Date: 10/26/2024 10/27/2024
Location: Star River Meditation Center
Teacher: Yunquan Huang
Sitting Meditation
Direct Experience of Impermanence
The Buddha taught: “All conditioned things are impermanent.”Impermanence is not a theory—it is what is happening right now.When impermanence is only an idea, it changes nothing;when it becomes a direct experience, it becomes wisdom and liberation.
1.Impermanence Is Not Philosophy but the Nature of Life
Everything we assume to be stable is actually changing:
1.Cells in the body constantly renew
2.Emotions rise and fade
3.Thoughts appear and disappear
4.External conditions shift every moment
Even the “present moment” is already flowing away.
Impermanence is not discouraging—it is simply the truth.
2.How to Directly Experience Impermanence
1.Begin with the body
Feel:
Shifting temperature
Expanding and contracting breath
Pulsation of blood
Tingling or numbness
Tension and release
Nothing stays the same.
The body is the easiest doorway to impermanence.
2.Observe the breath
Each inhalation is different.
Each exhalation is different.
No breath can be repeated.
Breath is the rhythm of impermanence.
3.Observe thoughts
A thought arises—you notice it.
A thought dissolves—you notice that too.
You cannot control when they appear or disappear.
Thoughts are impermanence in motion.
4.Observe emotions
Anger rises—then fades.
Joy arises—then softens.
Sadness comes—then passes.
Anxiety fluctuates.
No emotion remains long.
Emotion is a wave, not an identity.
5.Observe the world around you
Weather shifts.
People change.
Situations evolve.
Relationships transform.
Circumstances rise and fall.
Life flows without stopping.
3.What Happens When Impermanence Is Directly Seen?
1.Clinging weakens
No experience—pleasant or painful—lasts forever.
2.Emotional freedom increases
You no longer fear emotions because they are temporary.
3.Thoughts lose their power
A passing thought is no longer mistaken as truth.
4.Appreciation of the present deepens
Each moment becomes precious.
5.Acceptance grows naturally
Change becomes part of the natural rhythm of life.
4.Transforming Impermanence Into Wisdom
1.Practice awareness in daily activities
Walking, eating, working, speaking—observe changes.
2.Do not chase or block
Let things arise and pass naturally.
3.Seeing impermanence leads to letting go
Letting go begins when grasping is seen clearly.
Conclusion
Impermanence is not a negative idea,but the truth of existence.When you see that:The body changes,The breath changes,Feelings change,Thoughts change,Emotions change,The world changes.you realize nothing solid can be held.And with this understanding, the heart softens.Impermanence does not take stability away—it shows that true stability lies only in,the aware mind in the present moment.
