““As a matter of historical fact, Japan has suffered far less from wars, famines, and floods than China, for example, where these disasters have resulted in the loss of millions of lives and the destruction of much of China’s perishable physical heritage… Italy, likewise, has endured volcanoes and earthquakes far more severe than Japan has ever experienced, yet ‘impermanence’ is not the abiding theme of Italian or Chinese literature. That it so dominates Japanese thought may have something to do with the ancient desire for Wa, ‘peace’ or ‘stasis.’ Any sudden change, whether in politics or the weather, is an insult to Wa. Hence the fear of and fascination with ‘impermanence.””
![“The world is impermanent. [All things change. Knowing this helps you see the end of any difficulty and thereby have hope.]” quote by Ramakrishna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0fc/ramakrishna-2451_all-things_the-world-is-impermanent-all-things-chan_2464854.jpg)
