Investigating impermanence in the contexts of sound, sensation, thinking, the breath, experience as a whole (with eyes closed), and seeing.

The deep knowing & living with impermanence is a gateway to freeing the mind – freeing the heart. The only thing that we can really know for sure is the constancy of change. It's the most basic fact of our existence. Nothing lasts…nothing stays the same. So paradoxically the only thing that we can hold onto is the intuitive insight of impermanence, which arises out of direct experience within our practice and eventually brings a great relief and lightness into our life. We no longer need to haul around such a heavy load.

The paradox of awareness, impermanence and letting go

Based on the earlier meditation, we examine the importance of reflection on and mindfulness of, impermanence, both gross impermanence and moment-to-moment impermanence; why it's difficult to be deeply aware of impermanence; practices to explore impermanence; and deeper understandings opened up by practices with impermanence.

1. Wise Friends 2. Celebrating Basic Integrity 3. Hearing the Dharma 4. Wise Effort 5. Harmony with Impermanence

This talk by Shaila Catherine is the first in the speaker series "Doorways to Insight." Shaila Catherine describes the importance that is placed on recognizing and contemplating impermanence. This is one of the three main characteristics that we observe in insight meditation practices. We see and know that things change. Everything is changing—thoughts, emotions, feelings, perceptions, sensations, tastes, and emotions. But when we don't see the impermanence of things, we tend to grasp and cling to them. We tend to want to make them to last, and thereby we identify and become attached. As a result of attachment, we suffer, because they are changing anyway. Can we see beyond things that change, and realize what might be called changeless or deathless, to awaken with insight, to realize nibbana?

This talk offers some ways of reflecting on impermanence and also touches on the importance of perceiving it directly.