This life passes as quickly as autumn clouds;
and friends are like passers-by in a market;
The demon of death approaches like twilight's shadows;
What the future holds is like a translucent fish in cloudy waters;
Life's experiences are like last night's dreams;
The pleasures of the senses, like an imaginary party.
Meaningless activities are like waves
lapping on the surface of the water.
PADMASAMBHAVA (eighth century)
Quoted by Shechen Gyaltsap in theg pa chen po'i blo sbyong gi man ngag zab don sbrang rtsi'i bum bzang, in ‘Collected works of zhe chen rgyal tshab padma rnam rgyal', Vol.6 (Cha), published by Shechen Publications, New Delhi, 1975-1985
I need to commit to giving up the incessant stream of information on the internet for a considerable amount of time. Most of this information is useless, frivolous, or irrelevant to me. Even when it is relevant, I consume it like fast food, without integrating it into my life or memory. I'm addicted to this constant influx, and I need a break.