Achariya Tan Siang Chye giving a Dhamma teaching on impermanence.

“The Verb is Me” was the interesting Dhamma talk given by Achariya Tan Siang Chye on Service Sunday, 25 October.  He explained that humans exist because they are constantly changing, vibrating and moving.  In reality, humans are ‘verbs and not nouns’.

The Buddha taught that life is subject to three characteristics – Anicca (impermanence); Dukkha (unsatisfactoriness); and Anatta (Selfless nature).  Heraclitus, one of the earliest Greek thinkers, also talked about Anicca when he said that “there is no static being, no unchanging substratum… Change, movement, is ‘Lord of the Universe’.  Everything is in a state of becoming, of continual flux.  You cannot step twice into the same river; for fresh waters are ever flowing in upon you.”

Ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus is famous for his quote: “You cannot step twice into the same river…”

One who understands the essence of Dhamma would go a step further and say “the so called man is only a constant flux of ‘mind’ and ‘body’, never the same for two consecutive moments.”

Because life is ever-changing, we need to develop Saddhā (confidence); Viriya (energy); Sati (mindfulness); Samādhi (concentration with tranquility) and Paññā (wisdom) to carry us to the “other shore”.  We thank Achariya Siang Chye for his talk.  Sadhu anumodana.