In short: the Buddha taught that "all conditions are impermanent" (Dhammapada 277), and his very last words were "Conditions fall apart. Persist with diligence" (DN 16). Change isn't the problem; clinging to what changes is. Here are eight genuine quotes, each with its source.
1. Dhammapada 277
"All conditions are impermanent— when this is seen with wisdom, one grows disillusioned with suffering: this is the path to purity."
The first of the three marks of existence.
2. Dhammapada 113
"Better to live a single day seeing rise and fall than to live a hundred years blind to rise and fall."
Seeing change clearly is worth more than a long life without it.
3. DN 16, the Buddha's last words
"Conditions fall apart. Persist with diligence."
The Buddha's final teaching, summing up everything.
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4. Dhammapada 212
"Sorrow springs from what we hold dear, fear springs from what we hold dear; one free from holding anything dear has no sorrow, let alone fear."
Change hurts most where we cling.
5. Dhammapada 213
"Sorrow springs from attachment, fear springs from attachment; one free from attachment has no sorrow, let alone fear."
6. SN 22.33
"Mendicants, give up what's not yours. Giving it up will be for your welfare and happiness."
Letting go of what was never ours to keep.
7. DN 16
"So Ānanda, live as your own island, your own refuge, with no other refuge."
When everything changes, stand on your own practice.
8. MN 131
"Don't run back to the past, don't anticipate the future."
All quotes are from the early Buddhist texts in Bhikkhu Sujato's translation on SuttaCentral, copied exactly. Last checked: 17 October 2026.
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Questions people ask
What did the Buddha say about change?
That everything conditioned changes: 'All conditions are impermanent' (Dhammapada 277). His last words were 'Conditions fall apart. Persist with diligence' (DN 16).