# Aniccaṃ = Impermanent **URL:** \ **Category:** General Theravada topics\ **Created:** [April 16, 2024, 3:31pm UTC](https://classicaltheravada.org/t/anicca-impermanent/1216 "2024-04-16T15:31:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 1
**Author:** ![Ṭhānuttamo](https://classicaltheravada.org/user_avatar/classicaltheravada.org/%E1%B9%ADh%C4%81nuttamo/32/1155_2.png) [@Ṭhānuttamo](https://classicaltheravada.org/u/%E1%B9%ACh%C4%81nuttamo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2024, 3:31pm UTC](https://classicaltheravada.org/t/anicca-impermanent/1216/1 "2024-04-16T15:31:44Z")
Greetings in Dhamma! I am currently engaging with a member of the Waharaka movement in Sri Lanka, which have some quite unorthodox philological takes of certain Pāḷi words with which I do not agree. Among their peculiar interpretations is that _aniccaṃ_ ultimately refers to “non-liking” or “not according to one’s wishes” (i.e., what would be proper Pāḷi: _anicchaṃ_). After a quick search, I found one instance in the canon that gives enough context to suggest that _aniccaṃ_ means actually impermanence. This passage is spoken by Brahma: “This is permanent, this is everlasting, this is eternal, this is total, this is not subject to pass away” (_idañhi, mārisa, niccaṃ, idaṃ dhuvaṃ, idaṃ sassataṃ, idaṃ kevalaṃ, idaṃ acavanadhammaṃ_). You can see the synonyms for _niccaṃ_ (permanent) are all about time, except one (_kevalaṃ_ = total). So, “impermanent” for _aniccaṃ_ makes more sense given the above explanation. The _aṭṭhakathā_ tradition is specific in its explanation of _aniccaṃ_: “[Sees] as impermanent [means]: as non-existence after having been, as possessing arising and passing away, as temporary, as opposed to permanence” (_aniccatoti hutvā abhāvato udayabbayavantato tāvakālikato niccapaṭipakkhato_). My question would be: Could you share any passages (preferably canonical in this case since it most easily accepted) that show that _aniccaṃ_ means “impermanent” or otherwise? Thanks a lot! Ṭhānuttamo --- _[View the full topic](https://classicaltheravada.org/t/anicca-impermanent/1216)._