The Impermanence of All Things

[Harmony]

Reading of such strength of spirit in all the above personal experiences brings strength to our souls knowing how strong and resilient the "human" spirit is, even during the most difficult times.

I have indeed had my share of challenges (I hope ☺). Last January I was unexpectedly back in hospital with a problem stricture that once in a while suddenly plays up. With Covid 19 just starting I wasn't too impressed, knowing it means a fun nasal tube being put in and having my stomach pumped. That's as fun as it sounds 😊.

Anyway, after the third day in hospital I was recovering well. Another elderly man, 93 years old was wheeled in that afternoon and two doctors soon came to see him and very loudly and uncompassionately told him he had very little hope of surviving but they could do surgery and he might have some chance of living and they left.

The other elderly lady and other gentleman in the same ward were out for a walk with their visitors and I was alone in the ward looking across at this very old thin man with tears running down his cheeks. I hopped out of bed in my glamourous hospital gown and took this mans hand which felt like a dry autumn leaf and asked him if he would like me to ask the nurses to phone his family.

He replied he didn't want to cause any one any problems or have any one to see him dying. I told him it was absolutely no problem and if I were his daughter I would want him to ring me. Funnily, we started talking about dying and believing there was more afterwards and I was telling him of my near death experience. I tried to boost his hope and told him I had a similar problem and he was suddenly very concerned for my welfare which quite surprised me to see such a fiery twinkle in his sunken elderly eyes.

We had a little weep together and then his nurse came so I went back to my bed.

Later that afternoon his estranged wife and daughter were with him before he got wheeled out to surgery and I do know he made it through the surgery but I left the next morning. I hoped I helped him in some way and he is well.

[earthdreamer]

Years ago I cut out a printed quote attributed to Maya Angelou, went something like ‘People might not remember what you said but they remember how you made them feel.’ Those acts of kindness actually do matter in this world of impermanence. No matter how fleeting the moment, how close we get to the end of our illusion of ‘permanence’, it seems we are granted some small and profound insight into our human heart. My soul trips on dancing flames, rippling waters, moonlight reflections on wavering leaves and charging clouds. My memories will join those shadows one day.

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by earthdreamer (here)
Years ago I cut out a printed quote attributed to Maya Angelou, went something like ‘People might not remember what you said but they remember how you made them feel.’ Those acts of kindness actually do matter in this world of impermanence. No matter how fleeting the moment, how close we get to the end of our illusion of ‘permanence’, it seems we are granted some small and profound insight into our human heart. My soul trips on dancing flames, rippling waters, moonlight reflections on wavering leaves and charging clouds. My memories will join those shadows one day.

[kfm27917]

This reminds me of a poem I wrote long time ago (in the 60's)

Travel light

Take leave from time.
Forget space, dimensions, money
airports, passports, noise.
Your gorgeous body
is worth nothing over there.

The voyage is far
because from now on
familiar places are out of reach,
no longer here or there
Upside and down already
a streak of unrecoverable past.

Travel light:
limbs are cumbersome
the past is a burden
that glues you forever
to the cry of agony
of the broken heart.

Travel light:
take only your soul
your fantasy, your will
and only as much
of truthful love
as you need for an eternity.

[Anka]

To the question: "How do I feel about death?" I can answer simply:
If a simple honest fisherman managed to live happily and then die, I think I can handle it too.
Then I ask myself, how can I accept this when I am completely anchored in the evolution of the theory of life as a fact ... then, without giving me any answer, the answer comes partially ... maybe we should learn how to die happy and fulfilled by honoring life?
Then I come and reinforce this by saying that this wonderful accident called life makes me believe, every moment more and more, learning that I will never have any doubt about the "after" thing.

Two days ago, a very old friend died peacefully in her sleep.Today I went to her funeral.
She had a life rich in a lot of work and dedication for the family as I have not seen anywhere. Looking at her smiling silence under her eyes closed in a beautiful sleep and not thinking I would think anything, I struck a resemblance between her life and mine ... and I realized how much I sailed on my own journey, just like her ... thinking ok..I'm halfway through and I feel compelled(maybe) to draw a line with chalk symbolizing a comprehensive conclusion .The step along that line already drawn, should be quite important, or maybe not.

I recognized my own approach in life experiences, people, professions, places, a kind of transposition into a kind of game in the only career that supervises the whole spectrum of experience and in the context of the model of society, location, time, attributed elements, I felt different similarities throughout the recognition process.

I remembered that the deceased person, a week ago, kept saying happily that the end was near, sometimes she made plans that for example, she planned her luggage always saying happily "I'm going to my house"! Yesterday I caressed her and she was so happy in her fine smile on her face (which only those close to her can recognize) that I could only be happy and tell her with a sigh "I'm glad you got to your home"!

At her age, she accumulated memories of feeling after the economic crisis of 1929, going through World War II and so many regimes (royal, socialist, democracy) to find just this time for the end, made me think about her experience...yes, she was my grandmother.

I left from there, heading back home, initially thinking that I will not be able to walk that far although the distance is probably only 2 km.
Along the way, I was trying to find a permanent connection to the impermanence as nature, by gathering more and more data and memories about it, lifestyle career, choices and I made a summary without capturing the conclusion yet because I still had many steps to get home…maybe.

I am not in the situation to say that all ideas about the unknown can be solved and especially this, I have no illusions but it is worth recognizing at least the power of life and death to choose the discourse of legitimacy of one's own awakening, precisely because inevitably not, I'm still the same person a few minutes ago, and still not.

Meaning can anticipate any problem, so perhaps curiosity is one of the emotions that proves I am alive(?)
Maybe we shouldn't avoid life just as we shouldn't avoid death, maybe we should contribute so that we don't just remain spectators of eternity, of course it's as debatable as a proverb that says “you burn the candle at both ends” : )
…the tendency is generally counterproductive and almost trivial in equilibrium to avoid both phenomena ... it is perhaps only essential spectral cosmic comic, and less bad.
There is also the expression: "He died laughing", an anecdote of life to look with dignity, "deadly serious" in the whole process, something I once heard as an association of the expression: "This is the last thing I do(dying)!" which can be interpreted as well like “this would be the last thing we would like doing” ... it is a whole of assistance of individual experience, each one must find his own mystery and fun.

If life is not given with a meaning to the package, practiced trajectory is a relative game with imposed figures, we receive a sentence of life and death, lucidity comes in the condition of signing all the limits of freedom that in real time consciousness, this is sometimes not an option, more maybe chosen in the non-temporality of existence.
It is a form of indulgence fully assumed, living the feeling of fundamental meaning not by obligation but by the splendor of being wise enough to be born in the first place.

But in all the permanent impermanence of life, I found my mission, attribution and possibility of contribution, it is not about profession, places or time or career, it is about my permanence always to be gentle with all people, and this is not quality, it is a dedication in my only "profession" to be a simple man.

I look forward to the experiences of others of you ... I will definitely love each experience through the emotion of human nature in it

Here's something to cheer you up the permanence of music and joy…

The Chieftains - O'Sullivan's March(4:04)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=mpkrr0-qut4

Anca

[Zirconian]

Anka,

What an eloquent. beautiful post you have written that is full of heart
Impermanence is a day to day experience.
One can really be a witness to this when working with those who are dying.

I worked in a hospice for a few years and I can still see the faces of those that died whilst I was caring for them.

I remember all their faces and their stories. Each person had a story to tell full of experiences and I appreciated what they shared. I'm a better person for it.

I recall how strong and dignified they all were facing the unknown. I had much respect for the bereaved, digging deep for the days to come when they had to face and accept their loss.

As a witness to this, I really saw the beauty of the human spirit.

[Bill Ryan]

[Zirconian]

I'm fascinated by clips from the past.
It makes me feel so connected to the people of the time.
As they stare into the camera.....I stare back at them, a connection is made.
I always wonder what the people in these videos are thinking, feeling.

This is a poingnant film, as it is filmed 4 days prior to the San Francisco earthquake, they were all busying about their lives, unaware disaster was about to strike.

On a positive note, it was amazing to see the San Francisco bridge when I flew over a few years ago. San Francisco worked hard to rebuild.

Starts at 2:00

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=VO_1AdYRGW8

[Forest Denizen]

WOW!!! This is really stunning!! Thank you, Zirconian! I had seen the original un-enhanced black and white version and it was really something but this is unbelievable! Particularly so as I live just north of the city. The tasteful addition of sound is also very well done.

This individual seems to have done a lot of these wonderful enhanced pieces of footage.. they are on his YouTube channel. Here's another shorter one that I found to be absolutely spellbinding. It's from Tokyo in the early part of the last century. Parts of it are kind of eerie because they seem to have almost the quality of a live video feed. Almost as if the people in the footage are looking back at me through my screen!

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=MQAmZ_kR8S8

[Zirconian]

Hi Ken,

He does make very good videos.
I found him when I was looking at videos of times past, particularly from the UK before the 1st world war, my great grandad's generation (he fought in the Somme). This truly was the generation who faced many episodes of impermanence; the first world war, spanish flu, the depression and the second world war.

I too am mesmerised when the people in the video stare into the camera, I feel connected to them in that moment. Connection through time.

I've added something a little different. A meditation on impermanence. Helpful words in our times.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=uumInvT4t9Y

Tamara Levitt guides this #DailyCalm meditation on the impermanent nature of everything around us. She invites you to let go of the battle with your thoughts and rest here for a moment of calm.

[Bill Ryan]

[Zirconian]

For all those who are going through changes that are stirring the emotions.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=EFe84U__kt8

The lyrics may not be to everyones taste, but the singer has a masterful, pure voice and gives a sublime performance, that soothes those troubled feelings.

[Harmony]

Thank you for the above post Zirconian Sometimes slowing down and finding peace within the deepest part of ourselves before we move forward can make all the difference in how we respond to life.

[Zirconian]

Hi Harmony,

It is probably the best way and the hardest to do, but I continue to practice

I love Jorden Peterson and when i have time, I like to dip in and out of listening to his videos on the Jordan Peterson thread.

Here's just a packed few minutes of his insight on change

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=9-Wqn2loCxI

[Zirconian]

This is an excellent talk. Real, engaging, with humour and eloquently shows the best of the human spirit.

Had to post, thinking of all those going through this, particularly at this time of year.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=lhoCdZFoktQ

[Ewan]

Another timely

[Bill Ryan]

[Dilettante]

Thank you for sharing, Bill.

It can be painful to lose old companions (be it things, pets, or people), but the pain only comes from the clinging, not the loss. Besides, nothing is ever truly lost.

This topic makes me think of the philosophy of Heraclitus, one of the pre-Socratic philosophers, who stood in contrast to Parmenides. Heraclitus believed the arche, or first principle (origin), was fire—not literal fire, but flux, or the principle of panta rhei (“everything flows”).

To quote one of his fragments:

This world-order, the same for all, no god nor man did create, but it always was and is and will be: an ever-living fire, kindling in measures and being extinguished in measures.

Friedrich Nietzsche was deeply influenced and impressed by Heraclitus. His concept of the will to power meant that despite the struggles of life, we have the power to transform suffering into creation. This is a more optimistic take on Arthur Schopenhauer’s will to life, where constant striving is meaningless, and the struggle for survival is essentially demonic.

Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian is essentially a Heraclitean text. Judge Holden, one of the most interesting characters I’ve come across, simply states that “war is god.”

Heraclitus said something very similar to this:

War is the father of all and the king of all, and some he shows as gods, others as men; some he makes slaves, others free.

Finally, Carl Jung was influenced by Heraclitus through the concept of what he called enantiodromea (“things running in opposites.”) Think of the yin and yang. They are opposites, but through this opposition they are balanced. They also have the capacity to turn into one another.

Heraclitus would put it this way:

The path up and down are one and the same.

And one final quote to cap it off:

On those who step into the same rivers, different and again different waters flow.

[Bill Ryan]

[Bruce G Charlton]

For some people, of whom I am one, "the impermanence of all things" is the fundamental and unavoidable tragedy of this mortal life.

I recently wrote about this with reference to a poem by JRR Tolkien in Lord of the Rings:

"Where now the horse and the rider?" is a poem of the Riders of Rohan, recited by Aragorn in The Two Towers, as he approaches Edoras with Gandalf, Gimli and Legolas. It is perhaps my favourite of all the poems by Tolkien, and indeed one of my favourite poems.

Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing?
Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing?

They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow.

Who shall gather the smoke of the dead wood burning,
Or behold the flowing years from the Sea returning?


In the recently published Collected Poems of JRR Tolkien (edited by C Scull and WG Hammond, pp 1225-6) is quoted some annotations by Tolkien with reference to this poem, in relation to the Old English lyric The Wanderer from which the first line is derived:

["Where now the horse and the rider"] laments the ineluctable ending and passing back into oblivion of the fortunate, the full-lived, the unblemished and beautiful.

To me that is more poignant than any particular disaster, from the cruelty of men or the hostility of the world.



This strikes me as a profound and startling statement from Tolkien, and one with which I am in full sympathy. What he is saying is that the ultimate tragedy of this mortal life and world is not evil, but death and what we might term "entropy".

In other words, for JRRT and for myself; what is ultimately tragic is the inevitable and unavoidable evanescence of all that is Good, all that is True, Beautiful and Virtuous; all that is best - and every person and "thing" that we most love.

In this life; all changes, and eventually degenerates and dies.

Yes there is new creation, but it is not the same.

There is only memory; but memory fades. And even while memory survives, over the generations and the span of time, this loss accumulates in our awareness.



What Tolkien is saying here; is that even if we consider only the very best of this mortal life, the fortunate, the full-lived, the unblemished and beautiful - considering only that which is good, and eliminating from consideration all that is evil - the cruelty of men or the hostility of the world...

Even then; the sufficiency, the adequacy, the acceptability of our life and world is undercut by the fact that the best and good will move towards the ineluctable ending and passing back into oblivion.

It is from this inevitability of change and death - as much as, or indeed more than, from evil - that Jesus Christ has offered us salvation.