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June 27, 2023

Mujo: The Japanese Word for Impermanence.

“Nothing is permanent. Everything is subject to change. Being is becoming.” ~ Buddha

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It was just yesterday when I lay on my bed struggling in my head with my thoughts, wondering how I would ever manage to go through the long, tiring day that hadn’t even begun.

I was worrying about everything there was to worry about and wondered if I’d ever get past this day.

I didn’t know how I would be able to do that because everything seemed overwhelming.

In a bid to distract myself from those troublesome thoughts, I decided to scroll Instagram and a lovely word caught my eye.

This post was about a Japanese word called Mujo, which means impermanence.

It’s the concept that states that everything is a constant state of change and we must embrace the present moment and let go of the attachment to the past or future.

The moment I came across this post, I felt it was meant for me in that moment! I heaved a sigh of relief as I realized that this too shall pass.

I pulled myself together and got on with my day, taking it one thing, one step at a time.

Before I realized, the whole day had passed and so did the sense overwhelm.

Perhaps, this is an important realization that we must all come to—that nothing ever stays the same.

“It is not impermanence that makes us suffer. What makes us suffer is wanting things to be permanent when they are not.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

If the good times don’t last, so too don’t the bad times.

Things do change. Life doesn’t remain the same and neither do we.

However, we just don’t know how much time it will take for things to change.

Therefore, we must keep going on with hope in our hearts, that no matter how dark the clouds may seem to be, there is a silver lining hiding somewhere.

It’s just a matter of time before it shows up.

What’s the point of clinging to the past or holding on to the future?

While it’s good to have our own visions, plans for our life and future, we must leave room for the fact that things may not go as per our plan and that’s okay.

That’s life and we must be open to it.

“There is nothing permanent except change.” ~ Heraclitus

It’s only when we embrace this notion of impermanence that we are able to let go of our anxieties, fears, and worries that keep holding us back.

We simply learn to flow.

We let go of the idea of control and surrender to what is.

In order to do that, we need to:

>> Adjust our expectations. While we all have our set of expectations, we must leave a little room for them not to be fulfilled the way we want. It’s important to set reasonable expectations or adjust them according to the changing scenario.

>> Be open to change. Change is always lurking around the corner. Therefore, it’s important to understand that everything is transient. Then what’s the point of holding onto anything?

>> Explore the wisdom that every situation has to offer to us. We must savor each and every moment that we have now because that’s all that we have.

>> Learn to flow by giving up the idea and need to control, preempt, and predetermine everything.

>> Remember that this too shall pass. 

A great deal of human suffering is born out of our tendency to see things not as they are but as we want them to be, and that keeps us in pain.

Therefore, the only way to keep going is to see things the way they are and embrace the phenomena of change.

Nothing remains the same, ever.

Then we must flow and allow things to unfold in their own time.

All we can do is flow.

“One is never afraid of the unknown; one is afraid of the known coming to an end.” ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti

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