This is the fifth of seven key understandings.
EVERYTHING IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING
Everything is constantly changing. We can’t expect anything to remain unchanged. Nothing is fixed. There are no certainties. Good things don’t last forever; bad things don’t last forever. Everything has its season; everything has its time; and time continually moves forward.
We observe changes around us: The seasons; birth, life and death; changes in our bodies; changes in our family and friends; in our community; in plants and animals; the weather; the urban or rural landscape.
Change might be natural, or it might be due to human activity. It might be slow and gradual; or sudden and without warning – a cyclone, a flood, a bushfire, an earthquake, a tsunami. Such catastrophes can bring upheavals in totally settled lives, perhaps changing them completely forever.
Other changes may be slow or even imperceptible. We don’t notice the grass growing or the glacier flowing or the climate changing. Sometimes we are shocked when we realise things have changed and we didn’t notice. We need a wider perspective and a longer-term view to be able to see such changes.
Change will sometimes seem bad, sometimes seem good. Good things will come; good things will go. Bad things will come; bad things will go. We may welcome the changes, or we may find them challenging. At times our resolve to be happy and cheerful will be severely tested.
Life may be short or long, but it is not permanent. We need to accept our mortality. Life is uncertain; life is precarious. Part of being at peace is understanding and accepting this.
We will need to be aware of and be able to adjust to change – to be ADAPTABLE and to be RESILIENT; to be able to let go and keep moving through life. If everything is in a state of constant change, then to hold on to fixed ideas of how things should be will be painful and sooner or later the reality of change will prevail anyway. We need to accept change when it is out of our control. We may need to allow inevitable natural processes to take place.
We can choose how we react to difficult events. We can develop an attitude of flowing with life’s changes rather than constantly resisting or trying to control everything. We needn’t always be fearful of change. We can expect change and be prepared to accept and adapt to it when necessary. We can still enjoy experiencing the short lived or ephemeral, but we must not lose sight of its impermanence. We appreciate what we have while we have it.
But change is not all random chance – it’s mostly predictable. Some changes, such as the seasons, happen in cycles – although never repeating in exactly the same way and the cyclical pattern itself changes over time. So we needn’t feel that constant change means constant uncertainty.
The events of our life are also not just random chance. We may sometimes be at the mercy of events and circumstances, but usually we ourselves are the main cause of how our life unfolds. If we can learn to think, speak and act with wisdom we can shape our future and ourselves for the better. We can look for opportunities to work for positive change.
We ourselves are constantly changing as we move through life. If we let go of a fixed idea of our self, and if we don’t always resist change, we can evolve and adapt and respond creatively. We can see that we are changeable with the potential to develop more of the good qualities of our true nature.
Our state of mind is also constantly changing. It can change like the weather. Sometimes it is positive; sometimes it is negative. We need to remember this when things seem bad – our state of mind will not last and although difficulties are inevitable in life, they, or our perception of them, will often be only temporary.
Through the changes there is the CONTINUITY of our being. By becoming aware of this we can feel at ease and in harmony with nature and the universe. Our true nature continues so our potential for true happiness remains intact within us and qualities such as strength and resilience will be there when we call on them. Life will always be changing but we always have the opportunity to be fully alive in the present moment.
So we can base our lives on the constancy and stability of our true nature and avoid being caught up with what is changing and unstable. When relating to others we can seek to see their unchanging true nature and not just their changing ego personality.
What also doesn’t change is that a good and happy life will always require wisdom, love – in the form of goodwill and compassion – and strength – in the form of patience and courage.
Copyright © 2008-2017 John Frederick Gray
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Main Ideas for EVERYTHING IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING
- Everything is constantly changing.
- We can’t expect anything to remain unchanged.
- Life is uncertain.
- We need to be adaptable.
- Underlying the changes our true nature continues.
Some quotes about CHANGE
The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. – Alan Watts
Impermanence is a principle of harmony. When we don’t struggle against it we are in harmony with reality. – Pema Chodren
Do not look back. No one knows how the world began. Do not fear the future. Nothing lasts forever. If you dwell on the past or the future you will miss the moment. – Rumi
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For more Quotes related to Everything Is Constantly Changing click here.
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For suggestions for Practical Activities and Resources related to this topic click here.
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