English Language Learning".{{cite web}}:Check|archive-url= value (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)

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