“At one time a world appears,
And later the entire world becomes space.
As it was before, so it is afterward.
Know that all phenomena are like that.
“All that there is in this world
Later dissolves into the mass of water below.
As it is below, so it is above.
Know that all phenomena are like that.
“Just as in a completely cloudless sky
In an instant a mass of clouds appears—
From where did they first originate?
Know that all phenomena are like that.
“If you think of a tathāgata who has passed into nirvāṇa,
His image will appear in your mind.
As he was before, so he is afterward.
Know that all phenomena are like that.
“When a person sees a mass of foam
That is carried along in a river
And examines it, they see that it has no essence.
Know that all phenomena are like that.
“When large drops of rain fall,
There appear separate bubbles of water.
They vanish as they appear; the bubbles have no existence.
Know that all phenomena are like that.
“When a letter is sent to another town
With news of the good or bad that has been done,
A voice does not accompany the letter.
Know that all phenomena are like that.
“When a man is intoxicated from alcohol,
He perceives the ground to be spinning,
But the earth is not moving or shaking.
Know that all phenomena are like that.
“A woman sees her beautified face
On the surface of a mirror or a bowl of oil.
The fool feels passion for it
And runs in search for the desired.
“The face was not transferred there.
The face will never be found in the reflection,
And yet fools have desire for it.
Know that all phenomena are like that.
“Just like optical illusions and fata morganas,
Just like dreams and just like illusions,
When their attributes are meditated on, their nature is empty.
Know that all phenomena are like that.
“When the moon is in a clear sky,
Its reflection appears on the sea,
But the moon has not moved onto the water.
Know that all phenomena are like that.
“A man who is inside a canyon
Sees no one but hears the echoes
Of singing, speaking, and laughter.
Know that all phenomena are like that.
“Echoes are produced
By songs, music, and weeping,
But the song that is heard does not exist.
Know that all phenomena are like that.
“Although pleasures are enjoyed in a dream,
When the person awakes they are not be seen.
The fool, though, becomes attached to those pleasures.
Know that all phenomena are like that.
“A magician causes forms to appear,
Creating horses, elephants, chariots, and so on.
But though they appear they do not exist at all.
Know that all phenomena are like that.
“In a young woman’s dream
She gives birth to a son and then sees him die.
She is happy when he’s born and sad when he dies.
Know that all phenomena are like that.
“In the night the reflection of the moon
Appears on clear, undisturbed water,
But it is empty of a moon and there is nothing to grasp.
Know that all phenomena are like that.
“A thirsty person traveling
At noon during the summer
Sees a lake that is a mirage.
Know that all phenomena are like that.
“The water that is a mirage cannot be found.
Foolish beings want to drink it,
But water that is not real cannot be drunk.
Know that all phenomena are like that.
“When a person in search of its essence
Pulls apart the trunk of a green banana plant,
They find no essence either inside or outside.
Know that all phenomena are like that.