Sunnudagr

I thought to drop a few lines on impermanence and karma.

First Karma is by intent. There are two ways really and two paths and two results which are symbolized by the two leafs of the Ajna or Agna chakra or the chakra of will. One is living by default or at the whims of passions and unfulfilled desires within repetitive cycles which unfold with certain frequencies. If the cycles go on by the cycles of the sun that is 12 and a quarter years that means that seeking liberation is to be pursued. The other way to live is by intent. Intent comes about by refining desire through experiencing opposites and choosing what we want to experience!

That's how the life lived by intent unfolds: you ask, The Universe organizes the details of what you asked for and you allow to receive what you asked for. Allowing is what meditation is.

The other part of the spectrum is that people ask anyway all the time, The Universe is pilling up the responses to what they asked for and people are resisting the unfolding of life by focusing on lack and asking some more from a place of lack.

Regarding impermanence. There is gross impermanence and subtle impermanence. With gross impermanence the continuum of the phenomena comes to an end. Like a season or a calendar year. Soubtle impermanence refers to a moment to moment change. There are phenomena whose continuum undergoes momentary change but it wont't come to an end unless right effort is exerted and the there phenomena whose continuum never comes to an end like the mind.

Buddha taught on impermanence in what is known as the first seal:

All composite things are impermanent. 

This was taught to address one type of ignorance that is

Ignorance that misconceives impermanent phenomena as permanent

In order to understand what permanence is one needs to look into the teachings that Buddha taught at Vaishali or what is known as The Third Turning of the Wheel of Dharma. At Vaishali Bodhisattva Paramarthasamudgata on behalf of other Bodhisattvas asked Buddha to clarify the apparent contradictions of the Teachings on the Four Noble Truths given at Sarnath in Varanasi, also known as The First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma, and the teachings given at Rajgirh where Aryabhagavati Prajnaparamita Hridaya Sutra or Heart Sutra was expounded, also known as The Second Turning of The Wheel of Dharma.

In response to the question by Bodhisattva Paramarthasamudgata Buddha taught on the Three Natures.

To understand the Three Natures think of something.

Whatever you thought of can be classified in one of the two categories: either existent or non-existent.

What exists should either be Permanent Phenomena or Impermanent Phenomena. What is Permanent in turn can be classified as Ultimate Reality and Permanent Phenomena other than Ultimate Reality.

Impermanent phenomena is synonymous with Other-Powered Nature or Dependent Nature.

Ultimate reality is synonymous with Thoroughly Established Nature.

Non-existence and Permanent Phenomena other than Ultimate Reality fall under Imputed Nature.

So in light of the 4 tenets and the teachings on the Three Natures here is how the teachings expounded on each Turning of the Wheel of Dharma look like:

1st turning of the wheel of Dharma, location Sarnath Varanasi, Tenets expounded Vaibashika and Sautrantika whereas those who attended heard that the four Noble Truths exist truly that is Buddha meant that Other Powered Nature (a phenomena or a thing that comes into existence by the power of other causes and conditions) or Dependent Nature and Thoroughly Established Nature exist truly.

2nd turning of the wheel of Dharma, location Rajgirh, Tenet expounded Madhyamaka (of which there are two Svatantrika and Prasagika) whereas those who attended Chittamatra and Madhyamaka heard that Imputed Nature (imputed by the mind who do not have a substance that is imaginary - in contrast flowers have substance) doesn't exist truly. Aryabhagavati Prajnaparamita Hridaya Sutra (The Perfection of Wisdom Sutra or Heart Sutra).

3rd turning of wheel of Dharma in response to the question asked by Bodhisattva Paramarthasamudgata, one of the ten Bodhisattvas who asked questions at Vaishali, for Bhagavan to dispel the aparent contradictions from the teachings of the first and second turning of the wheel of Dharma. Tenet expounded Chittamatra where those who asked (Chittamatra) heard of the Three Natures: Imputed Nature, Other-powered Nature or Dependent Nature, Thoroughly Established Nature.

So when impermanence is referred to is usually soubtle impermance that is being talked to, that is do not think you have a permanent Self or otherwise said independent I or Will or Atman.

To best understand the teachings one needs to understand a bit of the context or Brahmanic India at the time of Buddha Gautama which reached the peak of idealism hence the teachings on a permanent soul or Atman.

In turn Buddha taught on Anatman which is naively perceived as nihilisim. Instead he is saying don't think that you have a permanent self but instead the continuum of your mind, which never ends, undergoes moment to moment change, that is undergoes birth, death and rebirth, which will not cease unless right effort is applied.