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Anicca
Impermanent are all component things,
They arise and cease, that is their nature:
They come into being and pass away,
Release from them is bliss supreme.
Aniccaa vata sa"nkhaaraa — uppaada vaya dhammino
Uppajjitvaa nirujjhanti — tesa.m vuupasamo sukho.
— Mahaa-Parinibbaana Sutta (DN 16)1
Anicca is one of the 3 characteristics of existence, the other two being Dukkha and Anatta. Anicca encompasses all existence, including the existence in Arupaloka and Rupaloka, not just the Karmaloka.
The essence of life is change. The Buddha advised against clinging to any state, noting that it is the resistance or unwillingness to accept the reality of change that leads to unhappiness. Buddhists are often reminded of the eight winds of change - praise and blame, fame and shame, gain and loss, pleasure and pain. One may be famous or rich at one point only to be met with loss at another time.
There are 4 kinds of happiness:
- Happiness of Possession
- In owing your own property, your house, land, business, bank account.
- Happiness of Enjoyment
- Using what you have earned you can enjoy good food, nice house, nice dress without abusing bluffing cheating others.
- Happiness of Debtlessness
- Try best not to borrow from others , spend within your own means, you gain self respect .
- Happiness of Blamelessness
- Try to lead life without doing harm to anybody
Yet all these 4 types of happiness are also anicca. Accepting that these types of happiness are transient leads to peace.
Here is a useful quote, borrowed from the Christians, that is useful in reflection on anicca:
"God, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." - Serenity Prayer
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