A. Buddhism says that permanence and impermanence of everything depends upon our perspective. Buddhism sees all things as waves in the ocean and the essence of the things as the ocean. Each wave has its own life span, size, shape, and is impermanent, but its essence is one as water and permanent. Every wave is impermanent, but water is permanent. Seeing your life as a wave, it is impermanent, but seeing it as water in the ocean, it is permanent. The purpose of Buddhism is to help people to realise the permanent aspect of their lives.
This is why ancient masters would say that all the countless things are different from each other, and nothing is the same as any other thing, but at the same time, all things are the same, and nothing is different from any other thing.
Student: “What is impermanent?”
Master: “A flower.”
Student: “What is permanent?”
Master: “A flower.”
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
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