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IMPERMANENCE

HOW LONG IS your life?

One day, the Buddha asked his disciples: “How long is life?”

“Maybe fifty years?” replied a disciple.

“Wrong,” said Buddha.

Another disciple said, “Months.”

“No,” Buddha said.

“Days? Weeks?” another disciple suggested.

“Wrong. Wrong,” said Buddha. “Not years, not months, not weeks, not days.”

Then they asked: “How long is our life?”

“Our life is only as long as one breath.”