6.1. Recognizing Anicca
Everything that is constructed and conditioned has come into being at some point, and, when the conditions for its existence no longer exist, will stop being.
Even things as seemingly permanent as the sun and the earth did not always exist, they came into being when the conditions assembled, and will cease to exist when those conditions no longer hold.
But even with these cosmic examples, with their incredibly long lasting nature, are only known to use through brief, fleeting experiences. That's all we ever have of them. The same goes for everything which we assume persists for years and decades, but all we ever have of them is an accumulation of temporary moments.
When all we have of anything, in reality, is a few fleeting moments of experience, it seems ridiculous to rely on them, take them as a stable foundation, expect any permanent gratification out of them, base our hopes, dreams, expectations and future happiness on them. Everything constructed and conditioned is extremely unreliable in this regard.
But, of course we forget this all the time, even when we know it in theory. So, it's a wholesome and practical exercise to frequently remind ourselves of this basic fact existence—the impermanence, fragility and instability of everything that we experience.
Meditation on recognizing anicca
Let's start with a very practical exercise of learning to recognize anicca within current experience.
Transcript
Let's start with a very practical exercise of learning to recognize anicca within current experience.
Anicca is easily recognizable by
- The appearance of a new experience
- Any change within experience
- Or disappearance of an experience
Take a moment to recognize anicca within your own experience right now.
New experiences are appearing.
Current experiences are changing, they aren't the same even for a second.
And experiences are ending and disappearing, to be replaced by new experiences.
And so it goes on, and on, and on.
recognize these start of a new experience as anicca.
recognize change within experience as anicca.
recognize the ending of an experience as anicca.
Learn to recognize anicca within all experiences.
Let's investigate anicca when seeing.
Open your eyes and see what is in front of you.
When seeing, note to yourself cakkhu, or eye channel, or eye.
When you see a new visual experience arise, note to yourself, seeing is impermanent, or eye anicca, whatever is natural for you.
When your see your current visual experience change, note to yourself, seeing is impermanent, or eye anicca.
When you see a visual experience end, note to yourself, seeing is impermanent, or eye anicca.
Any change within the visual field, note to yourself, seeing is impermanent, or eye anicca.
Learn to recognize anicca when seeing.
Let's investigate anicca when hearing.
Take a listen to the sounds around you.
When hearing, note to yourself sota, or ear channel, or ear.
When a new auditory experience arises, note to yourself, hearing is impermanent, or ear anicca, whatever is natural for you.
When your current hearing experience changes, note to yourself, hearing is impermanent, or ear anicca.
When a hearing experience ends, note to yourself, hearing is impermanent, or ear anicca.
Any change within the auditory field, note to yourself, hearing is impermanent, or ear anicca.
Learn to recognize anicca when hearing.
Let's investigate anicca when smelling.
Take a deep sniff of whatever you can smell around you.
When smelling, note to yourself ghāna, nose channel, or nose.
When a new experience of smelling arises, note to yourself, smelling is impermanent, or nose anicca, whatever is natural for you.
When your current smelling experience changes, note to yourself, smelling is impermanent, or nose anicca.
When a smell experience ends, note to yourself, smelling is impermanent, or nose anicca.
Any change within the field of smell, note to yourself, smelling is impermanent, or nose anicca.
Learn to recognize anicca when smelling.
Let's investigate anicca when tasting.
Taste whatever is in your mouth right now.
When tasting, note to yourself jivhā, or tongue channel, or tongue.
When a new experience of tasting arises, note to yourself, tasting is impermanent, or tongue anicca, whatever is natural for you.
When your current taste experience changes, note to yourself, tasting is impermanent, or tongue anicca.
When a taste experience ends, note to yourself, tasting is impermanent, or tongue anicca.
Any change within the field of flavour, note to yourself, tasting is impermanent, or tongue anicca.
Learn to recognize anicca when tasting.
Let's investigate anicca when feeling physical sensation.
Feel your body, it is full of physical sensations.
When feeling a physical sensation, note to yourself kāya, body channel, or body.
When a new physical sensation arises, note to yourself, the body is impermanent, or body anicca, whatever is natural for you.
When your current physical experience changes, note to yourself, the body is impermanent, or body anicca.
When a physical experience ends, note to yourself, the body is impermanent, or body anicca.
Any change within the field of physical sensation, note to yourself, the body is impermanent, or body anicca.
Learn to recognize anicca when feeling physical sensations.
Let's investigate anicca when experiencing mental phenomena.
Pay attention to your mind, it is ever changing.
When knowing the mind, note to yourself mano, mind channel, or mind.
When a new mental experience arises, note to yourself, the mind is impermanent, or mind anicca, whatever is natural for you.
When your current mental experience changes, note to yourself, the mind is impermanent, or mind anicca.
When a mental experience ends, note to yourself, the mind is impermanent, or mind anicca.
Any change within the mental field, note to yourself, the mind is impermanent, or mind anicca.
Learn to recognize anicca within the mind.
Let's investigate anicca with open awareness.
Pay attention to all experiences, any one of the six sense fields that is prominent right now.
When any new experience arises, note the channel, and note anicca.
When your current experience changes, note the channel, and note anicca.
When an experience ends, note the channel, and note anicca.
Any change within experience, note the channel, and note anicca.
Learn to recognize anicca within all six fields of sense experience.
Don't just note anicca by rote.
Only note anicca when you are actually aware of a new experience arising.
Only note anicca when your are actually aware of an experience changing.
Only note anicca when you are actually aware of an experience ending.
Be aware of anicca in a very practical way.
Learn to recognize the constant change within experience as anicca.
Keep paying attention to all experiences.
When any new experience arises, note the channel, and note anicca.
When your current experience changes, note the channel, and note anicca.
When an experience ends, note the channel, and note anicca.
Any change within experience, note the channel, and note anicca.
Get skilled at recognizing anicca within all the six fields of experience.
Keep recognizing anicca.
Continue with this meditation for the day.
Q&A
Q: Do you have any questions or doubts at this point?