Impermanence Is Always Near

Impermanence Is Always Near

Unexpected events can arise at any moment in our daily lives. Impermanence is constantly with us, whether we are aware of it or not.

One evening, the weather was pleasantly cool. As usual, I was watching my child play with friends in our community. Seeing them happily absorbed in their games, I took out my phone and began browsing some news and information.

Suddenly, I heard an elderly man exclaim, “The child has been hurt from the fall!” I immediately looked up and saw my child crying uncontrollably several meters away. I rushed over and discovered that another child had accidentally knocked her to the ground. A large bump had already formed on her head.

It happened so quickly. In just a moment of inattention, an accident occurred.

That night, as I watched my child sleeping peacefully, I could not stop thinking about how she had cried in pain, tears covering her face. My heart ached for her. Just moments before, she had been a carefree child, full of laughter and joy. Yet in an instant, everything changed.

What if she had been seriously injured?

This incident reminded me of something that happened to my mother in 2020. She was in her seventies when she fell from a three-wheeled vehicle. During a turn, she was thrown from the vehicle and landed heavily on the ground. She could barely move afterward. A CT scan revealed that four ribs had been fractured, and her face was severely bruised and swollen. For days, the pain was so intense that she repeatedly said she could not endure it.

Reflecting on these experiences, I realized how unpredictable life truly is. Accidents and misfortunes can happen to anyone, at any time. This is the reality of impermanence.

In the Dharma discourse What Is Cultivation?, Namo H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III teaches:

“Without an awareness of impermanence, one cannot enter the Buddhist path. Even after entering it, one cannot engage in correct cultivation.”

These words prompted me to examine myself more deeply. Although I have studied Buddhism for many years, I realized that I had not truly developed a profound awareness of impermanence.

When I quietly reflected on my life, I saw that impermanence is everywhere. We age without noticing it. White hairs gradually appear. Our bodies lose their former strength. Family members and friends whom we once shared life with gradually depart from this world.

There is nothing we can do to stop time. We cannot bring back those who have passed away, nor can we prevent our own lives from eventually coming to an end.

Life lasts only as long as a single breath. Impermanence can arrive in a single instant.

Every day, we witness unexpected tragedies—accidents, natural disasters, illnesses, economic hardships, and countless unforeseen changes. No matter how much wealth, status, or success a person possesses, no one is exempt from the uncertainties of life.

As long as we remain within the cycle of samsara, impermanence will continue to accompany us.

This realization led me to ask myself: If my life were to end unexpectedly today, where would I go?

The thought was sobering.

I therefore made a sincere vow to cherish this rare and precious human life and to practice even more diligently the authentic Tathagata Dharma transmitted by Namo H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. May I attain liberation in this very lifetime, transcend the cycle of reincarnation, and ultimately realize lasting happiness and freedom.

Written by: Xue Xin

Edited by: Li Ju Ban Kai and Zhi Ma Kai Hua

Learn more about H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III

Impermanence Is Always Near

Article Link:https://teachingofhhdorjechangbuddhaiii.com/2026/06/25/impermanence-is-always-near/

#DorjeChangBuddhaIII #HHDorjeChangBuddhaIII#DorjeChangBuddha #YunSculpture #FiveVidyas #Buddhism #Buddha