The Span of Life

The Buddha once asked a student, "How long is a human life?"

The student answered, "It is so brief it seems but a single day."

The Buddha then asked another student, "What is the true length of a persons life?"

After careful thought, the student answered, "It is the time taken to eat a single meal."

The Buddha then asked a third student, "How long is life?"

"The time in a single breath," the student answered.

"Exactly so," the Buddha said. "You understand."