Momentary Extinction

Bodhisattva Kasyapa said: "Oh World Honored One! How does a wise person meditate on momentary extinction?"

"Oh good man! For example, there are four people, all they are skilled shooters. They gather in one place, and each one shoots an arrow into a [particular] direction. All they think: 'We all shoot arrows together, all of which will fall'. And a person thinks: ‘Before that the four arrows fall to the ground, I shall catch them with my hands’. Thus he thinks. Oh good man! This person acts quickly or not?"
Bodhisattva Kasyapa said: "It does this very quickly, Oh World Honored One!"

The Buddha said: "Oh good man! The devil that lives upon the earth moves faster than this person does. There's a flying devil who moves faster than the one on earth. The four guardians of the earth move even faster than the flying devil. The sun and moon, and the heavenly gods move faster than the four guardians of the earth. The garuda goes faster than the sun and the moon. The life span of a human goes more quickly than a garuda. Oh good man! In one breath and in one wink, the life of a being comes about and dies 400 times. If a wise person meditates on human life thus, this is to meditate on the momentary extinction."

Read More on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 44 - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa 5.

momentary extinction.mp3