Impermanence

I have always thought of the spring season as a time to reflect on all of the changes in my life. Some of the changes are good, and some aren’t as good, but at the end of the day, the concept that something in my life has changed is good. In other words, even the seemingly bad changes in our lives (break-ups, bad test grades, roommate drama, etc.) are good changes in the big scheme of things. 

With the fleeting two weeks of blossoming cherry trees, I always reflect on the changes in my life (big or small, ugly or beautiful) as normal things. Buddhists are taught that life is impermanent, so nothing will ever stay the same. That is why even if we get a bad grade on a test, it is okay, because the pain we experience will go away eventually and we will work harder on the next one. 

The same principle can be applied to loss. When a loved one passes away, we take a moment to grieve, but then we acknowledge their passing, embrace change, and carry on with them in our hearts.

If we dwell on the past, we can’t be in the present. If we can’t be in the present, we aren’t living. That is why embracing change is good. That is why embracing change is necessary in life. 

Embracing change is only one half of impermanence, though. The other half of impermanence that we are taught is ichi-go ichi-e in Japanese, or in English: “Once in a lifetime.” And you may be thinking that those two concepts are the same, but they are not. 

To me, ichi-go ichi-e refers to taking chances. It’s almost like saying “Carpe Diem.” It means that this moment will never come to us again, so it’s now or never. This side of impermanence is embracing the moment, rather than just embracing the change. 

So with the bad test score example, in saying ichi-go ichi-e, we are committing this moment to studying for the next one so that we can improve our score. We won’t dwell on the bad score, we will seize the moment to create a better score in the future.

But ichi-go ich-e isn’t just used to respond to change, oftentimes it involves making a decision. Making a change. 

For instance, this quarter I have had to embrace many changes, but also make big decisions, which will inevitably lead to change. All of these changes I’m making now will influence my future, so it is crucial that I choose what will be best for me in the future. But I also must consider what is best for me in the present moment because it is possible that something may change that could impact the future, thus ruining the plan. That doesn’t mean I resort to the safety option immediately, it just means that I must be aware of it so that I am not disappointed later if the plan does change. 

I know it seems like a lot to think about, but I have gotten used to it. In my heart, I know that everything will work out in the end.