# Canonical and Paracanonical Evidence that Anicca means Impermanence **URL:** \ **Category:** Textual Scholarship\ **Created:** [May 2, 2024, 1:23pm UTC](https://classicaltheravada.org/t/canonical-and-paracanonical-evidence-that-anicca-means-impermanence/1229 "2024-05-02T13:23:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 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:** [May 2, 2024, 1:23pm UTC](https://classicaltheravada.org/t/canonical-and-paracanonical-evidence-that-anicca-means-impermanence/1229/1 "2024-05-02T13:23:32Z")
During my engagement with some (_keci_) Buddhists who maintain that the Pāḷi word _aniccaṃ_ means “not accordign to wish” and that it actually stands for “anicchaṃ,” I have been, to my mind, fairly open-minded in pursuing the possibility that their stance might be correct. During my conversations with them and, more importantly, my own research of the canonical and paracanonical literature (just a few samples of it), I came, however, to the conclusion that there is, basically, no way that _aniccaṃ_ means “not according to wish.” Here are some of my findings that I wanted to share here for easy access and reference. # 1. Impermanence of the Great Ocean > _hoti kho so, āvuso, samayo, yaṃ mahāsamudde aṅgulipabbatemanamattampi udakaṃ na hoti. tassā hi nāma, āvuso, bāhirāya āpodhātuyā tāva mahallikāya aniccatā paññāyissati, khayadhammatā paññāyissati, vayadhammatā paññāyissati, vipariṇāmadhammatā paññāyissati. kiṃ panimassa mattaṭṭhakassa kāyassa taṇhupādinnassa ‘ahanti vā mamanti vā asmīti’ vā?_ > > There comes a time when the waters in the great ocean are not enough to wet even the joint of a finger. When even this external water element, great as it is, is seen to be impermanent, subject to destruction, disappearance, and change, what of this body, which is clung to by craving and lasts but a while? There can be no considering that as ‘I’ or ‘mine’ or ‘I am’ (MN 28). _ **Key Words Applied to the Ocean and Water Element** _ _:_ - _aniccatā_ = state of impermanence. - _khayadhammatā_ = state of being subject to destruction. - _vayadhammatā_ = state of being subject to disappearance. - _vipariṇāmadhammatā_ = state of being subject to change. - _mattaṭṭhaka_ = lasting but a while (or “short moment”). # 2. Synonyms for _Aniccatā_ = The State of Impermanence More synonyms can be gathered from the _Abhidhammapiṭaka_. I found another passage in it that explains _aniccatā_ (the state of impermanence) in this way: > _katamaṃ taṃ rūpaṃ rūpassa aniccatā? yo rūpassa khayo vayo bhedo paribhedo aniccatā antaradhānaṃ — idaṃ taṃ rūpaṃ rūpassa aniccatā._ > > What is that state of impermanence of that materiality? That which is the destruction, disappearance, breaking up, breaking apart, state of impermanence, vanishing of materiality; this is the state of impermanence of that materiality (_Dhammasaṅgaṇī_). _ **Key Words Applied for Aniccatā** _ - _khayo_ = destruction. - _vayo_ = disappearance. - _bhedo_ = breaking up. - _paribhedo_ = breaking apart. - _antaradhānaṃ_ = vanishing. # 3. Perception of Impermanence > _kathaṃ bhāvitā ca, bhikkhave, aniccasaññā kathaṃ bahulīkatā sabbaṃ kāmarāgaṃ pariyādiyati . pe . sabbaṃ asmimānaṃ samūhanati? ‘iti rūpaṃ, iti rūpassa samudayo, iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo; iti vedanā. iti saññā. iti saṅkhārā. iti viññāṇaṃ, iti viññāṇassa samudayo, iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’ti — evaṃ bhāvitā kho, bhikkhave, aniccasaññā evaṃ bahulīkatā sabbaṃ kāmarāgaṃ pariyādiyati, sabbaṃ rūparāgaṃ pariyādiyati, sabbaṃ bhavarāgaṃ pariyādiyati, sabbaṃ avijjaṃ pariyādiyati, sabbaṃ asmimānaṃ samūhanatī”ti. dasamaṃ._ > > And how, bhikkhus, is the perception of impermanence developed and cultivated so that it eliminates all sensual lust, eliminates all lust for existence, eliminates all ignorance, and uproots all conceit ‘I am’? ‘Such is form, such its origin, such its passing away; such is feeling … such is perception … such are volitional formations … such is consciousness, such its origin, such its passing away’: that is how the perception of impermanence is developed and cultivated so that it eliminates all sensual lust, eliminates all lust for existence, eliminates all ignorance, and uproots all conceit ‘I am’ (SN 22.102). **_Key Words Applied_ :** - _samudayo_ = origin. - _atthaṅgamo_ = passing away. _ **Analysis of the Words Samudayo and Atthaṅgamo** _ There are several context that demonstrate that _atthaṅgamo_ means “passing away.” Here’s one from the _Majjhimanikāya_, where both words are linked to _udayo_ (rising) and _vayo_ (disappearance), which becomes _udayabbayo_: > _pañca_ _kho ime, ānanda, upādānakkhandhā yattha bhikkhunā udayabbayānupassinā vihātabbaṃ — ‘iti rūpaṃ iti rūpassa samudayo iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo, iti vedanā… iti saññā… iti saṅkhārā… iti viññāṇaṃ iti viññāṇassa samudayo iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’’ti. tassa imesu pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu udayabbayānupassino viharato yo pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu asmimāno so pahīyati._ > > Ānanda, there are these five aggregates affected by clinging, in regard to which a bhikkhu should abide contemplating rise and fall thus: ‘Such is material form, such its arising, such its disappearance; such is feeling, such its arising, such its disappearance; such is perception, such its arising, such its disappearance; such are formations, such their arising, such their disappearance; such is consciousness, such its arising, such its disappearance’ (MN 122). Another context in the _Saṃyuttanikāya_ shows again that _samudayo_ and _atthaṅgamo_ refer to “origin” and “passing away” respectively: > _“dukkhassa, bhikkhave, samudayañca atthaṅgamañca desessāmi. […] “katamo ca, bhikkhave, dukkhassa samudayo? cakkhuñca paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati cakkhuviññāṇaṃ. tiṇṇaṃ saṅgati phasso. phassapaccayā vedanā; vedanāpaccayā taṇhā. ayaṃ kho, bhikkhave, dukkhassa samudayo. […] katamo ca, bhikkhave, dukkhassa atthaṅgamo? cakkhuñca paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati cakkhuviññāṇaṃ. tiṇṇaṃ saṅgati phasso. phassapaccayā vedanā; vedanāpaccayā taṇhā. tassāyeva taṇhāya asesavirāganirodhā upādānanirodho; upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho; bhavanirodhā jātinirodho; jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇaṃ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā nirujjhanti. evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti. ayaṃ kho, bhikkhave, dukkhassa atthaṅgamo._ > > Bhikkhus, I will teach you the origin and the passing away of suffering. […] And what, bhikkhus, is the origin of suffering? In dependence on the eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as condition, feeling [comes to be]; with feeling as condition, craving. This is the origin of suffering. […] And what, bhikkhus, is the passing away of suffering? In dependence on the eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises. The meeting of the three is contact. With contact as condition, feeling [comes to be]; with feeling as condition, craving. But with the remainderless fading away and cessation of that same craving comes cessation of clinging; with the cessation of clinging, cessation of existence; with the cessation of existence, cessation of birth; with the cessation of birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair cease. Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering. This is the passing away of suffering (SN 12.43). For _samudayo_ of _dukkhaṃ_, it says _uppajjati cakkhuviññāṇaṃ_, which means “eye-consciousness arises.” Regarding _atthaṅgamo_, the words _nirodho_ (cessation) and _nirujjhanti_ (cease) are used. Obviously, how the text understands _atthaṅgamo_ is in the sense of “passing away.” Another two discourses in the _Saṃyuttanikāya_ follow suit in this understanding, speaking about the elements and the body. The words that are used to describe _atthaṅgamo_ are _nirodho_ (cessation) and _vūpasamo_ (subsiding). When taking up the body (see No. 2 below), it says that _āhāro_ (nutriment) is the cause for the _samudayo_ (origin) of the body, a clear indicator based upon context. > 1. _yo ca kho, bhikkhave, pathavīdhātuyā nirodho vūpasamo atthaṅgamo, dukkhasseso nirodho rogānaṃ vūpasamo jarāmaraṇassa atthaṅgamo_ – "The cessation, subsiding, and passing away of the earth element … the air element is the cessation of suffering, the subsiding of disease, the passing away of aging-and-death” (SN 14.36). > > 2. _ko ca, bhikkhave, kāyassa samudayo? āhārasamudayā kāyassa samudayo; āhāranirodhā kāyassa atthaṅgamo._ – “And what, bhikkhus, is the origination of the body? With the origination of nutriment there is the origination of the body. With the cessation of nutriment there is the passing away of the body” (SN 47.42). Further above, we already learned that _aniccatā_ (the state of imper-manence) has been described by means of _vipariṇāmadhammatā_ (state of being subject to change). This trend is also followed for _atthaṅgamo_. Here’s a passage from the _Paṭisambhidāmagga_: > _vipariṇāmalakkhaṇaṃ passatopi saññāya atthaṅgamo vidito hoti_ – “But for one who sees the characteristic of change, the passing away of perception is evident.” It also says the following in the context of the causes for the disappearance of _samādhi_ (concentration): > _avikkhepatthāya āvajjanāya atthaṅgamo samādhindriyassa atthaṅgamo hoti_ – “The passing away of the adverting [mind] for the sake of non-distraction is the passing away of the concentration faculty.” In the light of the totality of the _Tipiṭaka_ passages from above, one can safely include that _atthaṅgamo_ means “passing away,” having been explained in a variety of context and with a multitude of synonyms, but there is more to demonstrate that _aniccaṃ_ has been used by Lord Buddha in the sense of “impermanence.” # 4. The Ten Perceptions To show that _aniccaṃ_ doesn’t mean “not according to wish,” we can turn our attention to a list of ten perceptions. In it, both words _aniccaṃ (impermanence)_ and _aniccha_ (not according to wish) are used. They are not the same, otherwise they wouldn’t be separate items in a list of altogether ten members: > _katamā dasa? aniccasaññā, anattasaññā, asubhasaññā, ādīnavasaññā, pahānasaññā, virāgasaññā, nirodhasaññā, sabbaloke anabhiratasaññā, sabbasaṅkhāresu anicchāsaññā, ānāpānassati._ > > What ten? (1) The perception of impermanence, (2) the perception of non-self, (3) the perception of unattractiveness, (4) the perception of danger, (5) the perception of abandoning, (6) the perception of dispassion, (7) the perception of cessation, (8) the perception of non-delight in the entire world, (9) the perception of non-wish regarding all conditioned phenomena, and (10) mindfulness of breathing (AN 10.60). In fact, “not attaining according to one’s wish” is part of the description of _dukkhaṃ_ (suffering): _yampicchaṃ na labhati tampi dukkhaṃ_ – “That which is not getting what one wants is suffering” (DN 22). This Pāḷi sentence is an equational one; that is, it equates the non-attainment of what one wants with suffering itself. In this light, also this famous discourse from the _Majjhimanikāya_ has to be interpreted: > _taṃ kiṃ maññatha, bhikkhave, vedanā … pe … saññā… saṅkhārā… viññāṇaṃ niccaṃ vā aniccaṃ vā”ti? “aniccaṃ, bhante”. “yaṃ panāniccaṃ, dukkhaṃ vā taṃ sukhaṃ vā”ti? “dukkhaṃ, bhante”_ (MN 22). > > “Bhikkhus, what do you think? Is feeling … Is perception … Are formations … Is consciousness permanent or impermanent?” —“Impermanent, venerable sir.”—“Is what is impermanent suffering or happiness?”—“Suffering, venerable sir” (MN 22). The discourse doesn’t necessarily speak, in this context, about causation. It can, rather, also be seen as an equational sentence. The entirety of that which is _aniccaṃ_ (impermanent) _is also dukkhaṃ_ (suffering). # 5. The Word _Nicca_ (Permanent) This passage is spoken by Brahma that shows that the Pāḷi word _niccaṃ_ means “permanent” or something to that effect: > _idañhi, mārisa, niccaṃ, idaṃ dhuvaṃ, idaṃ sassataṃ, idaṃ kevalaṃ, idaṃ acavanadhammaṃ_ . – “This is permanent, this is everlasting, this is eternal, this is total, this is not subject to pass away.” 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. From Ven. Sāriputta’s _Niddesa_, this is a list of synonyms (all relating to time) in which _niccaṃ_ (permanent) occurs, showing that it itself relates to time as well: _sadā sabbadā sabbakālaṃ niccakālaṃ dhuvakālaṃ_ – “always, every time, at all times, constantly (_niccakālaṃ_), permanently.” In the _Vinayapiṭaka_, we also find an instance of Mahānāma inviting the Saṅgha for medicines for life (_saṅghaṃ yāvajīvaṃbhesajjena pavāretuṃ_). This is followed by a refusal of scrupulous monks, which led the Buddha to formally allow the acceptance of permanent invitations (_niccapavāraṇā_). The context clearly shows that the matter is about time and that _niccaṃ_ must be understood in the sense of “permanent”. Hence, we get “impermanence” for _aniccaṃ_. # 6. The Commentarial Tradition The commentarial tradition is specific in its explanation of _aniccaṃ_: > _aniccatoti hutvā abhāvato udayabbayavantato tāvakālikato niccapaṭipakkhato_ – “[Sees] as impermanent [means]: as non-existence after having been, as possessing arising and passing away, as temporary, as opposed to permanence.” ---
**Author:** ![RobertK](https://classicaltheravada.org/user_avatar/classicaltheravada.org/robertk/32/1498_2.png) [@RobertK](https://classicaltheravada.org/u/RobertK)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2024, 7:38am UTC](https://classicaltheravada.org/t/canonical-and-paracanonical-evidence-that-anicca-means-impermanence/1229/2 "2024-05-03T07:38:47Z")
see also: > [@Aniccaṃ = Impermanent](https://classicaltheravada.org/t/anicca-impermanent/1216/1): > > 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 impermanenc… ---
**Author:** ![sunnat](https://classicaltheravada.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@sunnat](https://classicaltheravada.org/u/sunnat)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2024, 11:09am UTC](https://classicaltheravada.org/t/canonical-and-paracanonical-evidence-that-anicca-means-impermanence/1229/3 "2024-05-04T11:09:03Z")
According to Lord Buddhas last words, decay is an inherent quality of all things. The thing about decay is that it doesn’t start stop start . . . It happens continually, it’s a continual flow. In other words continual change is an inherent quality of all things. In this way one may understand that ‘subject to change’ does not mean ‘at some time such and such will change and meanwhile it doesn’t change, but it will’. It means ‘continually changing’. This is important because it is when, by direct experience, anicca is directly experienced to be a continual flux or flow of process and one ‘strives diligently’ to stay with that awareness, the stream towards the goal starts to flow. As long as there is the clinging to, or I-making, of an idea, or ‘mind chatter’, with regards to impermanence, this liberating process is missed.