The Diamond Sutra

As stars, a fault of vision, a lamp,

A mock show, dew drops, or a bubble,

A dream, a lightning flash, or a cloud,

So should one view what is conditioned.

Stars cannot be grasped.

Things seen with faulty vision do not really exist.

Oil lamps only burn as long as they have fuel.

A mock show is a magical illusion; it is not as it seems.

Dew drops evaporate quickly in the heat of the sun.

Bubbles are short lived and have no real substance to them.

Dreams are not real, even though they may seem so at the time.

Lighting is short lived and quickly over.

Clouds are always changing shape.

By realising the transient nature of things it is easier to detach from them and to attain Nirvana.