Application of Impermanence in Secular Life

By K.S.Chow

Introduction

More than two decades ago in the 1970s, seedless watermelons with yellow juicy fresh were non-existent. In those days, waterbelons were not as cheap as the watermelons today. We identified  watermelons as fruits which had seeds and red juicy fresh. The characteristic features of seeds and red juicy fresh were believed to be the permanent genes of watermelon fruits. Today, genetic engineering has successfully transformed the immutability of  hereditary  genes or   genetic factors  which are perceived as the self-natures or intrinsic natures of  watermelon fruits. Before the emergence of genetic engineering, it was taught in the schools that the genes are immutable substances which are transmitted from the parent organism to offsprings from generation to generation. The scientific theory of the permanence of genetic factors is not compatible or contradicts with the Gotama Buddha’s exposition of the Buddhist doctrine of Impermanence (anicca). Buddhist doctrine of Dependent Co-arising also categorically rejects the existence of any permanent, immutable  substance, such as self-nature or intrinsic nature. In fact, the Buddha rejects any absolute existence or absolute non-existence. The former is associated with the view of eternalism and latter pertains to the view of annihilationism. Nāgājuna, the champion of Mahāyānism, apologizes the Word of the Buddha in his celebrated, widely read Mūlamādhyamakakārikā (MMK)  thus :

Those who perceive self-nature as well as other nature, existence as well as non-existence,  do not perceive the truth embodied  in the Buddha’s message.
MMK.15.6

In the admonition to Kātyāyana, the two theories (implying) ‘exists’ and ‘does not exist’ have been refuted by the Blessed  One who is adept in existence as well as in non-existence.
MMK.15.7

Both verses in MMK deny the existence of permanent or immutable self-nature or own nature. From Buddhist perspective, genes cannot be permanent and immutable. Subsequent modern genetic engineering certifies the truth of Impermanence expounded by the Buddha.

Genetic Engineering

Genes connote permanent self-natures or intrinsic natures or absolute existences. Therefore, the knowledge of genes in the past conflicts with the authentic tenet  of the Buddha. The modern genetic engineering has successfully transformed the genetic traits of any organism. This verifies that genes are not permanent substances which are immutable. The modern genetic engineering knowledge concurs with the Buddhist doctrine of Impermanence (anicca).  

Impermanence is Hope

Genetic engineering is capable of transforming the genetic information and hence the qualities of an individual, such as intelligence, beauty, life span, health and so forth of the living organisms. As all human beings are empty of any permanent substance called self-nature or intrinsic nature, it is hoped that the genetic engineering will one day transform the racial genes of all human beings so that the modern human beings in the years to come will not be identified racially and discriminatively as either as Americans, Japanese, Chinese, Indians, Koreans, Europeans, Vietnamese, Thais, Malays, Australians, Africans and so forth. Because of the ultimate truth of Emptiness of all phenomena, this is pertinent. Nāgārjuna in his MMK affirms thus :

Everything is pertinent for whom emptiness is proper. Everything is not pertinent  for whom the empty is not proper.
MMK.24.14

The two universal characteristics of all conditioned phenomena, namely, Impermanence, and Insubstantiality or Emptiness offer us hope if the qualities of the conditions manageable by us are within our  controls and influences. Life is not absolutely fatalistically determined. Qualities of conditions forming a totality or system can be managed. Conditions of  phenomena, events or occurrences related to our interests, welfare and wellbeing can usually be improved or enhanced if we exercise our mundane wisdom.

Laziness or idleness, poverty, procrastination,  indiscipline are  not  permanent substances. All phenomena are conditioned. Success or failure, productivity or non-productivity, concentration or distraction, morality or immorality and so forth are all conditioned. They are all empty and are not permanent, unalterable entities. To upgrade the quality of our lives, what are to be done are just to condition our  performances with wholesome kammas or cankerless actions. If we manage the five aggregates  excellently, we’ll certainly manage our lives excellently. The five aggregates are not permanent substances. They can be modified or fine-tuned by exercising knowledge or wisdom.

Supramundane and Mundane

Intuitive discernment of Impermanence constitutes an important aspect of Buddhist wisdom. In fact, its insightful penetration leads to self-enlightenment. Buddhist insight is known as supramundane wisdom or right view. Supramundane wisdom can be utilized to improve or enhance mundane wisdom in secular performances or works. The doctrine of Impermanence can be utilized in modern industrial methods known as Quality Control Circle (QCC) and Total Quality Management (TQM) through brain-storming meetings. QCC and TQM managers and subordinates believe that quality of production and service can be improved by supervising or managing conditions of the production or service systems or departments. Related to Impermanence is the Buddhist central doctrine of Dependent Co-arising. This doctrine states that all phenomena are dependently co-arisen from a cluster of contigent conditions. The Abhidhamma of the Theravāda Tradition informs us that there is a total of 24

24 conditional relations which govern all phenomena of the empirical world. Every condition is impermanent but not independent. It is related to all other conditions constituting the whole system.  In office administration or industrial production, conditions  can either  be replaced  or abandoned if found defective. They  can be either be improved or upgraded if found necessary. Therefore, it is evident  that the secular or mundane world help us understand the law of Dependent Co-arising. And it is also in the secular environment, the knowledge of Dependent Co-arising can be utilized to manage production and service. The knowledge of Dependent Co-arising is actually the wisdom of interdependence and interrelationship  which can be applied in a system  as small as the microcosm of the human personality or in an infinite system  as infinite as the macrocosm of the cosmos. The business system is a sub-system of the human world which is a sub-system of the cosmos. All phenomena merge into the unity of a system; all subsystems merge into the totality of the infinite cosmos. This is Hua-yen Buddhist concept of the network of interdependence (dharmadhātu-pratītyasamupāda). It evidences that Dharma is not divorced from conventional reality. Whoever discerns Dharmma is able to capitalize fruitfully the conventional reality to create or earn economic wealth. According to Gotama Buddha, economic wealth righteously earned and utilized is conducive to human happiness.  Owing to impermanence as the true nature of things, an undertaking or endeavour can be conditioned either to success or failure. The result or consequence is contigent upon many factors or conditions one of which is the human personality which is itself  impermanent but  is the primary condition.