Shinzen Young is a meditation teacher, and excerpt above is taken from his book 'Science of Enlightenment.'
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you relate to the perception "impermanence is meditating me?" Can you share an experience of a time you were able to accept harsher kinds of impermanence? What helps you develop an acceptance of the harsher kinds of impermanence?
My reflection: I am very aware that change is constant and nothing is permanent. This life and every aspect of life is impermanent. That's how life is. We abide in impermanence, know it or not, and to a great degree I abide in awareness of the impermanence of life. Awareness of impermanence makes acceptance of even harsher kinds of impermanence easier for me. Harsher kinds of impermanence currently in the foreground of my life are my declinig abilities and to a greater degree serious illnesses and deaths of loved ones. Awareness of and acceptance of impermanence are comforting for me, bring me peace, and in that sense are at least at times meditating me, eliminating unnecessary fretting, getting me to basic being.
Meditation to me is training the mind to cultivate skills of unwavering concentration and non-judgmental acceptance. It creates a state of witnessing consciousness in which things come and go, perceptions of all kinds of impermance. When I do not get attached to the changing scenario of impermanence, pleasant or unpleasant, I do not perceive the distinction between "me meditating impermanence" and "impermanance meditating me." The distinction between subject and object goes away in such unitary state of consciousness.
For me the harsher kinds of impermanence are the passing aways of people close to me. Practicing mindfulness meditation has gradually helped me to accept such harsher kinds of impermanence. It has taken time for me to heal such deep wounds. Sharing my deep sadness with my family and freinds close to me along with doing the inner work mindfully have helped me to accept such harsher kinds of impermanence. It takes time to heal such wounds.