Buddha Quotes on Impermanence, from the Dhammapada

“Heedfulness is the state free of death; heedlessness is the state of death. The heedful do not die, while the heedless are like the dead.”

Appamādo amatapadaṁ, pamādo maccuno padaṁ; Appamattā na mīyanti, ye pamattā yathā matā.

“Knowing this body’s like foam, realizing it’s all just a mirage, and cutting off Māra’s blossoming, vanish from the King of Death.”

Pheṇūpamaṁ kāyamimaṁ viditvā, Marīcidhammaṁ abhisambudhāno; Chetvāna mārassa papupphakāni, Adassanaṁ maccurājassa gacche.

“As a mighty flood sweeps off a sleeping village, death steals away a man even as he gathers flowers, his mind caught up in them.”

Pupphāni heva pacinantaṁ, byāsattamanasaṁ naraṁ; Suttaṁ gāmaṁ mahoghova, maccu ādāya gacchati.

“When the teaching is well explained, the people who practice accordingly will cross over Death’s dominion so hard to pass.”

Ye ca kho sammadakkhāte, dhamme dhammānuvattino; Te janā pāramessanti, maccudheyyaṁ suduttaraṁ.

“Better to live a single day seeing the state free of death than to live a hundred years blind to the state free of death.”

Yo ca vassasataṁ jīve, apassaṁ amataṁ padaṁ; Ekāhaṁ jīvitaṁ seyyo, passato amataṁ padaṁ.

“Not in midair, nor mid-ocean, nor hiding in a mountain cleft; you’ll find no place on the planet where you won’t be vanquished by death.”

Na antalikkhe na samuddamajjhe, Na pabbatānaṁ vivaraṁ pavissa; Na vijjatī so jagatippadeso, Yatthaṭṭhitaṁ nappasaheyya maccu. Pāpavaggo navamo.

“All tremble at the rod, all fear death. Treating others like oneself, neither kill nor incite to kill.”

Sabbe tasanti daṇḍassa, sabbe bhāyanti maccuno; Attānaṁ upamaṁ katvā, na haneyya na ghātaye.

“Creatures love happiness, so if you harm them with a stick in search of your own happiness, after death you won’t find happiness.”

Sukhakāmāni bhūtāni, yo daṇḍena vihiṁsati; Attano sukhamesāno, pecca so na labhate sukhaṁ.

“Creatures love happiness, so if you don’t harm them with a stick in search of your own happiness, after death you will find happiness.”

Sukhakāmāni bhūtāni, yo daṇḍena na hiṁsati; Attano sukhamesāno, pecca so labhate sukhaṁ.

“As a cowherd drives the cows to pasture with the rod, so too old age and death drive life from living beings.”

Yathā daṇḍena gopālo, gāvo pājeti gocaraṁ; Evaṁ jarā ca maccu ca, āyuṁ pājenti pāṇinaṁ.

“Not nudity, nor matted hair, nor mud, nor fasting, nor lying on bare ground, nor wearing dust and dirt, or squatting on the heels, will cleanse a mortal not free of doubt.”

Na naggacariyā na jaṭā na paṅkā, Nānāsakā thaṇḍilasāyikā vā; Rajojallaṁ ukkuṭikappadhānaṁ, Sodhenti maccaṁ avitiṇṇakaṅkhaṁ.

“This body is decrepit and frail, a nest of disease. This foul carcass falls apart, for life ends in death.”

Parijiṇṇamidaṁ rūpaṁ, roganīḷaṁ pabhaṅguraṁ; Bhijjati pūtisandeho, maraṇantañhi jīvitaṁ.

“In this city built of bones, plastered with flesh and blood, old age and death are stashed away, along with conceit and contempt.”

Aṭṭhīnaṁ nagaraṁ kataṁ, maṁsalohitalepanaṁ; Yattha jarā ca maccu ca, māno makkho ca ohito.

“Look upon the world as a bubble or a mirage, then the King of Death won’t see you.”

Yathā pubbuḷakaṁ passe, yathā passe marīcikaṁ; Evaṁ lokaṁ avekkhantaṁ, maccurājā na passati.

“It’s hard to gain a human birth; the life of mortals is hard; it’s hard to hear the true teaching; the arising of Buddhas is hard.”

Kiccho manussapaṭilābho, kicchaṁ maccāna jīvitaṁ; Kicchaṁ saddhammassavanaṁ, kiccho buddhānamuppādo.

“Make an island of yourself! Swiftly strive, learn to be wise! Purged of stains, flawless, you’ll not come again to rebirth and old age.”

So karohi dīpamattano, Khippaṁ vāyama paṇḍito bhava; Niddhantamalo anaṅgaṇo, Na punaṁ jātijaraṁ upehisi.

“All conditions are impermanent— when this is seen with wisdom, one grows disillusioned with suffering: this is the path to purity.”

“Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā”ti, yadā paññāya passati; Atha nibbindati dukkhe, esa maggo visuddhiyā.

“As a mighty flood sweeps away a sleeping village, death steals away a man who dotes on children and cattle, his mind caught up in them.”

Taṁ puttapasusammattaṁ, byāsattamanasaṁ naraṁ; Suttaṁ gāmaṁ mahoghova, maccu ādāya gacchati.

“Let go of the past, let go of the future, let go of the present, having gone beyond rebirth. With your heart freed in every respect, you’ll not come again to rebirth and old age.”

Muñca pure muñca pacchato, Majjhe muñca bhavassa pāragū; Sabbattha vimuttamānaso, Na punaṁ jātijaraṁ upehisi.

“Whenever they are mindful of the rise and fall of the aggregates, they feel rapture and joy: that is freedom from death for one who knows.”

Yato yato sammasati, khandhānaṁ udayabbayaṁ; Labhatī pītipāmojjaṁ, amataṁ taṁ vijānataṁ.

“They have no clinging, knowledge has freed them of indecision, they’ve arrived at the objective, freedom from death: that’s who I declare a brahmin.”

Yassālayā na vijjanti, aññāya akathaṅkathī; Amatogadhamanuppattaṁ, tamahaṁ brūmi brāhmaṇaṁ.