Nothing is Permanent

 

Nothing is permanent. This is such an interesting statement when you think about it. It can be taken with two completely different meanings.

 Nothing means "No Thing" so the statement can be interpreted as "No Thing is Permanent". As we all know on some level, all things manifested within this universe are impermanent, subject to rot, decay, or change, including the universe itself. Science has for some time now been studying the universe's rate of expansion and the changes in the rate at which the expansion is occurring. It is predicted that it will eventually reverse direction back into itself.

When the universe came into being, (The Big Bang), what was there before its existence? Nothing! Out of what did the universe manifest, and into what does it return? Nothingness, the same Nothingness from which all that comes into being manifests itself from. And what is the universe expanding into? Again, Nothingness! Nothingness then can be interpreted as the Source from which all that comes into being is manifested, and the Source to which it returns. The Source of all creation.

Whatever is created, either by man or by nature is subject to eventual decay including mankind itself. The fact that some things within the universe may have a significantly greater duration of time before facing decay still does not make it truly permanent. Even rock is subject to erosion by water, wind, or friction and iron to rust.

Even the concept that matter can not be created or destroyed still does not convey permanence, since all matter is constantly undergoing changes, modifications, transmutations, and recycling. What ever state a group of atoms or molecules is in at any given moment does not mean it can or will remain in that state.

Even more interesting is when the statement is looked at from its second meaning. The "Nothing" out of which all things arise IS permanent. How do we know it is permanent? Because it can not and does not change from being Nothing.

For Nothing to change it must evolve or manifest into something.  Even when something, be it a thought, idea, or even life itself does manifest, the Nothingness from which it arose is still Nothing, and thus remains unchanged. That something that has manifested is now governed by the rules of impermanence.

So both interpretations of the statement "Nothing is Permanent" can be accepted as a basic truth. If one wants to find something permanent in their life, the only place to find it is to explore the empty Nothingness that can only be found from within the silent mind itself. This Nothingness is the source of all creation, and all that manifests. The only thing preventing us from experiencing this infinite creative state, the only state of permanence available to us from within this universe, is our non-stop chattering minds.

Michael L. Fournier