1 00:00:01,130 --> 00:00:08,910 Buddha was a philosopher, a spiritual leader and is credited as the founder of Buddhism. 2 00:00:08,910 --> 00:00:13,820 Often referred to as the "Enlightened One", Buddha’s teachings are followed to this 3 00:00:13,820 --> 00:00:22,489 day by millions of people around the world. He was born as Siddhartha Gautama in 566 BC 4 00:00:22,489 --> 00:00:28,300 into an aristocratic family in Lumbini, Nepal and when he was twenty-nine years old, he 5 00:00:28,300 --> 00:00:33,660 left the comforts of his home to seek the meaning of the suffering he saw around him, 6 00:00:33,660 --> 00:00:38,210 to search for a life beyond life and death.  7 00:00:38,210 --> 00:00:43,940 After six years of self-mortification, he realised that the search for divinity lies 8 00:00:43,940 --> 00:00:52,010 not in worldly things but in the mind. Thus, abandoning self-mortification, he gave himself 9 00:00:52,010 --> 00:00:59,610 to meditation and reached a state of enlightenment. For the next 45 years of his life, he went 10 00:00:59,610 --> 00:01:05,080 around teaching others the path to attain this state of enlightenment. The teachings 11 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:11,520 of Buddha revolve around Duhkha, which means suffering, and the end of Duhkha, which is 12 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:18,749 regarded as the state of Nirvana. The philosophy’s most essential teaching includes the Three 13 00:01:18,749 --> 00:01:28,159 Marks of Existence, which are as follows:  Annica which means that life is in a constant 14 00:01:28,159 --> 00:01:34,670 flux
 Duhkha which means that life is painful and 15 00:01:34,670 --> 00:01:42,280 causes suffering, and
 Anatta which means that the self is always 16 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:48,930 changing

According to Buddha, our thoughts and experiences are subject to these three 17 00:01:48,930 --> 00:01:55,880 marks of our existence. It is a way of understanding ourselves and the world around us and in this 18 00:01:55,880 --> 00:02:01,450 video we will be talking about the first mark of existence - Annica to better understand 19 00:02:01,450 --> 00:02:06,869 the ever-changing, impermanent nature of life and how we can deal with the changes that 20 00:02:06,869 --> 00:02:08,539 come with that. 
 21 00:02:08,539 --> 00:02:16,100 Once, a woman named Kisa Gotami approached Buddha carrying her dead son. The heartbroken 22 00:02:16,100 --> 00:02:21,580 mother was looking for every possible way to bring him back. As a result, she came to 23 00:02:21,580 --> 00:02:27,430 Buddha hoping he could bring him back to life using medicine. Seeing the boy was already 24 00:02:27,430 --> 00:02:34,270 dead, Buddha used this opportunity to teach an important life lesson. Firstly, Buddha 25 00:02:34,270 --> 00:02:38,940 asked Gotami to bring him some mustard seeds from a house that hasn’t witnessed the loss 26 00:02:38,940 --> 00:02:45,950 of a loved one. Gotami went door to door looking for the seeds, and slowly, she realised that 27 00:02:45,950 --> 00:02:49,060 no such house exists.  28 00:02:49,060 --> 00:02:55,171 Still hoping that Buddha could revive her son, Gotami brought the seeds to Buddha. When 29 00:02:55,171 --> 00:03:00,240 questioned by Buddha if she bought the seeds from a house where no son or daughter, father 30 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:08,010 or mother had passed away, Gotami sat weeping and realised her selfish nature as grief started 31 00:03:08,010 --> 00:03:16,510 to wash over her. More importantly, she realised that death is common to all and at last, she 32 00:03:16,510 --> 00:03:23,760 realised the reality of impermanence and buried her son in a nearby forest.  33 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:31,270 Anicca in Buddhism means impermanence. The word "Annica" consists of two words ", a", 34 00:03:31,270 --> 00:03:37,180 meaning non-, and "nicca", meaning permanent. Everything is subject to change as it is in 35 00:03:37,180 --> 00:03:45,740 continuous transformation.  Since being is becoming, decay is inherent in all component 36 00:03:45,740 --> 00:03:52,810 things, and existence remains forever in a flux, or a continuous becoming, like a flowing 37 00:03:52,810 --> 00:03:54,710 river.  38 00:03:54,710 --> 00:04:00,170 The water flowing through a river may appear constant and unchanging to the naked eye, 39 00:04:00,170 --> 00:04:06,370 but in reality we never see the same atoms and molecules, and so it cannot be the same 40 00:04:06,370 --> 00:04:15,720 water. The same is true of time through life. It is a progressive moment, a successive series 41 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:21,590 of different moments, joining together to give the impression of one continuous flow. 42 00:04:21,590 --> 00:04:27,820 The river of yesterday is not the same as the river of today. The river of this moment 43 00:04:27,820 --> 00:04:36,290 is not going to be the same as the river of the next moment. Life changes continuously: 44 00:04:36,290 --> 00:04:43,890 Once you are born, you grow, develop, become an adult until at some point you will die. 45 00:04:43,890 --> 00:04:50,000 In the interim your relationships will change, your ideas and opinions will certainly change, 46 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:56,210 and so will you. Everyone grows older and everything changes. 47 00:04:56,210 --> 00:05:02,410 Buddha explains how there are five processes over which human beings have no control:  48 00:05:02,410 --> 00:05:04,850 Growing old Falling sick 49 00:05:04,850 --> 00:05:09,030 Death and destruction,  Decay of perishable things, and;  50 00:05:09,030 --> 00:05:13,640 The passing away of that which is liable to pass. 51 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:20,120 No one can escape these five aspects of impermanence until one achieves Nirvana, the highest form 52 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:26,900 of enlightenment achieved through right attitude and awareness. In the normal course of our 53 00:05:26,900 --> 00:05:31,919 existence, we may not be able to escape from impermanence, but we can learn to cope with 54 00:05:31,919 --> 00:05:38,590 it. So with that in mind, here are 4 ways we can try to not only embrace life changes, 55 00:05:38,590 --> 00:05:43,960 but also be happy and grow with them, from the philosophy of The Buddha 56 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:55,340 01. Acknowledge the change
Buddha says “All conditioned things are impermanent' — when 57 00:05:55,340 --> 00:06:01,780 one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering”. 58 00:06:01,780 --> 00:06:07,361 Most of us desperately prevent change from happening because we fear the unknown. But 59 00:06:07,361 --> 00:06:12,780 since change is inevitable, we need to develop the mindset that allows us to let things happen 60 00:06:12,780 --> 00:06:19,360 when they unfold instead of approaching change from a place of denial and resistance. A trip 61 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:24,120 to the beach is the perfect allegory for the changes that we experience in our daily lives 62 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:29,980 and how we tend to resist them; when we go to a beach, we build a sandcastle, we get 63 00:06:29,980 --> 00:06:37,170 caught up in making a beautiful and perfect castle, but after a while, a tide is bound 64 00:06:37,170 --> 00:06:42,400 to come and destroy the whole thing whether we like it or not.  65 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:48,600 We need to cultivate the awareness that change can happen quickly and at any time. We can 66 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:54,639 cultivate this awareness through meditation. You can use meditation as a way to directly 67 00:06:54,639 --> 00:07:01,590 and personally consider the environment around you and its impermanent nature. At the end 68 00:07:01,590 --> 00:07:08,520 of every day, you can meditate by focusing on stabilising your breath, breathing in and 69 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:16,889 out slowly and deliberately, letting go of all feelings and experiences, and becoming 70 00:07:16,889 --> 00:07:24,790 conscious of your body and mind. Once you are comfortable, it is now time to understand 71 00:07:24,790 --> 00:07:33,360 the fluidity of change, and the impermanence of our mind, our body, the outer world, people 72 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:35,410 and relationships.  73 00:07:35,410 --> 00:07:43,389 A good way to start is by thinking about yourself, how you have evolved over time and the challenges 74 00:07:43,389 --> 00:07:49,199 you have encountered or are currently facing. You can also start by thinking of your close 75 00:07:49,199 --> 00:07:55,070 ones like your family and how they have changed over the time. How your relationship with 76 00:07:55,070 --> 00:08:00,090 your spouse, parents and children have evolved over time.  77 00:08:00,090 --> 00:08:05,240 Then think of your friends, how they have evolved, the hardships they may have faced 78 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:11,100 or are currently facing. Think of people in your city and around the world and all the 79 00:08:11,100 --> 00:08:16,880 different hardships and happiness they may be facing at any given moment.  80 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:21,930 At any moment in time there will be a death occurring in someone’s family, while at 81 00:08:21,930 --> 00:08:27,290 the precise same moment, some other family elsewhere on the planet must have welcomed 82 00:08:27,290 --> 00:08:30,660 a new life into this world.  83 00:08:30,660 --> 00:08:35,229 If someone must have lost their job or must have lost most of their fortune, someone else 84 00:08:35,229 --> 00:08:42,060 must have won some kind of lottery or must have gotten a promotion or pay rise at work.  85 00:08:42,060 --> 00:08:46,570 If someone is calling off their wedding, or is getting a divorce, someone else is getting 86 00:08:46,570 --> 00:08:50,050 married or experiencing their first love.  87 00:08:50,050 --> 00:08:55,080 For every terminal diagnosis, someone else must have had a miraculous recovery.  88 00:08:55,080 --> 00:09:01,490 For every argument or fight with a friend, someone out there, right at that moment will 89 00:09:01,490 --> 00:09:08,730 be making a new friend or creating a new, lifelong memory with an existing friend.  90 00:09:08,730 --> 00:09:14,920 When you meditate on all of these scenarios, you will soon realise how life can change, 91 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:22,690 and any of these fortunate or unfortunate events can happen to you too. If nothing unfortunate 92 00:09:22,690 --> 00:09:28,480 happened to you today, be thankful for that and see how you can be there for people around 93 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:34,420 you who were less lucky. If you are going through an unfortunate phase, know that you 94 00:09:34,420 --> 00:09:40,490 cannot be the only one going through whatever it is, and this too will change.  95 00:09:40,490 --> 00:09:45,600 Acknowledge that you and everything around you is constantly evolving and you are no 96 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:53,630 exception. Start by practicing this for 5 minutes,  every evening. If  you find meditation 97 00:09:53,630 --> 00:10:00,330 difficult, you can also practice this exercise while on a walk, under the beauty of nature. 98 00:10:00,330 --> 00:10:05,870 Sessions such as this will help us answer philosophical questions, providing us with 99 00:10:05,870 --> 00:10:11,500 truly transformative insights, helping us to understand and embrace the impermanent 100 00:10:11,500 --> 00:10:15,040 nature of our lives. 101 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:24,620 2. Practice non-attachment   In the words of Buddha “The root of suffering 102 00:10:24,620 --> 00:10:26,820 is attachment” 103 00:10:26,820 --> 00:10:34,370 Non-attachment is a very important part of understanding the philosophy of Buddhism. 104 00:10:34,370 --> 00:10:40,260 We often misunderstand non attachment, specifically, referring to loved ones like a spouse, or 105 00:10:40,260 --> 00:10:46,540 children, or parents. The type of non-attachment that’s being talked about in Buddhist thought 106 00:10:46,540 --> 00:10:51,880 has less to do with what you own, or with what you hold on to, versus how that holds 107 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:54,100 onto you.    108 00:10:54,100 --> 00:10:59,320 We hold on to things in an effort to find happiness and comfort. We don’t just cling 109 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:04,820 to things that give us joy, we also cling to some things because we’re afraid to let 110 00:11:04,820 --> 00:11:10,580 go of them. Because of this we suffer, and the others suffer because we’re holding 111 00:11:10,580 --> 00:11:16,840 onto things that are past their time. In Buddhism there is a parable where on the banks of a 112 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:21,180 river the Buddha asks his monks if somebody were to build a raft and they were to cross 113 00:11:21,180 --> 00:11:26,580 the river with it, would it be wise or unwise to continue their journey with the raft once 114 00:11:26,580 --> 00:11:32,890 they reach the other side? Letting go of the raft, whatever the raft may be, is a lesson 115 00:11:32,890 --> 00:11:40,830 of letting go of things that are past their time, and is a simple explanation of non-attachment. 116 00:11:40,830 --> 00:11:43,430   This can apply to relationships, friends, 117 00:11:43,430 --> 00:11:49,870 and experiences.  In terms of relationships, Loving in a non-attached way is loving in 118 00:11:49,870 --> 00:11:54,900 a way that the person that you love feels free. So it’s not that there isn’t love, 119 00:11:54,900 --> 00:11:59,670 or that you don’t want to be with someone, it’s that you don’t allow that person, 120 00:11:59,670 --> 00:12:06,890 or that thing to own you. That’s what Buddah means by attachment in this instance. So letting 121 00:12:06,890 --> 00:12:13,970 go of attachment is the secret to really enjoying life, and to loving others. It’s a way of 122 00:12:13,970 --> 00:12:21,890 freedom. Think about that with your own relationships, like for example with your children. If you 123 00:12:21,890 --> 00:12:27,290 love your children in a way that they feel free to be who they want to be, that’s genuine 124 00:12:27,290 --> 00:12:33,710 non-attachment. You’re allowing someone to be completely authentic and free as they 125 00:12:33,710 --> 00:12:35,080 are.  126 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:41,860 This rule applies to other things too. Let's take achieving your goals for example. The 127 00:12:41,860 --> 00:12:47,600 goals or milestones are typically not the problem; The problem is that when we allow 128 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:55,220 those things to own us, it becomes unhealthy. It’s completely appropriate to have goals, 129 00:12:55,220 --> 00:13:01,200 to have milestones, that you set in your career, or in various other phases of your life. There’s 130 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:07,209 nothing wrong with that. The problems start when we become trapped because those things 131 00:13:07,209 --> 00:13:08,600 own us.  132 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:16,860 Having goals can be fine as long as you understand that goals are impermanent. You work towards 133 00:13:16,860 --> 00:13:22,100 them, you either accomplish them and move on, or something changes and it doesn’t 134 00:13:22,100 --> 00:13:29,529 work out. That’s where the wisdom of adaptability comes into play. The moment life presents 135 00:13:29,529 --> 00:13:35,330 something new, you can adapt to it and create a new goal, because that original goal didn’t 136 00:13:35,330 --> 00:13:43,339 own you. You used it as a tool for yourself, not a burden that makes life more difficult. 137 00:13:43,339 --> 00:13:48,810 When we realize we don't have any control over life, we understand detachment and accept 138 00:13:48,810 --> 00:13:55,870 its impermanent nature. Additionally, we are also open to change, willing to take risks 139 00:13:55,870 --> 00:14:01,959 and lead healthier lives by making the right choices. 140 00:14:01,959 --> 00:14:11,430 3. Embrace change Buddha considers that “​​Change is never 141 00:14:11,430 --> 00:14:18,290 painful, only resistance to change is painful” 142 00:14:18,290 --> 00:14:23,839 Most of the time, when any change happens, the outcome will not turn out the way you 143 00:14:23,839 --> 00:14:29,670 want. By refusing to accept this change, we actually make it worse because we’re fighting 144 00:14:29,670 --> 00:14:36,560 against it, against the flow of life. But by embracing the situation, you deal with 145 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:38,860 it far more effectively.  146 00:14:38,860 --> 00:14:44,410 For example, suppose your partner gets a promotion at work and they might need to work 10 hours 147 00:14:44,410 --> 00:14:50,220 a day plus weekends. Because of this they have to travel more often and won’t have 148 00:14:50,220 --> 00:14:55,740 the same time as they have right now to spend with you or the family. Rather than sitting 149 00:14:55,740 --> 00:15:01,350 at home, feeling anxious over being left alone, arguing with your partner and going against 150 00:15:01,350 --> 00:15:07,660 the flow of life, you need to understand and respect their choice, free yourself from this 151 00:15:07,660 --> 00:15:15,200 attachment and make them feel free as well, and find a solution of your own by embracing 152 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:17,399 this situation.  153 00:15:17,399 --> 00:15:22,589 You can indulge in your hobbies or pick up something you have always wanted to learn. 154 00:15:22,589 --> 00:15:28,540 You can also find local activities to do alone or with friends. Trying to keep everything 155 00:15:28,540 --> 00:15:35,899 fixed means we’re not really changing and therefore we’re not really growing. Life 156 00:15:35,899 --> 00:15:40,040 is all about constantly growing in many different ways.  157 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:50,410 4. Learn from the experience In our final quote from Buddha for this video, 158 00:15:50,410 --> 00:15:57,680 he says “Every experience, no matter how bad it seems, holds within it a blessing of 159 00:15:57,680 --> 00:16:04,220 some kind. The goal is to find it”. 160 00:16:04,220 --> 00:16:11,790 When we accept change, and learn from it, change is no longer our enemy. It becomes 161 00:16:11,790 --> 00:16:20,139 our teacher. At its core, change pushes you to become a better person. Whenever you undergo 162 00:16:20,139 --> 00:16:25,260 something in your personal or professional development, while it may not seem like it 163 00:16:25,260 --> 00:16:31,760 at the time, these events offer lessons that help shape your future. They make you more 164 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:36,269 flexible, innovative and more aware. 165 00:16:36,269 --> 00:16:44,310 Change is only as scary as you make it seem. Maybe you're about to enter a new role like starting 166 00:16:44,310 --> 00:16:51,320 a new business and are fearful of failing. Everyone makes mistakes and everyone fails 167 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:58,360 at some point in their lives, so when - not if - failure happens to you, let it be an 168 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:05,029 opportunity to learn and grow. Try to work through each day without concern of failure 169 00:17:05,029 --> 00:17:13,299 or rejection. For thousands of years, people have worked to advance life in every way. 170 00:17:13,299 --> 00:17:19,660 Such progress is only possible when we aren't afraid of what lies ahead. Not only do you 171 00:17:19,660 --> 00:17:25,839 grow as a person and make progress when you embrace change, but going with the flow and 172 00:17:25,839 --> 00:17:33,640 embracing that change is vital to achieving true inner peace.  173 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:37,780 If you enjoyed this video, please make sure to check out our full philosophies for life 174 00:17:37,780 --> 00:17:43,300 playlist and for more videos to help you find success and happiness using ancient philosophical 175 00:17:43,300 --> 00:17:48,980 wisdom, don’t forget to subscribe. Thanks so much for watching.