transience of life; ephemeral nature of all things
A yojijukugo from the Diamond Sutra, using the metaphors of dream, illusion, bubble, and shadow to express the fleeting, insubstantial nature of existence. Used in literary, philosophical, or Buddhist contexts.
He realized that life is like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, and a shadow.
諸行無常 is a broader Buddhist term for the impermanence of all things, while 夢幻泡影 specifically uses four concrete metaphors to emphasize the illusory and fleeting quality of life.
From the Diamond Sutra (金剛般若経), where the four metaphors of dream (夢), illusion (幻), bubble (泡), and shadow (影) illustrate the transient nature of all conditioned phenomena.