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Impermanence: What is It and Why Contemplate It?

Writer's picture: Vincent SablichVincent Sablich

Updated: Oct 30, 2024


Chillen with some friends at the Jama Masjid in New Delhi, India, featuring Ben and I's manskirts (an involuntary fashion choice)

It's been a little over two months since the conclusion of my adventures in South Asia. I've wanted to write this blog post for a great deal of time now, but have been plagued by a busy schedule and intimidation to report on such a complex topic. I sit at Tommy's Folly cafe- which was the inspiration for the blog's name- in Cape May, New Jersey, sipping on a cappuccino and indulging in a delicious blueberry muffin while listening to the Expedition Everest soundtrack on my janky non-Bluetooth earbuds. Life can't get much better than this. Cape May is a place that highlights the significance of leisure and simplicity, two things difficult to unveil in the day-to-day hustle.


In this post, I will reflect on some of the most profound lessons I learned in Nepal. Khenpo La, the esteemed Tibetan Buddhist monk who taught one of my classes at Rangjung Yeshe Institute in Kathmandu, often spoke of impermanence when reciting Shantideva's The Way of the Bodhisattva. For those with little exposure to Buddhism, the concept of impermanence may appear ominous and distantly foreign. However, the true meaning of the term is inconspicuous. At least to my surprise, after contemplating impermanence for quite some time, it's remarkable how much it materializes in everyday life. Before presenting my remarks, I must provide the back story as to why this strange yet profound concept has traveled back home with me.


With Ben, some Bhaktapur friends, Ethan, and Jack Dai (taking the photo) at the unhinged Nepali New Year festival in Bhaktapur, located just outside of Kathmandu

One of our classmates in Nepal had been absent the entire week and Ben and I were curious about his whereabouts. I believe it was one of his gurus who passed away, and he traveled to India to attend the cremation services. After hearing this, Ben and I immediately offered our condolences, but we were met with a strange reply. Instead of him thanking us or nodding his head in mutual understatement, he simply said, "Ehh, impermanence." We found our friend's answer to be strange yet captivating- and a tad amusing. It became a bit of an ongoing joke between us. Perhaps, the humorous element is what led impermanence to stick with me for the months to follow...


With Ben at the one and only Taj Mahal

So, what is impermanence? I want to preface that I am writing from a contemplative viewpoint and not one that is solely based on texts or academic sources. I am also writing from a non-Buddhist perspective, as I identify as a Catholic. Although, I am not fond of labeling myself as non-Buddhist as I very much embrace its teachings and find harmony with Catholicism.


I understand impermanence as the idea that things are constantly changing, and because things are constantly ceasing and commencing one must be conscious of attachment. Now, there are many scales and scopes one can examine this from. The more obvious and ominous scope is death. Humans are mortal beings who have to accept the fact that they won't be on this planet forever. Buddhism preaches that one must contemplate and accept death in order to be fully happy. This idea takes up a whole section in Michael Easter's book The Comfort Crisis- which I highly recommend to almost anyone. When Buddhist monks, like Khenpo La, preach about impermanence, they don't do so to frighten us or place us in a mindset that is dark and melancholic. Rather, they do so to help us detach from things we cling to while aiding us to embrace changes that life throws our way. Impermanence's relation to detachment can be construed via mental health. Overcoming mental disorders like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) requires one to accept intrusive thoughts and detach from the compulsive feelings these thoughts produce. Recognizing that thoughts are merely impermanent helps one detach from the utter realness one may perceive the thought as. Highlighting a thought's impermanence does not suppress a thought but accepts the thought for what it is. This is complex and requires much more to be said regarding mental health and psychology- fitting for another essay.


Along with detaching from things we cling to, embracing change is another major component of impermanence. I will explain this next component using an example one of the Jesuit priests at Boston College explained to me. Father said that many people come to him with feelings of uncertainty about marriage. They are very happy with the current situation in their life but feel that undergoing marriage will drastically change everything. He expressed similar concerns when he was about to become ordained. He was happy with his situation but was afraid to make that next step. Amid his time of uncertainty, another priest approached him and told him not to fret. Even though he was undergoing a major change in his life, the same values he cherished before ordination would be seen with a new light and breathed with new air. The same goes for marriage. The feelings one cherished with their partner are simply seen with a new light and breathed with new air. I understand this analogy and correlate it to impermanence by understanding that things do not necessarily have ends, but rather transformations. It's up to us to embrace these transformations in ways that enlighten us.


Midnight shenanigans before our Imja Tse summit push

It's important to note that everyone interprets these complex topics in their own way, which is what makes concepts like impermanence so rich and philosophically engaging. Before wrapping up this reflection, I would like to provide a glimpse into one of my more recent discoveries of impermanence.


Double H Ranch is a place in Lake Luzerne, NY, that provides programs for kids and families dealing with life-threatening illnesses. I have been involved with Double H for roughly seven years now and am wrapping up my second summer as an activity leader for their summer camp. On the last night of each camp session, each cabin constructs a wish boat, which is a conglomeration of logs and sticks configured to make a floating campfire (if you're a Vikings fan like me, it's kind of similar to a Viking funeral.) Campers then write a wish, hope, or dream on a slip of birch bark which is then placed on the wish boat and ignited out on the waterfront. During the wish boat ceremony, various songs are sung which is followed by a group huddle and end-of-the-session debrief. This is a highly emotional time for both the counselors and campers, as the next morning they will have to make their goodbyes and enter the "real world."


A photo from one of last year's wish boat ceremonies

I've spent some time reflecting on the meaning behind this profound ceremony. At first, it seems ill-intended that the campers' wishes, hopes, and dreams become extinguished. However, the contrary is the case. Instead of the wishes becoming disintegrated, they transform their earthly form and are dispersed into the atmosphere. The wishes are not ceased but rather transformed. This is truly a beautiful thing. The ceremony is an amazing way to end the week by demonstrating to campers that the time and fun they had at camp gets carried with them outside of camp. They now have the power to share the camp magic with others who aren't necessarily able to experience it in the same way they did.


Sikkim and his wonderful family, who hosted us in their village home in southern Nepal, featuring the magnificent welcome mosaic

So, why even discuss impermanence? There is no one answer to this question, but I want to conclude this post with one of my favorite verses from Shantideva's The Way of the Bodhisattva, that may provide insight into the question at hand.


~"So take advantage of this human boat. Free yourself from sorrow's mighty stream! This vessel will be later hard to find. The time that you have now, you fool, is not for sleep!" ~ (Shantideva chapter 7, verse 2, Shambhala Publications 2006)



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