As time flows, the old leaf withers and falls. New leaves sprout, giving the illusion of progress. As they grow, the old leaf fades, and round and round it goes. Samsara is indeed anicca (anitya) and dukkha. No matter what we do, no matter how much money we store, no matter how wise we become, we age and die one day. Neither knowledge nor wealth can ultimately save us from death. Yet, the desire for growth leads to the births and deaths of countless beings.

In the Tinakattha Sutta, the Buddha asks us to reflect on how many mothers and grandmothers we have lost in samsara: "The generation of one’s mothers and grandmothers would not come to an end, yet, the grass, wood, branches, and twigs throughout India would be used up." (SN 15.1) The sutta reminds us of the endless cycle of birth and death that continues despite our efforts and the inevitability of loss.

Similarly, in the Assu Sutta, the Buddha advises us to contemplate loss: "Indeed, how many times have we wept over the deaths of mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters across endless cycles of rebirth? The tears we have shed in this wandering, driven by ignorance and craving, surpass the waters of the four great oceans." (SN 15.3)

What have we gained from countless years of striving in samsara? What was the point of the achievements of all our forefathers who have long gone? Death stands as nature's inevitable reminder to humanity—a truth that often goes unheeded due to humanity's relentless craving for material pursuits.

From the Buddhist perspective, material pursuits are a futile chase that brings more and more agitation, akin to fire that fuels more flames, and drives us further away from satiety and inner peace. On the contrary, our education system glorifies studying, continuous achievement, and material success, concealing the fact that we will turn into dust one day, bringing an end to all our achievements: "Like massive boulders, mountains pressing against the sky, moving in from all sides, crushing the four directions, so do aging and death come rolling over all living beings: kings, wise men, merchants, workers, outcastes, & scavengers. They spare nothing. They trample everything." (SN 3.25)

Unaware of this truth, the world tends to glorify growth, often ignoring death. It isn't unusual to see uncompassionate grandchildren studying inside closed rooms and dreaming of money while their grandparents lie on the floor—awaiting death! This starkly reminds us how fleeting and ultimately futile our pursuits are, and that our true future is death. Yet, this truth is often ignored, and compassion remains undervalued.

Instead of blindly studying the teachings of the world, it is essential to observe the dhamma (nature) of the world with insight: "Be a lamp upon yourself, making yourself the guide, taking no other as the guide"—as the Buddha emphasized. (DN 16)

It is worth noting that despite studying for thousands of years, mankind has achieved nothing truly remarkable—humans age, die, and decay like they did a thousand years ago. The cycle of aging and death remains unchanged, untouched by the advancements of civilization and culture. Human achievements, no matter how grand they are, are bound to be trampled upon by death.

As the Buddha observed, have we not chased enough mirages? Have we not wept enough over our losses in samsara? This is more than enough for us to become disenchanted with all sankharas, more than enough to become dispassionate towards them and be liberated from them.

His teachings advise us to see through the illusion of growth and success, to understand that all sankharas (conditioned things) are transient and ultimately unsatisfactory, and to turn inward in search of nibbana.

The Buddha says that recognizing impermanence is the key to awakening. When we recognize impermanence and death, and cultivate metta (maitri) (compassion) towards all living beings, our craving for growth in this world diminishes. The more we reflect on the inevitability of death, the more we are drawn to seek liberation, to free ourselves from the endless suffering in samsara.

And in this realization, we find the true purpose of our existence: to transcend samsara and to be free from all suffering. As the Metta Sutta states, may we sincerely cultivate boundless metta towards all living beings, while remaining mindful of the impermanent nature of everything in samsara:

"Wishing in gladness and in safety, may all beings be happy—whatever beings there may be. As a mother protects with her life, her child, her only child, so with a boundless heart, should one cherish all living beings. By not holding to fixed views, the pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision, being freed from all sense desires, is not born again into this world." (SN 1.8)

In the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, the Buddha concludes that "Impermanence is the nature of all sankharas (conditioned things). Their nature is to arise and finally pass away. When the arising ceases, the cessation brings true peace." (DN 16)