I have noticed that some people are uncomfortable when they are told that change is a fundamental part of life, or that nothing lasts forever. Yet impermanence is just a basic fact of our existence—it is neither good nor bad in itself. When we face impermanence wisely, we have an opportunity to cultivate a more constructive way of relating to that reality. If we do so, we can actually learn to feel at ease in the face of unexpected change, and work comfortably with whatever new situations might occur.

17th Karmapa

from the book The Heart Is Noble: Changing the World from the Inside Out

translated by Ngodup Tsering Burkhar & Damchö Diana Finnegan


Read a random quote or see all quotes by the 17th Karmapa.

Further quotes from the book The Heart Is Noble:

• Boxed limitless potential
• Nothing is intrinsically bad
• Protective Inner Wisdom
• Taking delight in your inner nature
• Reality is your teacher
• Healthy relationships
• There are no fixed starting points
• A noble vision
• Disconnected from our own noble heart
• Authentic love toward others
• Capacity for Change
• Finding our nobility of heart
• Loving Responsibility
• Difference without Division
• Our relationship to the material world
• Open-minded
• There are no fixed starting points
• Just Love
• My trust is a gift
• Our life is vast