~ Reflection on the Gifts of Uncertainty and Impermanence ~
There’s no doubt that events so far this year have revealed life’s fundamental uncertainty and impermanence. At the beginning of the New Year, no-one took the threat of a global pandemic very seriously and no-one predicted the massive anti-racism protests that erupted after the murder of yet another unarmed Black man – George Floyd. These and other unexpected events were deeply shocking to many. But why?
At one level, we all know that we will die and that life is uncertain. But at another, we struggle against these basic truths. We get attached to beliefs, people, places and things. We cling to our routines and ways of doing things. We try to control and manage every aspect of our lives. And we definitely don’t like the feelings of insecurity and lack of safety that arise when life’s fundamentally impermanence and uncertainty become obvious. But because they are inherent in life, we can’t get away from them. So what to do?
One thing we can do is the see the gifts of impermanence and uncertainty, as well as their challenges.
The first one is obvious: Impermanence means that everything will change. When things aren’t going well, we can be assured that they will change sooner or later. Of course, there aren’t any guarantees that things will improve, but at least we know they won’t stay the same and they may get better. Furthermore, even though we can’t control how things change, we do have influence. For instance, the anti-racism protests in the US are already leading to positive change, especially in policing policies. Any systems or institutions created by human minds can be changed by them. White supremacy was created by human minds, so it can be changed by them.
So change itself can be a gift. And even though we don’t know that it will be positive, we do know there is a potential, a possibility that it will be.
A second gift of impermanence and uncertainty is that they bring an immediacy to life. They help us to realize that the only time we can actually experience or do anything is in the present moment. We can think about what we experienced or did in the past, and we can think about what we might experience and do in the future. But the only time we can actually experience or do anything is in the present. Awareness of impermanence makes every moment unique and precious.
A third gift is the realization of interdependence. If nothing is permanent or lasting, then everything must depend on everything else. In an impermanent world, there can be nothing separate, independent or fixed, because everything is in flux. As one of my Tibetan Buddhist teachers used to say “everything depends on everything else.” It’s not simply that everything is connected, it’s that everything depends on everything else for its existence.
Here’s an example: Did you know that our bodies have more non-human cells than human ones? Without all the bacteria, protozoa and all the other micro-organisms in our bodies, we could not be here. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to think, to feel, or to speak. So in a very real way, are dependent on them, just as they are dependent on us.
A final gift that I want to mention is that impermanence and uncertainty can be very freeing. When we accept that everything, including ourselves, is impermanent and uncertain, we don’t have to take life quite so seriously. We can loosen up and relax because nothing stays the same and we can never know what will happen next for sure. When we release ourselves from the shackles of endlessly seeking permanence and certainty, we can lean into life with enthusiasm, imagination, and creativity. We can fully enjoy the present moment and we don’t have to cling to anything staying the same.
So I invite you to consider the gifts of impermanence and uncertainty in your own life. I’ll close with a few words from the Buddha:
“Thus shall ye think of all this fleeting world:
a star at dawn,
a bubble in a stream;
a flash of lightning in a summer cloud,
a flickering lamp,
a phantom
and a dream.”
At one level, we all know that we will die and that life is uncertain. But at another, we struggle against these basic truths. We get attached to beliefs, people, places and things. We cling to our routines and ways of doing things. We try to control and manage every aspect of our lives. And we definitely don’t like the feelings of insecurity and lack of safety that arise when life’s fundamentally impermanence and uncertainty become obvious. But because they are inherent in life, we can’t get away from them. So what to do?
One thing we can do is the see the gifts of impermanence and uncertainty, as well as their challenges.
The first one is obvious: Impermanence means that everything will change. When things aren’t going well, we can be assured that they will change sooner or later. Of course, there aren’t any guarantees that things will improve, but at least we know they won’t stay the same and they may get better. Furthermore, even though we can’t control how things change, we do have influence. For instance, the anti-racism protests in the US are already leading to positive change, especially in policing policies. Any systems or institutions created by human minds can be changed by them. White supremacy was created by human minds, so it can be changed by them.
So change itself can be a gift. And even though we don’t know that it will be positive, we do know there is a potential, a possibility that it will be.
A second gift of impermanence and uncertainty is that they bring an immediacy to life. They help us to realize that the only time we can actually experience or do anything is in the present moment. We can think about what we experienced or did in the past, and we can think about what we might experience and do in the future. But the only time we can actually experience or do anything is in the present. Awareness of impermanence makes every moment unique and precious.
A third gift is the realization of interdependence. If nothing is permanent or lasting, then everything must depend on everything else. In an impermanent world, there can be nothing separate, independent or fixed, because everything is in flux. As one of my Tibetan Buddhist teachers used to say “everything depends on everything else.” It’s not simply that everything is connected, it’s that everything depends on everything else for its existence.
Here’s an example: Did you know that our bodies have more non-human cells than human ones? Without all the bacteria, protozoa and all the other micro-organisms in our bodies, we could not be here. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to think, to feel, or to speak. So in a very real way, are dependent on them, just as they are dependent on us.
A final gift that I want to mention is that impermanence and uncertainty can be very freeing. When we accept that everything, including ourselves, is impermanent and uncertain, we don’t have to take life quite so seriously. We can loosen up and relax because nothing stays the same and we can never know what will happen next for sure. When we release ourselves from the shackles of endlessly seeking permanence and certainty, we can lean into life with enthusiasm, imagination, and creativity. We can fully enjoy the present moment and we don’t have to cling to anything staying the same.
So I invite you to consider the gifts of impermanence and uncertainty in your own life. I’ll close with a few words from the Buddha:
“Thus shall ye think of all this fleeting world:
a star at dawn,
a bubble in a stream;
a flash of lightning in a summer cloud,
a flickering lamp,
a phantom
and a dream.”