Anicca

Anicca(Impermanence)

"Impermanence is one of the Three Marks of Existence. The term expresses the Buddhist notion that all things and experiences are inconstant, unsteady, and impermanent. Everything we can experience through our senses is made up of parts, and its existence is dependent on external conditions. Everything is in constant flux, and so conditions and the thing itself are constantly changing. Things are constantly coming into being, and ceasing to be. Nothing lasts"(Wikipedia).

"Nothing in nature is identical with what it was the moment before"(Huston Smith).

Smith, Huston. "The worlds Religions." Harper Collins. New York, New York.

Huston Smith is widely regarded as the most eloquent and accessible contemporary authority on the history of religions. He has taught at Washington University, M.I.T., Syracuse University, and the University of California at Berkeley.

This idea of impermanence is an extremely important part of Buddhist teaching. Buddha taught that the only way to be truly free was to let go of all things permanent and accept time and change, loss and gain. While looking through these family movies I have seen relatives who have passed away or who I no longer see. I have been able to watch my grandmother grow up. From her birth to her first steps and even one of her first dates with my grandfather. Life is a continuous cycle. Everything starts an d every will at some point come to an end. These family videos act as memories. These otherwise intangible things that cannot be seen are able to be seen. Being able to capture that which is impermanent, through still or moving images, is extraordinary.This is probably one of my main attractions to photography. The Buddhist teachings I have brought up so far are interesting components to my project.