Understanding the Three Characteristics of Existence : หน้า 34/207

When we receive fortune, prestige, recognition or happiness, our minds will remain calm, not overwhelmed or attached. A person who is aware of suffering and happiness has trained the mind to be as stable and solid as the earth through meditation practice. When the mind is stilled, we become aware that the Eight Worldly Conditions are impermanent. Fortune rises but can turn into loss. Prestige can fluctuate. We must all face praise, gossip or happiness, which will eventually disappear, in accordance with the *Three Characteristics* (*tilakkhaṇa*): The *Three Characteristics* are the characteristics true of everything in this world. Everything in this world has a value. Gold is valued for it bright shiny color. Diamond is strong. Glass is clear and reflective. Humans have their own minds and thoughts. Whether living or non-living, everything shares these same three characteristics: 1. Impermanence (*aniccāṭa*): means that life is impermanent. We do not remain in the same stage of life. People change over time. How we were yesterday is not the same as how we are today. 2. Suffering (*dukkhāta*): means the state of *suffering*. In this instance, it does not only refer to sorrow and tears, but also to the inability to remain in the same condition, as it will soon diminish. Because of uncertainties, change always occurs, and the end of change means that something diminishes. Even the world we live in continues to change and one day, it will come to an end and disappear. 3. Non-self (*anattā*): means the *soullessness* of everything. It is beyond our control and we cannot withhold it or possess it. For example, we are unable to prevent aging, sickness and death. If we thoroughly examine the body we believe belongs to us, we find there are only blood, tissue, bone, tendons, skin, and other organs that combine together. It is not the real us; it is just a temporary self that will deteriorate over time and will not last forever. People who are unaware of these *Three Characteristics* will be fascinated with or frightened of the *Eight Worldly* Conditions and will, therefore, be in a state of suffering all the time. The Lord Buddha understood the truth of everything in this world. He taught meditation so people could learn to still their minds like the earth that is uninfluenced by the *Eight Worldly Conditions*. Our grandparents always remind us to still our minds like the earth because they were able to see the world through the principles of the *Three Characteristics*. Whether or not we encounter the *8 Worldly Conditions*, we are all subject to these principles. The most important thing in life is that