1.
all things are impermanent; the transience of all phenomena
A Buddhist teaching that all conditioned things are in constant flux and nothing remains unchanged. One of the most well-known phrases in Japanese literature and philosophy.
諸行無常、すべては移り変わる。
All things are impermanent — everything changes.
祇園精舎の鐘の声、諸行無常の響きあり。
The bells of Gion Monastery echo with the sound of impermanence.
Opening line of The Tale of the Heike.
栄華を誇った城も今は廃墟となり、諸行無常を感じる。
The castle that once boasted of its splendor is now a ruin, making one feel the impermanence of all things.
One of the Three Marks of Existence in Buddhism, expressing that all conditioned phenomena are transient. This phrase is deeply embedded in Japanese culture and literature.
The most famous use is the opening of 平家物語 (The Tale of the Heike): "祇園精舎の鐘の声、諸行無常の響きあり" — a passage that most Japanese people learn in school.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 諸行無常を感じる (to feel the impermanence of things)
- 諸行無常の理 (the truth of impermanence)
Often invoked when reflecting on the passage of time, the fall of the powerful, or the fleeting nature of beauty and success.