That Which Never Changes
Marcus Aurelius wrote in his Meditations:
"Consider that before long you will be nobody and nowhere, nor will any of the things exist which you now see, nor any of those who are now living. For all things are formed by nature to change and be turned and to perish, in order that other things in continuous succession may exist."
This reality lies at the heart of many ancient traditions. In Buddhism, the concept of anitya (impermanence) identifies transience as a fundamental quality of existence. Nothing lasts, everything changes, and life is fleeting.
There is a French saying: "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose", the more things change, the more they stay the same. It is usually uttered as a cynical remark about the unchanging status quo. But viewed from a different angle, it raises a profound question:
What is that which never changes?
Paradoxically, the answer is change itself. Only change is permanent. It transcends impermanence because it is impermanence, the continuous movement of the whole, the flow of eternity.
While existence is constantly changing, is that change truly random? Consider the cells in our body: they cannot fathom the larger motivations or movements of the organism they inhabit. What appears as violent warfare at the cellular level, an immune response, for example, is harmony at the level of the human body.
Perhaps, like cells, we are simply incapable of grasping the doings of the cosmic whole. From this perspective, "going with the flow" ceases to be a silly cliché; it becomes the wise response to an incomprehensible universe.
Pondering the transience of it all, our lives may seem so insignificant and meaningless. Yet a quote from Achilles in the film Troy provides a counter perspective:
"I'll tell you a secret. Something they don't teach you in your temple. The Gods envy us. They envy us because we're mortal, because any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again."
Ultimately, it is this very transience that breathes beauty and meaning into life. The fleeting nature of existence is not a tragedy to mourn, but a mystery to embrace. And reflecting upon it remains one of my greatest sources of equanimity.