| Impermanence | |
| En: | Impermanence |
| Pi: | अनिच्च |
| Pi-Latn: | anicca |
| Sa: | अनित्य |
| Sa-Latn: | anitya |
| Ko: | 무상 |
| Ko-Latn: | musang |
| My: | အနိစ္စ |
| My-Latn: | anicca |
| Zh: | 無常 |
| Zh-Latn: | wúcháng |
| Ja: | 無常 |
| Ja-Latn: | mujō |
| Km: | អនិច្ចំ |
| Km-Latn: | ânĭchchâm |
| Tl: | anissa |
| Th: | อนิจจัง |
| Th-Latn: | anitchang |
| Bo: | མི་རྟག་པ་ |
| Bo-Latn: | Wylie: mi rtag pa, THL: mi tak pa |
| Vi: | vô thường |
Impermanence, called anicca (Pāli) or anitya (Sanskrit), appears extensively in the Pali Canon[1] as one of the essential doctrines of Buddhism.[2] [3] The doctrine asserts that all of conditioned existence, without exception, is "transient, evanescent, inconstant".
Anicca is one of the three marks of existence—the other two are dukkha (suffering or unsatisfactory) and anatta (without a lasting essence).
Anicca is in contrast to nirvana, the reality that is nicca, or knows no change, decay or death.
See main article: Three marks of existence. Anicca is understood in Buddhism as the first of the three marks of existence (trilakshana), the other two being dukkha ('unease', from dushta, "standing unstable") and anatta (non-self, non-soul, no essence).[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, all dhammas are without Self".[6]
All physical and mental events, states Buddhism, come into being and dissolve.[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 have reincarnated in deva (god) and naraka (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 in Buddhist cosmology, is always changing, inconstant, undergoes rebirth and redeath (Samsara).
Anicca is intimately associated with the doctrine of anatta, according to which things have no essence, permanent self, or unchanging soul.[14] [15] Understanding Anicca and Anatta are steps in the Buddhist's spiritual progress toward enlightenment.[16] [17]
Impermanence is a source of dukkha. The Buddha taught that because no physical or mental object is permanent, desires for or attachments to either causes suffering (dukkha).
Rupert Gethin on Four Noble Truths says:[18]
. Phra Payutto . Buddhadhamma: Natural Laws and Values for Life . State University of New York Press . 1995 . 978-0-7914-2631-9 . 62–63 . Grant Olson . P. A. Payutto.