emptyuniverse

Impermanence (Anicca)

As we have just seen, discernment of the three characteristics of all conditioned phenomena begins with clearly seeing impermanence (inconstancy). Discernment of the other two characteristics follows directly from here. So understanding impermanence is vital for the development of clear seeing (vipassana).

The Pali term anicca literally means 'not-constant' (a-nicca), and is a straightforward empirical observation of conditioned phenomena. Dependent on a sense organ and sense object coming together, the corresponding sensory consciousness 'arises.' When the contact between sense organ and sense object is broken, the sensory consciousness 'ceases.' The sensory consciousness is not-constant. Furthermore, during the 'duration' of this contact, these three elements (organ, object, and consciousness) undergo continual change (viparinama).

Let's take the example of listening to a car's motor running. As we listen we can clearly hear that the sound is changing — it's not a constant pitch or frequency, but an oscillating 'whirring' or whatever you want to call it. This inconstant oscillating sound brings about a corresponding change in the inner ear, nerves, and brain, which together constitute what we mean be ear organ. And this, in turn, brings about a corresponding change in auditory consciousness, which isn't a physical process in the brain at all, rather it's a completely formless phenomenon dependent upon the sound and the ear organ. This entire experience of listening to the motor running is one of continual change.

Now the abhidhammika commentarial texts go beyond this straightforward empirical observation of change, asserting that by employing a highly refined level of concentrated vipassana one can actually discern conditioned sensory consciousness — eye consciousness for example — strobing (i.e. arising and ceasing). They also assert that under these same refined conditions it's possible to discern that form likewise arises and ceases in a similar, but not quite as brief a manor. Thus, they maintain that change refers to this radical momentariness of all phenomena, and that all conditioned phenomena can actually be experienced as infinitesimally brief 'moments' arising and ceasing. I personally have never had such an experience, but I certainly wouldn't rule out the possibility, especially regarding consciousness, as long as one doesn't make the cognitive error of reifying the notion of momentary phenomena arising and ceasing, thinking that there is such a thing as an inherently existing moment or inherently existing momentary phenomena.

There are a couple of ways that we can discern that there's no such thing as an inherently existing moment. For now I'll demonstrate that the notion of a 'moment' simply can't be an ultimately existing 'thing' because any such moment would be subject to infinite regression (later I'll give this a more exhaustive treatment). A 'moment,' if there ultimately was such a thing, would necessarily have a 'beginning,' a 'middle,' and an 'end.' But no matter how brief this moment is, the beginning of this moment would also have a 'beginning,' a 'middle,' and an 'end,' and the beginning of the beginning would also have a beginning, middle, and end, and so on, to infinite regress. Thus, a 'moment' is just a conceptual fabrication. Now this doesn't mean that sensory consciousness and all other conditioned phenomena aren't impermanent and momentary, they are definitely conditioned, momentary and changing. But although it's entirely possible that phenomena could be experienced under the right conditions as strobing (rapidly arising and ceasing), such refined experiences are in no way necessary for the correct discernment of impermanence and change. In fact, such refined experience is not even described in the Sutta Pitaka. For valid discernment one only needs to clearly see — through straightforward empirical observation — that conditioned phenomena change during the duration of our experiencing them. Thus, impermanence refers to 'change' during the 'duration' of any given sensory experience.

Let's take a closer look at how we can clearly see the momentary changeability of sensory consciousness. Sensory consciousness can be metaphorically likened to the reflection in a mirror. When there is the coming together of a sense organ and sense object, the corresponding sensory 'reflection' arises. During the duration of this sensory experience, as the sensory object changes, the reflection also changes. And when the sensory contact is broken, the sensory reflection (sensory consciousness) disappears. But we need to understand that there's actually no 'substance' — no 'mirror' — behind this reflection. The sensory consciousness or 'reflection' is a formless mental phenomenon, arising from contact, then undergoing continual change during the duration of contact, and ceasing with the breaking of contact.

Take visual consciousness for example, as it most closely relates to the mirror metaphor. After reading this sentence, sit back for a moment and relax your gaze so that you're not attending to any particular visible shapes (i.e. form objects) within your total field of vision. In this way the entire visual field becomes the sensory 'object.' Now without fixating on any particular form within this field of vision, slowly turn your head from left to right and back again. As you turned your head, the visible object (i.e. the whole visual field) changed, and the material (form) processes within the eye organ (retina, nerves, brain, etc.) underwent a corresponding change. And dependent upon both the change in visible object and the change in eye organ, the 'reflection' of this change — visual consciousness — changed as well, as the ongoing changing reflection of the changing visual field. Thus, visual consciousness is a conditioned, formless, impermanent, and continually changing mental phenomenon dependent upon the coming together of a visible object and eye organ.

Now close your eyes. (If your in a bright room it may help to put your hand over your closed eyelids.) If there aren't any 'afterimages' resulting from the residual functioning of the eye organ remaining, visual consciousness ceases. Open your eyes again and visual consciousness arises. Scan your visual field from left to right during this duration of contact, and visual consciousness changes. If visual consciousness didn't change as the visual field changed, you would remain conscious of the entire left field as you turned your head to the right. In fact, if visual consciousness wasn't impermanent you would experience the simultaneous visual awareness of everything you've ever seen. But this isn't the case. As the object changes, consciousness also changes. Close your eyes and visual consciousness ceases. And this is how visual consciousness can be directly and empirically recognized as impermanent and continually changing. And what is true of visual consciousness is equally true of all six sensory consciousnesses. They are all impermanent.

And this is also true for all sensory objects: visual forms change (shapes change, colors change and fade), sounds change, odors and flavors dissipate, tactile sensations change, and mental objects change (feeling, perception, and fabrication aggregates all undergo change). Furthermore, sensory consciousness and sensory objects are all dependent upon contact, and therefore subject to origination, duration (change), and cessation. They are all inconstant. (Once again, keep in mind that discernment of impermanence/inconstancy is based upon the straightforward empirical observation of change, and isn't dependent upon any conceptually fabricated notions.)

Continuing with our discussion, we can also clearly see (empirically observe) and thereby discern that all material fabrications and the four form elements from which they are fabricated are changeable and therefore inconstant. Solid form (earth): prominent in dead organic material (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, plant material, etc.), decays; rock, wood, glass, plastic, etc., breaks; metals bend and melt. Liquid form (water): prominent in water and other liquids, flows, boils, and evaporates. Gaseous form (air/wind): prominent in in all gases and vapors, is motile. Temperature (fire): flames flicker and temperature changes. Thus even the four so-called irreducible form elements are changeable and inconstant. They are conditioned, dependently originated phenomena and are therefore subject to eventual dis-integration (lujjati). Regarding all such breaking up and disintegration, the Buddha says in the Loka Sutta (SN 35.82):

Insofar as it disintegrates, monk, it is called the 'world.' Now what disintegrates? The eye disintegrates. Forms disintegrate. Consciousness at the eye disintegrates. Contact at the eye disintegrates. And whatever there is that arises in dependence on contact at the eye — experienced as pleasure, pain or neither-pleasure-nor-pain — that too disintegrates.

The ear disintegrates. Sounds disintegrate...
The nose disintegrates. Aromas disintegrate...
The tongue disintegrates. Tastes disintegrate...
The body disintegrates. Tactile sensations disintegrate...

The intellect disintegrates. Ideas disintegrate. Consciousness at the intellect consciousness disintegrates. Contact at the intellect disintegrates. And whatever there is that arises in dependence on contact at the intellect — experienced as pleasure, pain or neither-pleasure-nor-pain — that too disintegrates.

Insofar as it disintegrates, it is called the 'world.'

That is, conditioned phenomena change and cease. In other words they dis-integrate.

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