A Meditation Concept for your Perusal

IMPERMANENCE AND THE PATH OF MORE SUFFERING

JACK BRAGEN



The concept of impermanence is an essential part of Buddhism, and says that all things must change.  Buddhism says that change is the only thing we can rely upon.  People are born, they age, and then they pass away.  People and things are in a state of constant change.  Companies change into other corporations or go out of business; the trees wither away and die.  The mountains will eventually crumble into the sea.  The sea will some day disperse into outer space.  The sun will stop shining.  The universe itself will end some day. 
     This means that if we expect something to remain the same, we invite disappointment and suffering.  It also means that any source of pain we have at present will not always exist.  When we cling to persons, places or things, we are trying to hang onto something that, at some point, will no longer be.  Additionally, if there is a person, place or thing that is tormenting us at the moment, we know that this will not last indefinitely.  It means that all things and all circumstances, even the universe itself, are temporary and will eventually pass.  If you are in good health now, you will someday either die suddenly, or become ill.  If you are now wealthy, you will at some point lose all of your wealth, even if this happens through your death. For example, Donald Trump, at one point in his career, was broke and was also nine billion dollars in debt.  Jack La Lane, who was healthy his entire life, a rarity these days, eventually had to pass away.  Numerous rock singers diddled away their fortunes to become penniless.  Ronald Reagan, who at one point was thought to be fairly smart, developed Alzheimer’s disease, and couldn’t remember his own name.
     We are programmed to believe in a “happily ever after” once we get the current set of problems resolved.  We may get the job we were seeking or the relationship we wanted, but we soon discover that it didn’t fix our problems.  We may resolve the set of problems we have for now, but we discover that the struggle goes on:  a brand new set of difficulties arises.  This is life after “happily ever after” in which we may be troubled to find that suffering remains. 
     Buddhism teaches us not to cling to anything.  If you are in fear of losing a job, you should know that this job will not last forever.  Someday you will get fired, quit, the company will go out of business, or you will die, and thus lose your job through your death.  If you are hanging onto a relationship that you fear will end; the news is that this relationship actually will end.  If today you are famous, someday nobody will know you. 
     Because all things will someday end, including the person reading this text, you should not postpone enjoying life—not for one moment. The only enjoyment that you can get is that which is available right now, in the moment.  The only thing you can be sure of in life is the breath you are taking now, as you read these words. 
     It may seem like a condemning truth, but it is in fact a liberating one. 
     Having reached the age of forty-seven, I have seen the older generation pass away, and a new one come into existence.  Meanwhile, I have watched the aging process eat away at my own physical body.  By now I know on an instinctive level that this life will not last forever. 
     In my short time on earth, I have had my share of successes and failures.  I know that successes are impermanent, as are the things that didn’t work out as I would have liked.  Spiritual attainment, in fact, is impermanent.  We can lose our connection to “the all” or to our higher, more spiritual self, through a brain injury, through exceedingly traumatic events, or through lack of maintenance of the attainment.  If we seem blessed with good luck, there is no guarantee that such a gift will last indefinitely. 
     Buddhism says that if we cling to anything, we invite suffering.  Buddhism never stated that we must choose non suffering over suffering.  Nor does it say that suffering is “bad” while happiness is “good.”  We are free to choose the path of more suffering if that suits us.  However, if you are a meditation practitioner, it is likely that you will assign less seriousness to life events, to pain or pleasure, or to the possibility of such.
     Deciding that you want things in life and would rather experience some suffering to have those things is a valid choice.  It can seem unattainable for many of us to live lives that appear to be deprived.  Choosing to practice Buddhist thought will still choosing to want things might seem like a compromise before it is looked at with close scrutiny.   For me to relinquish things that I’ve always wanted and have to some extent been deprived of is too big of a leap.  I am better off employing Buddhism to deal with negative thoughts and random suffering (suffering that interferes with getting through each day) which aren’t necessarily linked to wanting anything. 
     The Buddha said “All Life Is Suffering.”  This means that if you live, you can not avoid some amount of suffering.  He said that if you want to suffer less, then give up your attachments to things in life.  However, it is also a perfectly valid path to choose the suffering, and to choose to want things.  The outcome of this is that you will likely suffer more.  But there is no rule that we must be afraid of that.