68. The vanities of the world, are as usually taken for realities, as all other unrealities in nature are commonly taken for actualities. (The world is unreal, and all seeming realities are unreal also).
69. Men are moving about with their bodies upon earth, with as much haste as the rivers are running to the seas; thus the great mass of mankind here, are seen to be in pursuit of the sensible objects of their desire.
70. The desires of our hearts run to their objects, with as much speed as the arrow’s fly from the archer’s bow; but they never return to their seat in the heart or bow string, as our ungrateful friends that forsake us in our adversity.
71. Our friends are our enemies, as the blasts of wind that blow us away with their breath; all our relations are our bonds and fetters, and our riches are but causes of our poverty.
72. Our pleasures are (causes of) our pains, and prosperity the source of adversity; all enjoyments are sufferings (as leading to maladies), and all fondness tends at last to distaste and dislike.
73. All prosperity and adversity, tend only to our temporary joy and misery; and our life is but a prologue or prelude to our extinction or quietus (nirvána). All these are the display of our unavoidable delusion.
74. As time glides along on any man, shewing him the various sights of joy and misery; the poor creature lives only to see the loss of his friends, and to repine at his hapless and helpless longevity.
75. The enjoyment of pleasures, is as playing with the fangs of a deadly serpent; they kill you no sooner you touch them, and they disappear from your sight, whenever you look after them.
76. The life is spent without any attempt, to attain that perfect state, which is obtained without any pain or toil; while it is employed every day in hardships of acquiring the perishable trifling pleasures.
77. Men who are bound to their desire of carnal enjoyment, are exposed to shame and the contumely of the rich every moment; and are as wild elephants, tied with strong fetters at their feet.