Everything is impermanent. Everything is on fire, smoldering at the edges, burning. Moment to moment, everything suffers a miniature death and miniature rebirth. Like frames of film, fast enough to be imperceptible when immersed. But then I go away and come back and I don’t know what the hell is going on in the movie anymore. I’ve lost the plot.
Deeply nourishing thoughts and reflections as usual Tommy. I especially liked this idea, that you'll never have a better foothold than you do in this moment. That's a profound framing of the truth, because it helps to "out" that incessant personal lie that a better foothold is just around the corner, just one more paycheck, or sunset, or vacation, or lay, or dessert, or accomplishment away. But no. This is it! Imagine making one's complete and utter peace with that fact! So good my friend. And also, the fact that the monk didn't laugh his ass off at this - "(naturally, I joked the tattoo was permanent, which he didn’t think was as amusing as I did)." is proof that he still has a ways to go. : )
“You suffer because life is bursting with beauty, both in its joy and its pain, but demands you to let go, a million times over². You can’t hold on to anything.”
Tommy - so deep. Such wisdom. The thing I love about your writing is that it’s like we ride delicately along, inside your soul as your take in your surroundings, think about them, reflect on them, be influenced by them, ponder them, and then tell us your feelings about them in a warm and whimsical way. The story about the monk with the tattoo was so fitting - and as Rick says - illustrative of where he is in his own journey.
I’ve been studying non-duality recently and I wondered when reading your essay, how can we hold onto anything when we’re all One?
Brilliantly written, Tommy. Reading your piece brought to mind Dennis Washburn's description of the Japanese aesthetic sensibility known as mono no aware, which in his words, 'prized above all else an intuitive sensitivity towards the sublime, sad beauty that inheres in mutable nature and transitory human existence.'
On a more personal level, my faith helps me contend with the inherent impermanence of this world. One particular verse of the Qur'an (28:88) always serves to reorients me toward my true purpose:
'No God is there but He:
Everything is perishing but the Face of His everlasting Being:
His is the judgement,
and to Him shall you be returned.'
And on a lighter tone, I thought your joke was awesome :)
Great writing pal, loved the message of impermanence especially this: “The world is full of painstakingly beautiful things that are all careening toward decay.”
Although impermanence is unavoidable and worth keeping in mind, I’ve been trying to be most positive lately. To not think worst case scenario. To enjoy the sun while it’s shining. I know it’s impermanent, but I have a natural predisposition to remember that. Others, who live more on autopilot, might need this reminder more than people like me and you who are aware, painstakingly at times, of how everything passes. You want to live while alive not just be constantly reminded of how it will end. Just some thoughts. Great writing as always buddy. Thanks for sharing.
Impermanence yes, however the hope of joyful, thankful reacquainting resonates with me now. Me and you - Tokyo a few weeks ago, my condo for Christmas dinner, steaks in Buenos Aires in October, Paris and Nuremberg last December. All gone, impermanent, wafted into the past. Saturday we come together again, downtown with your siblings at my place, vanquishing impermanence, rejoining once again, joyfully, thankfully. Always. Forever. Blessed.
I totally agree that everything is impermanent, and I would go a step further to say that it's that impermanence that makes everything so worth experiencing. Knowing that a natural view will only be shown for an instant or that certain feelings won't last for ever gives them a sort of value that almost compels one to wish to see them. This is a thought-provoking post; thanks for sharing!
Accepting Impermanence for me is both relieving and melancholic. Thinking about a tough work task or studying for an old chem test I could revel in the fact that an end was near. However, I remember my last month living with some of my closest friends I was deeply saddened that it was not a permeant home or feeling. "Both in its joys and its pain" as you put it. Great writing as always, thanks for sharing.
Yes, my friend, when we are seriously engaged on our own spiritual path, our prayers and practices actually churns all of our “shit” and causes it to come up to be healed and cleared.
My teachers would say that if this isn’t happening, then it indicates that we are already enlightened or are not engaging with our practice courageously and honestly.
Knowing that I have a limited time opportunity to make good use of my life is something that spurs me to not waste any of my precious time so that when the end of my days does arrive i will be able to greet it with a smile and leave this earth as lovingly and consciously as I can.
Sometimes, it’s good to walk around a cemetery just to make this more real as I read the tombstones with those little dashes between “born and died”….
...can't believe the dude didn't get the tattoo joke..."You won't find the same person twice, not even in the same person."...heads to printer, prints picture of self, scrawls missing atop it, posts on 2 week old milk carton at the right of my desk...
Your reflections on impermanence are very relatable to me. Being fully aware of it brings out a sense of peace in me. In those moments, life’s fleeting nature isn’t a source of fear but rather a profound truth that is remembered. Deep meditation brings me closer to total acceptance of the unknown, and it’s like the entire world’s burden just melts away. It’s liberating, like breathing fresh air into every part of my being.
To me impermanence sounds like losing something- even tho that’s what it IS - impermanence - in life. I like the word “change” because we have the option, the free will, to choose to move with it or against it. To embrace it or to pretend it’s not happening. Or to hang on tight to a moment and lose it anyway and suffer, or to remain in the moment with gratitude and know it’s ok right now until the moment changes into another moment.
And somehow we have changed with it because we were in the moment as it changed. Key words for me: change, acceptance, in the moment, awareness, personal responsibility, growth, love, gratitude.
And Einstein’s quote: “You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it.”
Because that difference and/or change in consciousness applies to more than just problems. I would hope I perceive that impermanence/change as growth when it happens.
Deeply nourishing thoughts and reflections as usual Tommy. I especially liked this idea, that you'll never have a better foothold than you do in this moment. That's a profound framing of the truth, because it helps to "out" that incessant personal lie that a better foothold is just around the corner, just one more paycheck, or sunset, or vacation, or lay, or dessert, or accomplishment away. But no. This is it! Imagine making one's complete and utter peace with that fact! So good my friend. And also, the fact that the monk didn't laugh his ass off at this - "(naturally, I joked the tattoo was permanent, which he didn’t think was as amusing as I did)." is proof that he still has a ways to go. : )
“You suffer because life is bursting with beauty, both in its joy and its pain, but demands you to let go, a million times over². You can’t hold on to anything.”
Tommy - so deep. Such wisdom. The thing I love about your writing is that it’s like we ride delicately along, inside your soul as your take in your surroundings, think about them, reflect on them, be influenced by them, ponder them, and then tell us your feelings about them in a warm and whimsical way. The story about the monk with the tattoo was so fitting - and as Rick says - illustrative of where he is in his own journey.
I’ve been studying non-duality recently and I wondered when reading your essay, how can we hold onto anything when we’re all One?
Brilliantly written, Tommy. Reading your piece brought to mind Dennis Washburn's description of the Japanese aesthetic sensibility known as mono no aware, which in his words, 'prized above all else an intuitive sensitivity towards the sublime, sad beauty that inheres in mutable nature and transitory human existence.'
On a more personal level, my faith helps me contend with the inherent impermanence of this world. One particular verse of the Qur'an (28:88) always serves to reorients me toward my true purpose:
'No God is there but He:
Everything is perishing but the Face of His everlasting Being:
His is the judgement,
and to Him shall you be returned.'
And on a lighter tone, I thought your joke was awesome :)
Great writing pal, loved the message of impermanence especially this: “The world is full of painstakingly beautiful things that are all careening toward decay.”
Although impermanence is unavoidable and worth keeping in mind, I’ve been trying to be most positive lately. To not think worst case scenario. To enjoy the sun while it’s shining. I know it’s impermanent, but I have a natural predisposition to remember that. Others, who live more on autopilot, might need this reminder more than people like me and you who are aware, painstakingly at times, of how everything passes. You want to live while alive not just be constantly reminded of how it will end. Just some thoughts. Great writing as always buddy. Thanks for sharing.
Impermanence yes, however the hope of joyful, thankful reacquainting resonates with me now. Me and you - Tokyo a few weeks ago, my condo for Christmas dinner, steaks in Buenos Aires in October, Paris and Nuremberg last December. All gone, impermanent, wafted into the past. Saturday we come together again, downtown with your siblings at my place, vanquishing impermanence, rejoining once again, joyfully, thankfully. Always. Forever. Blessed.
I totally agree that everything is impermanent, and I would go a step further to say that it's that impermanence that makes everything so worth experiencing. Knowing that a natural view will only be shown for an instant or that certain feelings won't last for ever gives them a sort of value that almost compels one to wish to see them. This is a thought-provoking post; thanks for sharing!
Accepting Impermanence for me is both relieving and melancholic. Thinking about a tough work task or studying for an old chem test I could revel in the fact that an end was near. However, I remember my last month living with some of my closest friends I was deeply saddened that it was not a permeant home or feeling. "Both in its joys and its pain" as you put it. Great writing as always, thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your comment!
Yes, my friend, when we are seriously engaged on our own spiritual path, our prayers and practices actually churns all of our “shit” and causes it to come up to be healed and cleared.
My teachers would say that if this isn’t happening, then it indicates that we are already enlightened or are not engaging with our practice courageously and honestly.
Knowing that I have a limited time opportunity to make good use of my life is something that spurs me to not waste any of my precious time so that when the end of my days does arrive i will be able to greet it with a smile and leave this earth as lovingly and consciously as I can.
Sometimes, it’s good to walk around a cemetery just to make this more real as I read the tombstones with those little dashes between “born and died”….
Thank you for your writing…i appreciate your pov and voice. I will look forward to reading whatever you publish in future. Here is a link to one of my stories… https://open.substack.com/pub/thedawninglight/p/my-favorite-place-in-the-universe?r=1l34hk&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
God. This really hit home for me. Thank you for writing this. Lots for me to meditate on 🙏🏾
...can't believe the dude didn't get the tattoo joke..."You won't find the same person twice, not even in the same person."...heads to printer, prints picture of self, scrawls missing atop it, posts on 2 week old milk carton at the right of my desk...
Your reflections on impermanence are very relatable to me. Being fully aware of it brings out a sense of peace in me. In those moments, life’s fleeting nature isn’t a source of fear but rather a profound truth that is remembered. Deep meditation brings me closer to total acceptance of the unknown, and it’s like the entire world’s burden just melts away. It’s liberating, like breathing fresh air into every part of my being.
Thank you!! 🙏
Wonderful!! Thank you!!
"The only thing permanent in life is change."
To me impermanence sounds like losing something- even tho that’s what it IS - impermanence - in life. I like the word “change” because we have the option, the free will, to choose to move with it or against it. To embrace it or to pretend it’s not happening. Or to hang on tight to a moment and lose it anyway and suffer, or to remain in the moment with gratitude and know it’s ok right now until the moment changes into another moment.
And somehow we have changed with it because we were in the moment as it changed. Key words for me: change, acceptance, in the moment, awareness, personal responsibility, growth, love, gratitude.
And Einstein’s quote: “You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it.”
Because that difference and/or change in consciousness applies to more than just problems. I would hope I perceive that impermanence/change as growth when it happens.