How impermanence defines "you"

I often ponder what makes me, “me”. Is it my thoughts? My physical body? The emotions I feel? My consciousness? The same goes for you, are you a collection of your experiences? Your memories? The Buddha was once asked by some Monks, what makes us, us. They argued that their feelings, physical bodies, perceptions, formations, and consciousness is what makes them who they are but in true Buddha fashion, he schools them.

I have paraphrased the Buddha's reply (like most philosophy, the original text is difficult to read). If the physical body were permanent, then it should remain the same throughout the course of your lifetime. The body wouldn't become sick or have any pain. There would be no pursuit of an ideal bodily form because there is no way to change the body - if it were permanent. That means no losing weight, no gaining weight; there would be no need for gyms or Instagram. The physical body is in that case, impermanent; as are feelings, perceptions, formations, and consciousness. Impermanence is one of the main doctrines of Buddhism. The doctrine is thus: All of existence, without exception, is temporary. This is the Buddha’s main argument against the monks. How can you say something is “you” if it is not permanent? 

Still not convinced the body is impermanent?

If you still think “I am my body and everything within that boundary, my body, is me”, consider this. Cells in your body are constantly dying and being replaced by new cells. It seems obvious, we learned that in high school science. It goes deeper than you might think though. Research has shown that every single cell in your body, every protein, lipid, organ, and gland is replaced throughout your life. This is happening constantly. It is said that you could have regenerated an entirely new heart every 10-15 years. How can we define ourselves by our bodies when not a single part of it remains permanent throughout the course of one’s life?

Unfortunately, this discourse doesn’t tell us what we are, it just breaks down the illusion of what we aren’t. There is no agreed-upon definition of what truly defines “you”. I enjoy pondering this topic because it’s fun, but it’ll never get me anywhere. Impermanence is not just a good tool for breaking down the illusion of who we truly are, but it is a fundamental philosophy in Vipassana meditation. 

How to use impermanence in your life and during meditation

Let me explain with an old fable. Long ago in an unnamed eastern monarch, there was a King, he assembled a group of sages and asked them to forge him a ring, a ring that would make him happy when he is sad. After much deliberation, the sages presented him a ring with Persian script engraved on it, which in English says, “This too shall pass”. When he is sad, he can look at the ring and read the script, a reminder that his aversion to the current situation will pass. What the King did not grasp is that when he was happy he would look down and again read, “This too shall pass”. This he did not understand. Why would you want to be reminded that your current joy will pass? I will explain with one more story.

There are two men in a small city, let’s say, Melbourne. It was Winter at the time. The first man hates Winter, he wants it to be over. Every day he woke up cold, put on his shitty beanie that messed up his hair, and wore puffy jackets that made him look fat. There was no Sun, so he was miserable and he whined about the cold every day, wishing it were Summer. When Summer finally comes, he throws off his shitty beanie and puffy jackets and rejoices. He is happy, for a while; because he is having fun, the time flies by and soon he realises that Summer would soon be over. He spends the last few weeks hoping that the Sun and the warmth will stay. This man spends his Winters in aversion, wishing for Summer to come and spends a good chunk of his Summer praying that it will remain this way. Let's not forget about the second man - he is different. He has a ring, engraved on it “This too, shall pass” (It is the same ring from the other fable, like some real Lord of the Rings shit). During Winter, anytime he starts to feel miserable, he could look at his ring and assure himself, this too, shall pass. He too enjoys Summer, and on the nice, sunny days he would often look down at his ring and read, this too, shall pass. He smiles and soaks up every bit of the Sun before it leaves. 

The ring need not be a physical thing you possess. The ring is a metaphor for wisdom, the understanding of impermanence; that nothing in this universe lasts forever. With the wisdom of impermanence, you’re able to transcend cravings and aversions; because you understand their true nature, their impermanence. During meditation, you may experience pain in your knees or back. With practice and the understanding of impermanence, you’ll learn to rise above your aversion to the pain, and the itches on your face. If you want to experience this for yourself, next time you have an itch don’t scratch it, observe it. I guarantee you that if you wait, it too shall pass.