“All Conditioned Things Are Impermanent” (Dhp 277–279)
In three short, parallel verses, the Dhammapada states what Buddhist insight finally sees — the three marks that run through all of existence: everything assembled is impermanent, cannot finally satisfy, and contains no fixed self. Here are the verses, their meaning, and their source.
“All conditioned things are impermanent. All conditioned things are unsatisfactory. All things are not-self.” — The Buddha, Dhammapada 277–279 (trans. Acharya Buddharakkhita)
What they mean
These three lines (Pali tilakkhaṇa, the “three marks”) are not a gloomy creed but a piece of clear-eyed realism — a description of how things actually are, which is why seeing them sets us free.
- Impermanence (anicca): whatever is put together from causes will come apart. Bodies, moods, relationships, worlds — all are in flux, none stays.
- Unsatisfactoriness (dukkha): because they cannot last, conditioned things cannot give the lasting security we try to wring from them. The ache is not in the things but in our grasping at the impermanent as if it could be permanent.
- Not-self (anattā): in none of it is there a fixed, independent self to be found — only a flow of changing processes we mistake for a solid “me.”
In the sutta, each verse is followed by the same refrain: “when one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering. This is the path to purification.” The marks are precisely what insight meditation trains the mind to see directly, not merely believe.
A subtle but crucial detail
Read the verses closely and the wording shifts. Verses 277 and 278 say “all conditioned things” (saṅkhārā) are impermanent and unsatisfactory. But verse 279 widens to “all things” (dhammā) are not-self. The change is deliberate: impermanence and suffering belong to what is conditioned; not-self belongs to everything — including even the unconditioned, Nibbāna. It is the most far-reaching of the three.
Where they come from
Dhammapada 277–279, from the Maggavagga — the chapter “on the Path” — in the Pali Canon.
Why they matter
These three verses are the seed of one of Buddhism’s central teachings, explored in full in our guide to the three marks of existence — and each opens its own deep-dive: impermanence and not-self.
Browse more sourced lines in our Buddhist quotes collection.
Frequently asked questions
What are the three marks of existence?
Three characteristics the Buddha said run through all conditioned things: impermanence (anicca), unsatisfactoriness (dukkha), and not-self (anattā). Dhammapada 277–279 states each in turn, and after each adds that 'when one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering. This is the path to purification.' Seeing these three clearly is the heart of liberating insight.
Why does the third verse say 'all things,' not 'all conditioned things'?
It is a deliberate, important shift. Verses 277–278 say all conditioned things (saṅkhārā) are impermanent and unsatisfactory. But verse 279 says all things (dhammā) are not-self — a wider word that includes even the unconditioned (Nibbāna). Impermanence and suffering apply to what is conditioned; not-self applies to everything, without exception.
Where is it from?
Dhammapada 277–279, from the Maggavagga — the chapter 'on the Path' — in Acharya Buddharakkhita's translation. The three verses are parallel in form, meant to be read as a set.
Sources
- Dhammapada 277–279 (Maggavagga), Access to Insight (trans. Acharya Buddharakkhita) — https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.20.budd.html