Whenever we’re having a difficult time with life, it seems as though things will be difficult forever. When we’re succeeding in our endeavors, we expect that this condition is going to continue as well. As a matter of fact, neither of those scenarios is accurate. All things that have a beginning, also have an end. That is a law of the universe.
This reality of impermanence might cause us to suffer if we don’t understand it or if we choose to ignore it: life is bound to be frustrating if we’re always grasping for things to be contrary to their true nature. But if we choose to embrace impermanence, the opposite ensues. We become more peaceful because we learn to accept the way things are and how they change. Embracing impermanence also means that we become more skillful. We don’t assume that our current state of affairs will persist so we complete our tasks as soon as possible to avoid being stuck with a backlog of work when inevitable unexpected events arise.
Therefore, when we apply mindfulness, not only do we reap the spiritual benefits that come from accepting impermanence but we also progress more consistently in our worldly pursuits due to an increased efficiency. This elegance of the Buddha’s teaching becomes apparent when we develop wisdom through consistent insight meditation training.