พระอาจารย์อธิบายว่าธรรมทั้งปวงเป็นเพียงเครื่องมือที่ธรรมชาติ 3 ฝ่ายใช้ควบคุมสรรพสัตว์ ไม่ใช่ตัวตนที่แท้จริง จึงไม่เที่ยงและแปรเปลี่ยนได้เสมอ พร้อมชี้แจงว่าการตีความว่านิพพานคือความว่างเปล่านั้นคลาดเคลื่อน และสรุปด้วยความสำคัญของความไม่ประมาทPra Ajarn explains that all phenomena are merely tools the three natures use to govern living beings, not a true self, and are therefore always impermanent and changeable — clarifying that the interpretation of nibbana as mere emptiness is mistaken, and closing with the importance of heedfulness.
Someone asked: in the morning chant that goes rupam anatta, vedana anatta, sanna anatta, sankhara anatta, vinnanam anatta, sabbe anicca, sabbe sankhara anicca, sabbe dhamma anatta-ti — what does "sabbe dhamma anatta" mean? I've heard that some venerable monks interpret it as meaning all conditioned things are impermanent, to the point that nibbana itself becomes a kind of emptiness, a zero.
Dhamma Is Merely a Tool of the Three Natures
Dhamma-qualities are tools that , unwholesome, and neutral-unwholesome natures use to govern all living beings. Whichever side manages to take hold of the mind uses its own particular tool — boredom, stress, irritation, greed, aversion, delusion. At one moment the wholesome side takes hold and uses its tools; at another side takes hold and uses its own. They alternate constantly. If we learn to understand this, we can put Dhamma to good use ourselves; if we never learn it, we simply can't use it. The reason it sometimes works and sometimes doesn't comes down to our varying level of faith and confidence, and to the fact that defilement is sometimes strong and sometimes weak.
Impermanence Arises Because the Three Natures Take Turns Governing the Mind
Impermanence arises because the three natures take turns entering and governing our mind. One moment we're good, the next we're not; one moment a friend seems good, the next they don't — because the wholesome or unwholesome nature alternates in possessing the mind. Even our own mind shifts back and forth constantly, because each of the three natures takes its turn possessing it as well.
Form, Feeling, Perception, Mental Formations, and Consciousness Are All Impermanent and Not a True Self
Form is not a true, fixed self. Feeling — sometimes happy, sometimes suffering — shifts depending on whether the unwholesome or wholesome side has taken hold. Perception, meaning memory, shifts according to whoever governs the mind at that moment. Mental formations, meaning conceptual thought, are likewise not a fixed self, shifting according to whichever nature is directing them. Consciousness carries the mind onward to be reborn, playing out whatever role has been shaped for it. None of this, therefore, is our true, fixed self. Understanding this, we should not cling to any particular thought or feeling as permanently "me" or permanently "them" — because even someone who once said or did something unkind to us was not acting from their true self in that moment; it was simply the unwholesome nature possessing their mind at that time. Understanding this as it truly is, we no longer hold onto anger or resentment.
All Conditioned Things Are Impermanent, All Dhammas Are Not-Self
All conditioned things are impermanent, and all dhammas are not-self, because Dhamma-qualities are themselves merely tools shaped by the three natures. Since all thoughts are impermanent, shifting according to whichever nature happens to possess the mind at a given moment, we should never fix our idea of ourselves or of another person around any particular thought or feeling. What was once one way in the past can always change and develop into something else in the future — because nothing is ever truly fixed or permanent.
Conditions and Environment Also Affect This Impermanence
Beyond the three natures themselves, the surrounding environment and various conditions also affect this impermanence — much like a car running on fuel of different grades performs differently depending on the quality of fuel used. If we live in a good environment, with good s, good teachers, and a good community, this nurtures the growth of our faith, wisdom, , concentration, and effort. Someone who was once poor can become wealthy; someone who was once unwholesome in character can transform into someone who reaches the Dhamma — because nothing is ever fixed, and everything can always be developed and corrected.
Life Within Samsara Is Likewise Impermanent
Even when the wholesome side has already placed a reward for us on life's timeline, its arrival still depends on whatever unwholesome karmic results intervene along the way. Life is therefore impermanent — one moment ascending to heaven, the next falling to hell. Doing good in this life might lead to heaven, yet in the next life, meeting unfavorable conditions could lead to hell instead. Everything within the cycle of rebirth is impermanent.
Heedfulness Matters Most, Precisely Because Nothing Is Permanent
Since everything is impermanent, the single most important thing is heedfulness — cultivating continuous, unwavering mindfulness, practicing it again and again, so the wholesome side increasingly governs our mind. With eyes open, cultivate ; with eyes closed, cultivate to enter the inner dimension and connect with the inner knower and the empowered one who can help resolve our difficulties. Never leave your life to drift according to circumstance — because if we don't create the conditions for the wholesome side to govern, the unwholesome and neutral-unwholesome sides will step in and direct us instead. But if we stay aware and continually cooperate with the wholesome side, our life will gradually, steadily improve.