Why is spiritually important to understand the impermanence of life?
I have been thinking a lot about the word impermanence lately. Not only because of all the changes I see around me but the experiences that those close to me have gone through.
A dear student recently lost her husband from one minute to the next. An apparently heart problem took a seemingly healthy and active man by surprised, leaving my student and her teenage son trying to make sense of his passing and moving on with their lives.
Although we are aware of Life and Death, we spend little time reflecting on the Impermanence of life. In spite of the fact that we watch the seasons and the moon phases passed it is often hard to realize that Life is change and no matter what we do, frequently we find ourselves adapting to change with some degree of resistance. In itself changes are not bad, they can be uncomfortable, challenging, and a bit distressing but they Can be a great opportunity to grow, adapt and become stronger.
For Buddhists and yogis, impermanence is a cornerstone to understand the plane of existence we live in and how much mindfulness can help to adapt to circumstances.
In her book "Living like dying" Freda Naylor, a doctor who courageously kept a diary as she died of cancer. wrote:
"I have had experiences which I never would have had, for which I have to thank the cancer. Humility, coming to terms with my own mortality, knowledge of my inner strength, which continually surprises me, and more things about myself which I have discovered because I have had to stop in my tracks, reassess and proceed."
When we understand that life is change and no matter how much we resist those changes they will happen. We come to terms with life and its changing nature and we open our spirit to manifest its strength, ability to adapt and regardless of the situation find time to be happy and even grateful for the experiences.
When we listen to the difficult situations someone close to us is going through, besides tending a helping hand, listen to their struggle we can also offer a prayer or meditation to them so they can heal in a harmonious way.
Those experiences give us a great opportunity of putting issues into perspective and gain strength and maturity when the challenging situations know to our door.
In his book "The Tibetan book of Living and Dying" Sogyal Rinpoche comments on impermanence: "So each time the losses and deceptions of life teach us about impermanence, they bring us closer to the truth. When you fall from great height, there is only one possible place to land: on the ground, the ground of truth. And if you have the understanding that comes from spiritual practice, then falling is in no way a disaster but the discovery of an inner refuge. Difficulties and obstacles, if properly understood and used, can often turn out to be an unexpected source of strength."
