From a Lonely Planet guide on Laos, left by some other backpacker, one rainy afternoon in Luang Prabang:
"...The Theravada doctrine (of Buddishm) stresses the three principle aspects of existence: dukha (suffering, unsatisfactoriness, disease) anicca (impermanence, transcience of all things) and anatta (non-substantiality or non-essentiality of reality - no permanent 'soul').
Comprehension of anicca reveals that no experience, no state of mind, no physical object lasts. Trying to hold onto experience, states of mind, and objects that are constantly changing, creates dukkha.
Anatta is the understanding that there is no part of the changing world we can point to and say "This is me" or "This is God" or "This is the soul".
(Photo by a friend)
1 comment:
Dear Asha, I really love this saying. I needed those words at this moment of my life; thank you for sharing!
I might go to Luang Prabang some time soon; will update you more!
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