How do you feel when something precious begins to fade?
A loved one drifts away.
A joyful season ends.
Even a beautiful moment slips through your hands before you can fully hold it.

In the heart of Buddhism lies a powerful truth that speaks to this experience of life’s constant movement. A single quote captures this insight with simplicity and depth:

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

These few words, spoken by the Buddha more than 2,500 years ago, are not meant to sadden us. They are a lantern for those walking through life’s inevitable changes — a compass pointing toward peace, not through resistance, but through understanding.

In this article, we will explore this quote word by word, reflect on its wisdom in daily life, connect it to Buddhist teachings, and most importantly, discover how it can soften our grip on what we cannot hold, and help us live more freely.

🧘 Breaking Down the Quote: “All that is subject to arising is subject to ceasing.”

This sentence appears in many foundational discourses in early Buddhism, especially in teachings on dependent origination, anicca (impermanence), and the nature of suffering.

Let’s reflect on each part.

“All that is subject to arising…”

This first half reminds us that all phenomena—whether physical or mental—come into being. They are not eternal. They appear because of causes and conditions.

This includes:

Everything that arises is conditioned. It didn’t appear out of nowhere. And because it’s made of conditions, it is also fragile, fluid, and changing.

Ask yourself: “What has arisen in my life recently? What is new or changing?”

“…is subject to ceasing.”

Whatever comes into being must also fade.
This is not a punishment, but a natural law.

The flower blooms—and wilts.
The anger flares—and softens.
A joyful afternoon arrives—and eventually fades into night.

We often cling to beginnings and fight endings, forgetting that both are part of the same rhythm.

This part of the quote invites us to see clearly: what arises will pass away—not because something is wrong, but because that’s the nature of all things.

Reflection: “What am I afraid of losing right now? Can I sit with that gently?”

Together, the quote gives us this liberating truth:

Everything changes.
Nothing stays.
And from that reality, peace can arise.

🌱 Applying the Teaching to Everyday Life

Impermanence isn’t just a theory — it’s what we live through every day. Recognizing it can transform how we love, how we grieve, and how we grow.

✧ In Relationships

We often want love to remain the same.
We fear change, distance, loss.

But remembering impermanence helps us:

Imagine: If you truly knew this moment with someone was temporary, how would you show up?

✧ In Emotions and Mental States

Sadness, anger, fear — they can feel like they’ll last forever.

But the quote reminds us: feelings arise… and cease.
Even the hardest pain softens. Even anxiety finds rest.

The same goes for joy and excitement. Instead of grasping them tightly, we can simply enjoy, knowing they too will pass.

Practice: When an emotion arises, gently note, “This is arising… this will pass.”

✧ In Success and Failure

Our achievements fade. Our setbacks lose their sting.

Impermanence frees us from tying our worth to outcomes.
It invites us to live with integrity, presence, and flexibility — rather than chasing or fearing what will inevitably shift.

Ask yourself: “Am I clinging to success or failure as if it defines me?”

✧ In Health, Youth, and the Body

No matter how much we care for the body, it ages. Illness comes. Energy changes.

But instead of seeing this as loss, impermanence can help us:

“Can I care for this body while accepting its impermanence?”

📖 Connecting the Quote to Buddhist Teachings

The Three Marks of Existence

Impermanence — anicca — is one of the three characteristics of existence, along with:

Seeing these clearly is the first step to awakening.
Because when we no longer expect permanence, we no longer suffer from its loss.

We begin to meet life as it is, not as we wish it to stay.

The Four Noble Truths

Clinging is the root of suffering. But why do we cling?

Because we believe things should last.

This quote interrupts that delusion gently, saying:

“Friend, it’s okay. Let it pass. It was never meant to stay.”

By seeing the truth of impermanence, we loosen our grip.
And that is where suffering begins to end.

Dependent Origination

In the Buddha’s teaching of Paticca Samuppada (dependent origination), every phenomenon arises from causes—and ceases when those causes fall away.

The quote perfectly reflects this law:

By contemplating this, we begin to understand:
Nothing is “mine” to hold forever.
And this insight brings peace, not fear.

🪷 Reflection and Practice: Making Impermanence Real in Your Life

🌬 Daily Mindfulness: Watch Things Begin and End

Try this:

Silently remind yourself:

“This is arising… this is ceasing.”

This simple awareness plants the seed of freedom.

📔 Journaling Prompts for Gentle Insight

  1. What in my life do I most want to hold on to?
  2. How does impermanence show up in my relationships?
  3. What have I already survived — and what did it teach me?

✧ A Letting Go Practice Before Sleep

At night, reflect:

For each, whisper:

“This arose. This has passed.”
Let it go with gratitude or grace.

This practice softens attachment and strengthens presence.

🫧 Let It Guide You

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

This single quote holds the key to freedom from suffering.
Not by avoiding life’s changes — but by walking through them with awareness, compassion, and openness.

You don’t have to like impermanence. But you can learn to trust it.
You can let it:

The moment you stop clinging to what must fade…
you begin to awaken.

Live gently. Love fully. Let go freely.
Because everything that arises… will pass.
And in that truth, you will find peace.

“All that is subject to arising is subject to ceasing.”
Let this truth settle not just in your mind—but in your life.