Anicca
From Buddhist Encyclopedia
Three Jewels
Buddha . Dharma . Sangha
Three Dharma Seals
Anicca . Dukkha . Anatta
Karma . Rebirth
Samsara . Nirvana
Four Noble Truths
Seven Sets
Four Frames of Reference
Four Right Exertions
Four Bases of Power
Five Faculties
Five Strengths
Seven Factors of Awakening
Noble Eightfold Path
Bodhisattva
Four Great Vows
Ten Great Vows
- Chinese : 无常 wuchang
- Pali : anicca
- Sanskrit : अिनत्य anitya
- Tibetan : mi rtag pa
Anicca (Impermanence), is one of the Three Characteristics. Everything is constantly in flux. This changing flux excludes nothing - not even planets, stars nor the galaxies. This is embodied in human life in the cycle of birth and death (samsara), and in any experience of loss; because things are impermanent, attachment to them is futile, and leads to suffering. The only true end of anitya is nirvana. Nirvana is the one reality which knows of no change, decay or death. In the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra, all compounded, constructed things and states are said to be impermanent - but to say the same of Nirvana and the Buddha (the personalisation of Nirvana) is to commit a gross error in understanding and to fall into harmful misperception of truth (as discussed in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra).
Anicca is intimately associated with the philosophy of anatta.
