“All Good Things Come to an End” – Let’s Go Back to the Original
The term "All Good Things Come to an End" has been on my mind lately, probably because of the popular song by Nelly Furtado that has frequent play on the pop station I am listening to nowadays. I think that the expression is true, but it is not complete. Yeah, nothing lasts forever but it doesn’t only apply to "good" things, it applies to all things. Hard times come to an end too. I tried to comfort a friend last night going through a difficult time with "this too shall pass". Good stuff, bad stuff, it all doesn’t last forever. Buddhist thought (courtesy of Urban Dharma) says this on their concept of impermanence:
According to the teachings of the Buddha, life is comparable to a river. It is a progressive moment, a successive series of different moments, joining together to give the impression of one continuous flow. It moves from cause to cause, effect to effect, one point to another, one state of existence to another, giving an outward impression that it is one continuous and unified movement, where as in reality it is not. The river of yesterday is not the same as the river of today. The river of this moment is not going to be the same as the river of the next moment. So does life. It changes continuously, becomes something or the other from moment to moment.
But, before we start touting the superiority of Eastern thought over Western thought… think about this. I looked at the origin of the expression and it actually comes from the scripture in the prayer book version of Psalm 119:96. Except, the original was actually "All things come to an end", and the "good" slipped in there over the centuries.
So – I think that we should go back to the original expression, and it would probably make a catchier song too 
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hehe, ye it would make for a more, umm, EMO, no, umm, depressing haha – that is – song
I had that song before it came to SOuth Africa (we’re a little delayed, not a lot but a little) and i played it to my gf at the time – now my ex :/ Who i’m trying to get back 2gther with.. why i’m telling you and your readers this, i’m not sure haha, but eer, now you know
I’m liking your site hun, i’ll defenately keep an eye on it.
Stefanie, I’m not sure about your reference to “the prayer book version of Psalm 119:96″ (because I don’t exactly know what that is), but Psalm 119:96 itself does not say what you have quoted. In fact, I’m not at all sure that the anywhere in the Bible is the expression “all things come to an end.” This does not change your basic point, of course, but I thought I’d mention what might be a inaccurate reference.
And are you familiar with the public art installation by Eldon Garnet on a Queen Street East bridge over Toronto’s Don River? It says “This river I step in is not the river I stand in” and I think that reflects the Buddhist thought that you speak of.
It is the “prayer book version” meaning, a book that accompanies the bible, not the actual bible itself (no, I am not going to make a lawyer joke at you
).
Yes, agreed on the Don River thing – it is nice we have some thoughtful landmarks here in Toronto.