--- title: "4 Impermanence Quotes By Sogyal Rinpoche" description: "4 Impermanence quotes by Sogyal Rinpoche. Plus more from Sogyal Rinpoche and more Impermanence sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_deception_each-time-the-losses-and-deceptions-of-l_518872.png" --- > [Each time the losses and deceptions of life teach us about impermanence, they bring us closer to the truth. When you fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/each-time-the-losses-and-deceptions-of-life-teach-us-about/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_deception_each-time-the-losses-and-deceptions-of-l_518872.png) > [Ask yourself these two questions: Do I remember at every moment that I am dying, and that everyone and everything else is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/ask-yourself-these-two-questions-do-i-remember-at-every-moment-that-i/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18f/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_all-time_ask-yourself-these-two-questions-do-i-re_1346206.jpg) > [“Taking impermanence truly to heart is to be slowly freed from the idea of grasping, from our flawed and destructive view of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/taking-impermanence-truly-to-heart-is-to-be-slowly-freed-from-the/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_cybersecurity_taking-impermanence-truly-to-heart-is-to_1654522.jpg) > [There would be no chance at all of getting to know death if it happened only once. But fortunately, life is nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/there-would-be-no-chance-at-all-of-getting-to-know-death-if-it/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e26/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_birth_there-would-be-no-chance-at-all-of-getti_3099905.jpg) ## Other authors on Impermanence - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b018/author-nhat-hanh-70939.jpg) Nhat Hanh 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impermanence/nhat-hanh/) ## More by Sogyal Rinpoche > [That goodness is what survives death, a fundamental goodness that is in each and every one of us. The whole of our life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/that-goodness-is-what-survives-death-a-fundamental-goodness-that-is/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) > [Why exactly are we so frightened of death that we avoid looking at it altogether? Somewhere, deep down, we know we cannot avoid facing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/why-exactly-are-we-so-frightened-of-death-that-we-avoid-looking-at-it/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) > [The masters say if you create an auspicious condition in your body and your environment then meditation and realization will automatically arise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/the-masters-say-if-you-create-an-auspicious-condition-in-your-body/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) > [At every moment in our lives we need compassion, but what more urgent moment could there be than when we are dying? What more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/at-every-moment-in-our-lives-we-need-compassion-but-what-more-urgent/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) > [Theories are like patches on a coat, one day they just wear off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/theories-are-like-patches-on-a-coat-one-day-they-just-wear-off/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) > [{While meditating} I sit quietly and rest in the nature of mind; I don't question or doubt whether I am in the "correct" state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/while-meditating-i-sit-quietly-and-rest-in-the-nature-of-mind-i-don-t/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) > [The most essential thing in life is to establish an unafraid, heartfelt communication with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/the-most-essential-thing-in-life-is-to-establish-an-unafraid/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) > [The definition of mantra is "that which protects the mind." That which protects the mind from negativity, or that which protects you from your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/the-definition-of-mantra-is-that-which-protects-the-mind-that-which/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) > [If all we know of mind is the aspect of mind that dissolves when we die, we will be left with no idea of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/if-all-we-know-of-mind-is-the-aspect-of-mind-that-dissolves-when-we/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) > [Western laziness consists of cramming our lives with compulsive activity, so that there is no time at all to confront the real issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/western-laziness-consists-of-cramming-our-lives-with-compulsive/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) > [The key to finding a happy balance in modern lives is simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/the-key-to-finding-a-happy-balance-in-modern-lives-is-simplicity/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) > [The purpose of meditation is to awaken in us the sky-like nature of mind, and to introduce us to that which we really are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/the-purpose-of-meditation-is-to-awaken-in-us-the-sky-like-nature-of/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) > [The real glory of meditation lies not in any method but in its continual living experience of presence, in its bliss, clarity, peace, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/the-real-glory-of-meditation-lies-not-in-any-method-but-in-its/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) > [Samsara is the mind turned outwardly, lost in its projections. Nirvana is the mind turned inwardly, recognizing its true nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/samsara-is-the-mind-turned-outwardly-lost-in-its-projections-nirvana/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) > [“The simplicity of total trust is one of the most powerful forces in the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/the-simplicity-of-total-trust-is-one-of-the-most-powerful-forces-in/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impermanence/sogyal-rinpoche/#itemlist", "name": "4 Impermanence Quotes By Sogyal Rinpoche", "numberOfItems": 4, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Each time the losses and deceptions of life teach us about impermanence, they bring us closer to the truth. When you fall from a great height, there is only one possible place to land: on the ground-the ground of truth. And if you have the understanding that comes from spiritual practice, then falling is in no way a disaster, but the discovery of an inner refuge.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sogyal Rinpoche" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/each-time-the-losses-and-deceptions-of-life-teach-us-about/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_deception_each-time-the-losses-and-deceptions-of-l_518872.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_deception_each-time-the-losses-and-deceptions-of-l_518872.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_deception_each-time-the-losses-and-deceptions-of-l_518872.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Each time the losses and deceptions of life teach us about impermanence, they bring us closer to the truth…” — Sogyal Rinpoche", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ask yourself these two questions: Do I remember at every moment that I am dying, and that everyone and everything else is, and so treat all beings at all times with compassion? Has my understanding of death and impermanence become so keen and so urgent that I am devoting every second to the pursuit of enlightenment? If you can answer \"yes\" to both of these, then you really understand impermanence.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sogyal Rinpoche" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/ask-yourself-these-two-questions-do-i-remember-at-every-moment-that-i/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18f/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_all-time_ask-yourself-these-two-questions-do-i-re_1346206.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18f/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_all-time_ask-yourself-these-two-questions-do-i-re_1346206.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18f/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_all-time_ask-yourself-these-two-questions-do-i-re_1346206.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ask yourself these two questions: Do I remember at every moment that I am dying, and that everyone and…” — Sogyal Rinpoche", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Taking impermanence truly to heart is to be slowly freed from the idea of grasping, from our flawed and destructive view of permanence, from the false passion for security on which we have built everything. Slowly it dawns on us that all the heartache we have been through from grasping at the ungraspable was, in the deepest sense, unnecessary. At the beginning this too may be painful to accept, because it seems so unfamiliar. But as we reflect, and go on reflecting, our hearts and minds go through a gradual transformation. Letting go begins to feel more natural, and becomes easier and easier. It may take a long time for the extent of our foolishness to sink in, but the more we reflect, the more we develop the view of letting go; it is then that a shift takes place in our way of looking at everything.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sogyal Rinpoche" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/taking-impermanence-truly-to-heart-is-to-be-slowly-freed-from-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_cybersecurity_taking-impermanence-truly-to-heart-is-to_1654522.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_cybersecurity_taking-impermanence-truly-to-heart-is-to_1654522.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_cybersecurity_taking-impermanence-truly-to-heart-is-to_1654522.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Taking impermanence truly to heart is to be slowly freed from the idea of grasping, from our flawed and…” — Sogyal Rinpoche", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There would be no chance at all of getting to know death if it happened only once. But fortunately, life is nothing but a continuing dance of birth and death, a dance of change. Every time I hear the rush of a mountain stream, or the waves crashing on the shore, or my own heartbeat, I hear the sound of impermanence. These changes, these small deaths, are our living links with death. They are death's pulses, death's heartbeat, prompting us to let go of all the things we cling to.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sogyal Rinpoche" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/there-would-be-no-chance-at-all-of-getting-to-know-death-if-it/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e26/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_birth_there-would-be-no-chance-at-all-of-getti_3099905.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e26/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_birth_there-would-be-no-chance-at-all-of-getti_3099905.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e26/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_birth_there-would-be-no-chance-at-all-of-getti_3099905.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There would be no chance at all of getting to know death if it happened only once. But fortunately, life is…” — Sogyal Rinpoche", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impermanence/sogyal-rinpoche/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impermanence/sogyal-rinpoche/", "name": "Impermanence Quotes by Sogyal Rinpoche", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impermanence/sogyal-rinpoche/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_deception_each-time-the-losses-and-deceptions-of-l_518872.png" }, "description": "4 Impermanence quotes by Sogyal Rinpoche. Plus more from Sogyal Rinpoche and more Impermanence sayings from other authors.", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impermanence/sogyal-rinpoche/#breadcrumb" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impermanence/sogyal-rinpoche/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Topics", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Impermanence", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impermanence/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "name": "Sogyal Rinpoche", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impermanence/sogyal-rinpoche/" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```