Impermanence and Change

A comparison of the transience of the world in the Bible and impermanence (無常, anicca) in Buddhist scriptures. We explore together the wisdom offered by both traditions in the face of the recognition that all things change.

Things That Fade Like Grass

Bible

διότι πᾶσα σὰρξ ὡς χόρτος, καὶ πᾶσα δόξα αὐτῆς ὡς ἄνθος χόρτου· ἐξηράνθη ὁ χόρτος, καὶ τὸ ἄνθος ἐξέπεσεν· τὸ δὲ ῥῆμα κυρίου μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.

“For all people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

Sutra

花香不逆風，栴檀多伽羅，德香逆風薰，德人遍聞知

“The fragrance of flowers does not travel against the wind, nor do sandalwood or tagara. But the fragrance of the virtuous travels even against the wind; a person of virtue is known in all directions.”

Comparison

The grass and flower metaphor of 1 Peter and the flower fragrance metaphor of the Dhammapada both begin from the impermanence of nature. The Bible declares that beyond fading things there is the eternal word of God, and the Dhammapada teaches that even as flowers wither, the fragrance of virtue does not disappear. Both traditions do not remain with impermanence itself but point toward the eternal — the Word and virtue — that transcends it.

What Does Not Change

Bible

Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐχθὲς καὶ σήμερον ὁ αὐτός, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Sutra

一切有為法，如夢幻泡影，如露亦如電，應作如是觀

“All conditioned phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow, like dew or like lightning — thus should they be contemplated.”

Comparison

The eternal Christ of Hebrews and the impermanence of conditioned phenomena in the Diamond Sutra are contrasting yet complementary. Christianity sets up the unchanging Absolute (Christ) to anchor faith in an impermanent world, while Buddhism urges the direct seeing of the impermanence of all conditioned things to free us from attachment. Christianity offers the path of entrusting oneself to the Eternal; Buddhism offers the path to liberation through insight into impermanence. Yet both traditions carry the same warning: do not cling to the phenomenal world.

The Root of Suffering

Bible

הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר קֹהֶלֶת הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים הַכֹּל הָבֶל׃ מַה־יִּתְרֹון לָאָדָם בְּכָל־עֲמָלֹו שֶׁיַּעֲמֹל תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃

“Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What do people gain from all the toil at which they toil under the sun?”

Sutra

諸行無常，是生滅法，生滅滅已，寂滅爲樂

“All formations are impermanent — this is the law of arising and passing away. When arising and passing away cease, their stilling is bliss.”

Comparison

The 'vanity' of Ecclesiastes and the 'impermanence' of the Dhammapada resonate with one another remarkably. Just as the Teacher lamented the emptiness of all worldly pursuits, the Buddha directly saw the impermanence of all formed things. Yet neither tradition stops at this recognition. Ecclesiastes moves toward the fear of God; Buddhism moves toward the peace of nirvana. Both traditions share the insight that recognizing impermanence is the first step toward true peace.