How to Contemplate the Impermanence of All Conditioned Phenomena (Part 1)

Birth and destruction, as well as change and transformation, manifest the impermanence of all conditioned phenomena. Birth, destruction, change, and transformation are suffering; impermanence is suffering. To contemplate the impermanence of all conditioned phenomena is to contemplate the truth of suffering, and the truth of suffering is non-self. Based on the original text of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume 34, the contemplation of the impermanence of all conditioned phenomena is summarized as follows.

The Buddha stated that the "conditioned phenomena" (行) which are impermanent are broadly of two kinds: one is the sentient world (有情世间), and the other is the inanimate world (器世间). The Buddha said: "With my superhuman, purified divine eye, I observe sentient beings at the time of death and birth." Extensively explained, and so on, up to: "After the body perishes, they will be reborn in the fortunate realms, in the world of the heavens." The World-Honored One, with his purified divine eye, directly perceives that the entire sentient world is of an impermanent nature. Whatever phenomena the Buddha sees, whether worldly or transcendental, all phenomena are directly perceived; there is no inferential reasoning or erroneous speculation that is not directly perceived, because his wisdom is utterly perfect and complete. Sentient beings perceive phenomena through three means: direct perception (现量), inference (比量), and erroneous cognition (非量). The Buddha perceives solely through direct perception. The impermanence of the inanimate world can be understood by referring to the description of the birth, abiding, change, and destruction of the inanimate world in the Aggañña Sutta (起世因缘经) found in the Dīrgha Āgama.

How is the impermanence of all conditioned phenomena confirmed? By the power of the meditator's intensified contemplation arising from pure faith, one gains certainty regarding the impermanent nature of all conditioned phenomena. Then, through the power of such intensified contemplation arising from pure faith, one repeatedly investigates and observes the nature of impermanence. The phenomena observed are twofold: First, internal matters (内事), which are the six sense bases: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Second, sixteen kinds of external matters (外事): land matters, garden matters, mountain matters, water matters, work matters, treasury matters, food matters, drink matters, vehicle matters, clothing matters, ornament matters, dance, song, and music matters, incense, garland, and anointing matters, livelihood matters, light matters, and matters of men and women serving. Detailed methods of contemplation are described in the treatise.

One observes the impermanent nature by observing the process of change in internal and external matters. The six internal sense bases have fifteen kinds of change: 1. Change due to stages of life. 2. Change due to complexion. 3. Change due to form/physique. 4. Change due to prosperity and decline. 5. Change due to limbs being complete or incomplete. 6. Change due to exertion. 7. Change due to harm inflicted by others. 8. Change due to cold and heat. 9. Change due to postures. 10. Change due to contact. 11. Change due to defilements. 12. Change due to illness. 13. Change due to death. 14. Change due to lividity, etc. 15. Change due to complete disappearance and destruction.

1. How does one investigate (observe) the impermanent nature of change and destruction due to stages of life? By observing oneself or others transitioning from the youthful stage up to the aged stage, seeing the sequential differences in the conditioned phenomena, which are mutually dissimilar. Having seen this, one thinks: "Such conditioned phenomena are by nature impermanent. Why is that? Because this internal change through stages is observable." 2. How does one investigate the impermanent nature of change due to complexion? By observing oneself or others first having a fine complexion, fresh and lustrous skin, then later seeing an ugly complexion, withered and dry skin, and then again at another time seeing the fine complexion and fresh, lustrous skin restored. Having seen this, one thinks: "Such conditioned phenomena are by nature impermanent. Why is that? Because this internal change in complexion is observable." 3. How does one investigate the impermanent nature of change due to form/physique? As explained for complexion, so too for form/physique due to fatness and thinness; it should be understood similarly.

4. How does one investigate the impermanent nature of change due to prosperity and decline? By observing oneself or others first having flourishing family, wealth, status, precepts, and views, then later seeing all of it decline and diminish, and then again at another time seeing prosperity restored. Having seen this, one thinks: "Such conditioned phenomena are by nature impermanent. Why is that? Because change through prosperity and decline is observable." 5. How does one investigate the impermanent nature of change due to limbs? By observing oneself or others first having limbs without lack or reduction, then later seeing limbs lacking or reduced, whether done by kings, thieves, humans, or non-humans. Having seen this, one thinks: "Such conditioned phenomena are by nature impermanent." 6. How does one investigate the impermanent nature of change due to exertion? By observing oneself or others having the nature of bodily fatigue, bodily exhaustion, or due to running, jumping, leaping, riding, or performing various swift bodily actions. Then at another time, seeing them free from fatigue and exhaustion. Having seen this, one thinks: "Such conditioned phenomena are by nature impermanent."

7. How does one investigate the impermanent nature of change due to harm inflicted by others? By observing oneself or others harmed by others, their bodies altered, whether damaged by knives, sticks, whips, leather straps, ropes, spears, lances, etc., or harmed by the painful contact of various mosquitoes, flies, snakes, scorpions, and other poisonous creatures. Then at another time, seeing them unharmed. Having seen this, one thinks: "Such conditioned phenomena are by nature impermanent." 8. How does one investigate the impermanent nature of change due to cold and heat? By observing oneself or others, during extreme cold, the body uncomfortable, curled up, shivering, bound by freezing cold, longing for warmth; during extreme heat, the body comfortable, body stretched out, mouth dry, raining sweat, bound by heat and thirst, longing for coolness. Then again during cold times, seeing the same appearances as before. Having seen this, one thinks: "Such conditioned phenomena are by nature impermanent."

9. How does one investigate the impermanent nature of change due to postures? By observing oneself or others in any one posture – walking, standing, sitting, lying down – sometimes harmed by it, sometimes benefited. Having seen this, one thinks: "Such conditioned phenomena are by nature impermanent." 10. How does one investigate the impermanent nature of change due to contact? By experiencing contact that is pleasant, and recognizing the stage of pleasant feeling arising from that contact-condition. Just as one recognizes the stage of pleasant feeling, so too should one recognize the stages of painful feeling and neutral feeling. By recognizing the sequential changes in these feelings – how they are ever-new, not old; how they increase or decrease, existing only temporarily, suddenly present and then immediately changing – knowing this, one thinks: "Such conditioned phenomena are by nature impermanent."

11. How does one observe the impermanent nature of change due to defilements? By being able to know the previously arisen mind – whether with greed or without greed, with hatred or without hatred, with delusion or without delusion. Also being able to know the mind defiled by any one of the various subsidiary defilements. Also being able to know the mind not defiled by any one of the various subsidiary defilements. Also being able to know how that mental continuum, through the defilements and subsidiary defilements, in its sequential stages, enters into a nature of change or non-change. Having seen this, one thinks: "Such conditioned phenomena are by nature impermanent. Why is that? Because change due to defilements is observable." 12. How does one observe the impermanent nature of change due to illness? By observing oneself or others first free from illness, happy and strong, then later seeing oneself or others afflicted by severe illness, experiencing sharp bodily painful feelings, as previously explained extensively. Then at another time, seeing them again free from illness, happy and strong. Having seen this, one thinks: "Such conditioned phenomena are by nature impermanent."

13. How does one observe the impermanent nature of change due to death? By observing present survival, abiding, and support, then at another time observing death, with only a corpse remaining, empty of consciousness. Having seen this, one thinks: "Such conditioned phenomena are by nature impermanent." 14. How does one observe the impermanent nature of change due to lividity, etc.? By observing a dead corpse, at one time reaching the livid stage, at another time reaching the festering stage, and so on up to the stage of bare bones. Having seen this, one thinks: "Such conditioned phenomena are by nature impermanent."

15. How does one observe the impermanent nature of complete disappearance and destruction, where everything becomes invisible? By observing that at a later time, even this stage of bare bones also becomes invisible, entirely decayed, disintegrated, scattered, ground to dust, completely gone, no longer seen by the eye in any way. Having seen this, one thinks: "Such conditioned phenomena are by nature impermanent. Why is that? Because such forms repeatedly alter, and sequential change is observable."

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