一いっ炊すいの夢ゆめ

expression, noun

empty dream; transient dream

A literary expression for a fleeting, insubstantial dream, often used to convey the impermanence of worldly pursuits. Derived from a classical Chinese story about a man who dreamed an entire lifetime while his millet was cooking.

• 人じん生せいは一いっ炊すいの夢ゆめに過すぎないと、彼かれは悟さとった。

  He realized that life is nothing but an empty dream.