Skip to content

Reflections

Recollection of Impermanence

Anicc'ānussati

sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā

Pāli POS Grammar English
sabbe adj masc.nom.pl all; every; whole; entire
saṅkhārā noun masc.nom.pl conditioned things, constructions fabrications, formations
aniccā adj masc.nom.pl not stable; impermanent

all conditioned things are impermanent

sabbe saṅkhārā dukkhā

Pāli POS Grammar English
sabbe adj masc.nom.pl all; every; whole; entire
saṅkhārā noun masc.nom.pl conditioned things, constructions fabrications, formations
dukkhā adj masc.nom.pl uncomfortable, painful, unpleasant causing misery, unsatisfactory

all conditioned things are unsatisfactory

sabbe dhammā anattā

Pāli POS Grammar English
sabbe adj masc.nom.pl all; every; whole; entire
dhammā noun masc.nom.pl things, mental phenomena
anattā adj masc.nom.pl have no self, impersonal, void of self

everything is void of self

addhuvaṃ jīvitaṃ

Pāli POS Grammar English
addhuvaṃ adj nt.nom.sg changing, unstable, impermanent
jīvitaṃ noun nt.nom.sg life; span of life

life is unstable

dhuvaṃ maraṇaṃ

Pāli POS Grammar English
dhuvaṃ adj nt.nom.sg stable, constant, permanent; fixed, regular certain, sure
maraṇaṃ noun nt.nom.sg death

death is certain

avassaṃ mayā maritabbaṃ

Pāli POS Grammar English
avassaṃ ind inevitably, certainly, against one's will
mayā pron 1.ins.sg by me, with me
maritabbaṃ ptp nt.nom.sg should be died, can die, to be dead

inevitable by me to be dead

maraṇa-pariyosānaṃ me jīvitaṃ

Pāli POS Grammar English
maraṇa- noun death
pariyosānaṃ noun nt.nom.sg end, finish, conclusion, culmination
me pron 1.gen.sg my, of me
jīvitaṃ noun nt.acc.sg life; span of life

death is the culmination of my life

jīvitaṃ me aniyataṃ

Pāli POS Grammar English
jīvitaṃ noun nt.nom.sg life; span of life
me pron 1.gen.sg my, of me
aniyataṃ adj nt.nom.sg not settled, uncertain, doubtful

my life is uncertain

maraṇaṃ me niyataṃ

Pāli POS Grammar English
maraṇaṃ noun nt.nom.sg death
me pron 1.gen.sg my, of me
niyataṃ adj nt.nom.sg certain, assured, necessary

my death is certain

vata ayaṃ kāyo aciraṃ apeta-viññāṇo chuḍḍho adhisessati paṭhaviṃ kaliṅgaraṃ iva niratthaṃ

Pāli POS Grammar English
vata ind indeed
ayaṃ pron masc.nom.sg this
kāyo noun masc.nom.sg body
aciraṃ ind soon, before long
apeta- pp gone away; rid of; without.
viññāṇo noun masc.nom.sg consciousness
chuḍḍho pp masc.nom.sg thrown away, discarded, spat out
adhisessati verb fut.3.sg it will lie
paṭhaviṃ noun fem.acc.sg the ground
kaliṅgaraṃ noun nt.nom.sg log, rotten piece of wood
iva ind like; as
niratthaṃ adj nt.nom.sg useless, groundless, unproficient, vain

indeed this body soon, it will lie on the the ground, thrown away, without consciousness, useless like a rotten piece of wood.

[DN 16.37]
aniccā vata saṅkhārā

Pāli POS Grammar English
vata ind indeed
aniccā adj masc.nom.pl not stable; impermanent
saṅkhārā noun masc.nom.pl conditioned things, constructions fabrications, formations

indeed conditioned things are impermanent

Pāli POS Grammar English
uppāda-vaya-dhammino
uppāda- noun rising; coming into existence, appearance
vaya- noun disintegration, decay, disappearance
dhammino adj masc.nom.pl have a nature, quality, characteristic

their nature is appearance and disappearance

uppajjitvā nirujjhanti

Pāli POS Grammar English
uppajjitvā verb abs having born; arisen, appears
nirujjhanti verb pr.3.pl they cease; dissolve; vanish

having arisen they cease

tesaṃ vūpasamo sukho

Pāli POS Grammar English
tesaṃ pron masc.gen.pl of them, their
vūpasamo noun masc.nom.sg subsiding, settling, calming
sukho noun masc.nom.sg happiness, comfort, ease

their settling is happiness

← previous chant | index | Feedback | next chant →