Meditation: Change and Impermanence

“I consider the positions of kings and rulers as that of dust motes. I observe treasures of gold and gems as so many bricks and pebbles. I look upon the finest silken robes as tattered rags. I see myriad worlds of the universe as small seeds of fruit, and the greatest lake in India as a drop of oil on my foot. I perceive the teachings of the world to be the illusion of magicians.”

- From "Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, attributed to The Buddha

The concept of Impermanence is central to Buddhist thought. While it is easy to understand intellectually that all things change, it is hard for us as human beings to truly internalize this truth and to really live our lives understanding that this is the fundamental nature of all things.

In this meditation we take a gentle look at the nature of change in our lives, in our bodies, and in the world around us.

I am indebted to Bodhipaksa, whose blog post Six ways of reflecting on impermanence was highly influential on the specific form of this meditation.

The full audio, including a  full guided Metta meditation is below.



If the embedded audio player above doesn't work for you, please click here.

photo credit: pôr do sol na praia da Reserva de Marapendi via photopin (license);