How to Contemplate the Impermanence of All Conditioned Things (I)

Arising-ceasing and alteration—these two dharmas reveal the impermanence of all formations; arising, ceasing, and alteration are themselves suffering, and impermanence is suffering. Contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) on the impermanence of all formations is precisely contemplative practice of the truth of suffering, and the truth of suffering is non-self. Based on the original text of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, fascicle thirty-four, the contemplative practice on the impermanence of all formations is summarized as follows.

The formations of which the Buddha spoke as impermanent are of roughly two kinds: the first is the world of sentient beings, and the second is the material (insentient) world. The Buddha said: 我以过人清净天眼。观诸有情死时生时。广说乃至身坏已后。当生善趣天世界中。 The World-Honored One, with the pure divine eye, directly perceives that the entire world of sentient beings is impermanent in nature. Whatever dharma the Buddha sees—whether worldly or supramundane—is entirely directly perceived; there is no inferential deliberation that is not directly perceived, nor erroneous conjecture, because His wisdom is ultimately and perfectly complete. Sentient beings' seeing of dharmas falls into three kinds: direct perception, inference, and erroneous cognition; the Buddha's seeing is entirely direct perception. As for the impermanence of the material world, one may consult the Qishi Yin'yuan Jing (Sutra on the Origins of the World) within the Dīrghāgama, which describes the arising, abiding, alteration, and ceasing of the material world.

How is the impermanence of all formations to be confirmed? Through the power of intensified mental engagement (adhimātramanaskārabala) of pure faith, the practitioner cultivating contemplation gains certainty regarding the impermanent nature of all formations. Then, by such power of intensified mental engagement of pure faith, one repeatedly and again deliberates and observes the impermanent nature. The dharmas observed are, first, internal phenomena, namely the six bases of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind; and second, sixteen kinds of external phenomena such as food, clothing, dwelling, use, and travel: land affairs, garden phenomena, mountain phenomena, water phenomena, action phenomena, storehouse phenomena, food phenomena, drink phenomena, vehicle phenomena, clothing phenomena, ornament phenomena, dance, song, and music, scents, garlands, and unguents, necessities of life, lights and illumination, and attendance by men and women. For the detailed methods of contemplative practice, see the treatise.

One observes the impermanence of internal and external phenomena by observing their process of alteration. The internal phenomena of the six bases have fifteen kinds of alteration: 1. alterations produced by stages (分位); 2. alterations produced by visible color; 3. alterations produced by shape; 4. alterations produced by rise and decline; 5. alterations produced by the limbs and joints being intact or impaired; 6. alterations produced by toil; 7. alterations produced by harm from others; 8. alterations produced by cold and heat; 9. alterations produced by deportment; 10. alterations produced by contact; 11. alterations produced by defilement; 12. alterations produced by illness; 13. alterations produced by death; 14. alterations produced by bluish discoloration and the like; 15. alterations produced by total disappearance and complete extinction.

1. 云何寻思（观察）分位所作变坏无常之性。谓由观见或自或他从少年位。乃至老位诸行相续前后差别。互不相似。见是事已便作是念。如是诸行其性无常。何以故。此内分位前后变异现可得故。

2. 云何寻思显色所作变异无常之性。谓由观见或自或他先有妙色肌肤鲜泽。后见恶色肌肤枯槁。复于后时还见妙色肌肤鲜泽。见是事已便作是念。如是诸行其性无常。何以故。此内显色前后变异现可得故。

3. 云何寻思形色所作变异无常之性。谓如说显色。如是形色由肥瘦故。应知亦尔。

4. 云何寻思兴衰所作变异无常之性。谓由观见或自或他先时眷属财位。戒见悉皆兴盛。后见一切皆悉衰损。复于后时还见兴盛。见是事已便作是念。如是诸行其性无常。何以故。兴衰变异现可得故。

5. 云何寻思支节所作变异无常之性。谓由观见或自或他先时支节无有缺减。后时观见支节缺减。或王所作或贼所作。或人所作或非人作。见是事已便作是念。如是诸行其性无常。

6. 云何寻思劬劳所作变异无常之性。谓由观见或自或他身疲劳性。身疲极性。或驰走所作。或跳踊所作。或趒踯所作。或骗骑所作。或作种种迅疾身业。复于余时见彼远离疲劳疲极。见是事已便作是念。如是诸行其性无常。

7. 云何寻思他所损害所作变异无常之性。谓由观见或自或他。他所损害其身变异。或由刀杖鞭革皮绳矛槊等坏。或由种种蚊虻蛇蝎诸恶毒触之所损害。复于余时见不变异。见是事已。便作是念。如是诸行其性无常。

8. 云何寻思寒热所作变异无常之性。谓由观见或自或他于正寒时身不舒泰。踡局战栗寒冻缠逼希遇温阳。于正热时身体舒泰。奋身干语雨月永霂流汗。热渴缠逼希遇清凉。复至寒时还见。如前所说相状。见是事已。便作是念。如是诸行其性无常。

9. 云何寻思威仪所作变异无常之性。谓由观见或自或他。行住坐卧随一威仪。或时为损或时为益。见是事已。便作是念。如是诸行其性无常。

10. 云何寻思触对所作变异无常之性。谓由触对顺乐受触领乐触。缘所生乐时自能了别乐受分位。如能了别乐受分位。如是了别苦受分位不苦不乐受分位。应知亦尔。彼由了别如是诸受前后变异。是新新性非故故性。或增或减暂时而有。率尔现前寻即变坏。知是事已。便作是念。如是诸行其性无常。

11. 云何观察杂染所作变异无常之性。谓能了知先所生起。或有贪心或离贪心。或有瞋心或离瞋心。或有痴心或离痴心。又能了知随一一种诸随烦恼所染污心。又能了知随一一种诸随烦恼不染污心。又能了知彼心相续由诸烦恼及随烦恼。于前后位趣入变坏不变坏性。见是事已便作是念。如是诸行其性无常。何以故。心由杂染所作变异现可得故。

12. 云何观察疾病所作变异无常之性。谓由观见或自或他。先无疾病安乐强盛。后时观见或自或他遭重病苦。触对猛利身诸苦受。如前广说。复于余时还见无病安乐强盛。见是事已。便作是念。如是诸行其性无常。

13. 云何观察终没所作变异无常之性。谓由观见今时存活安住支持。复于余时观见死没。唯有尸骸空无心识。见是事已。便作是念。如是诸行其性无常。

14. 云何观察青瘀等所作变异无常之性。谓由观见死已尸骸。或于一时至青瘀位。或于一时至脓烂位。如是乃至骨锁之位。见是事已。便作是念。如是诸行其性无常。

15. 云何观察一切不现尽灭所作变坏无常之性。谓由观见彼于余时此骨锁位。亦复不现皆悉败坏离散磨灭遍一切种眼不复见。见是事已。便作是念。如是诸行其性无常。何以故。如是色相数数改转。前后变异现可得故。