Impermanence

Lore & Background

In Buddhism, impermanence (anicca or anitya) is one of the essential doctrines, asserting that all conditioned existence is transient, evanescent, and inconstant. All temporal things, material or mental, are compounded objects in continuous change, subject to decline and destruction. The Pali word anicca is a compound of 'a' meaning non- and 'nicca' meaning constant, continuous, permanent. The term appears extensively in the Pali Canon.

In Hinduism, the term anitya appears in verse 1.2.10 of the Katha Upanishad, asserting that the material world is impermanent, but this impermanence is an opportunity to obtain what is permanent (nitya) regarding the Atman (Self). The term also appears in the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna distinguishes between the eternal nature of the atman and the transient, perishable nature of the material world. Buddhism and Hinduism share the doctrine of Anicca or Anitya, but disagree on the Anatta doctrine—whether Self exists or not.

In Western philosophy, impermanence first appears in Greek philosophy in the writings of Heraclitus and his doctrine of panta rhei (everything flows). Heraclitus insisted on ever-present change as the fundamental essence of the universe, famously stating 'No man ever steps in the same river twice.' This concept of becoming is contrasted with Parmenides' concept of being. Impermanence was widely but not universally accepted among subsequent Greek philosophers; Democritus' theory of atoms entailed impermanent assemblages, Pyrrho declared everything unstable and unfixed, and Marcus Aurelius' Meditations contains many comments on impermanence. Plato rejected impermanence, arguing against Heraclitus.

Reader's Guide

Impermanence serves as a foundational concept across multiple philosophical and religious traditions. In Buddhism, it is one of the three marks of existence, central to understanding suffering and the path to liberation (nibbana). The doctrine asserts that all conditioned existence is transient, and attachment to impermanent things produces sorrow. In Hinduism, impermanence of the material world is seen as an opportunity to seek the permanent Self (Atman) and cosmic Self (Brahman), with some change leading to happiness and liberation (moksha). The two traditions differ on whether the Self exists and on the nature of change and attachment.

In Western philosophy, Heraclitus' doctrine of panta rhei established impermanence as a key philosophical problem, influencing later thinkers such as the Stoics. The concept of becoming, contrasted with being, has been a central theme in ontology. The disagreement between Heraclitus and Parmenides on whether change or permanence is fundamental shaped subsequent Western metaphysics. The concept also appears in Roman Latin sayings such as 'Omnia mutantur' and 'Sic transit gloria mundi.' Impermanence continues to appear in modern arts and culture, including film, literature, and music.

Did You Know?

• The Pali word anicca is a compound of 'a' meaning non- and 'nicca' meaning constant, continuous, permanent.
• Heraclitus' doctrine of panta rhei (everything flows) is famously expressed as 'No man ever steps in the same river twice.'
• Plato rejected impermanence, arguing against Heraclitus that a thing never in the same state cannot be a real thing.
• The term anitya appears in the Rigveda, the Katha Upanishad, and the Bhagavad Gita.