Have you ever clung to a joyful moment, wishing it would last forever? Or struggled through a painful experience, hoping it would quickly end? Life moves constantly — moments arise and pass, emotions swell and subside, people enter and leave, health comes and goes. At the heart of this ever-shifting experience lies a profound teaching from the Buddha:

“All that is subject to arising is subject to ceasing.”

This short yet deeply revealing statement invites us to contemplate the nature of everything we encounter — from thoughts to emotions, from bodies to relationships, from dreams to despair. The Buddha’s insight into impermanence (anicca) is not just philosophical; it is meant to awaken us, to free us from the suffering that comes when we cling to what cannot last.

In this article, we’ll explore the meaning and power of this quote, how it relates to core Buddhist teachings, and how recognizing the truth of impermanence can bring greater peace, presence, and liberation into our daily lives.

Understanding the Quote: Word by Word, Line by Line

“All That Is Subject to Arising…”

This part of the quote refers to anything that begins — anything that comes into being. In Buddhist teachings, this includes not just physical phenomena, but also mental and emotional states. “Arising” can mean the birth of a thought, the start of a mood, the appearance of a form, or the beginning of an experience.

The phrase points to the conditioned nature of existence — things that arise due to causes and conditions. For example:

Nothing arises independently. Everything is part of a vast web of causes — and because of this, everything that arises is inherently unstable.

“…Is Subject to Ceasing”

Here lies the heart of the insight: whatever begins will end.

In Pali, the language of many early Buddhist texts, this is related to the law of anicca — impermanence. The Buddha saw that birth leads inevitably to death, and arising leads naturally to passing away. Just as a wave rises and falls on the ocean, every phenomenon that emerges will also dissolve.

This is not a pessimistic view — it’s a truth of nature. Recognizing it clearly leads to wisdom, not despair. When we accept that everything is temporary, we begin to let go of clinging, and suffering starts to diminish.

The Teaching in Daily Life: Finding Freedom in Change

How does this teaching speak to our everyday experience? Let’s explore a few common situations:

1. Grasping for Pleasure, Avoiding Pain

We often try to hold on to the good and push away the bad. But both are fleeting. A delicious meal, a compliment, a warm afternoon — they all fade. So do insults, discomfort, and rainy days. When we expect the good to last or believe the bad is permanent, we suffer.

The Buddha’s teaching reminds us: nothing stays the same. Understanding this helps us enjoy life’s beauty without clinging, and endure its trials without despair.

2. Relationships and Loss

People come into our lives, and sometimes they leave — through distance, change, or death. If we forget impermanence, we might hold on too tightly or be devastated by loss. Recognizing that everything that arises must also pass doesn’t mean we love less. It means we love more wisely, with gratitude and presence.

3. Mental States and Emotions

Emotions can feel eternal when we’re in the middle of them — like a storm that will never pass. But every feeling, no matter how intense, has a beginning, middle, and end. “This too shall pass” echoes the same truth: all that arises will cease. Knowing this helps us stay present without being overwhelmed.

Connecting to Buddhist Teachings

This quote is central to many of the Buddha’s discourses, especially in the context of dependent origination (paticca samuppāda) and the Three Marks of Existence.

The Three Marks of Existence:

  1. Anicca (Impermanence) — All things are in flux.
  2. Dukkha (Suffering) — Clinging to what is impermanent causes suffering.
  3. Anattā (Not-self) — There is no permanent, unchanging self.

“All that is subject to arising is subject to ceasing” relates directly to anicca, but it also lays the groundwork for insight into dukkha and anattā. Once we see that things come and go, we begin to understand:

The Buddha’s Last Words

This teaching echoes the Buddha’s final words before entering parinibbāna (final nirvana):

“All conditioned things are subject to decay. Strive on with diligence.”

These words — gentle, clear, and urgent — remind us that recognizing impermanence is not just about knowledge, but about practice. We are encouraged not to waste our lives in illusion but to awaken to truth.

Reflective Practice: How to Live This Insight

Bringing this wisdom into daily life doesn’t require dramatic changes. It starts with small moments of mindful awareness.

Try These Practices:

Ask Yourself:

Let It Guide You

The teaching that “All that is subject to arising is subject to ceasing” is not a cold statement of fact — it is a warm light of truth.

It invites us to:

The more we remember this truth, the less we are tossed around by the waves of change. We begin to find stillness in the midst of movement, peace in the heart of impermanence.

“All that is subject to arising is subject to ceasing.”

Let it not just be a quote, but a daily doorway to freedom.