‧Written by Sheng-yen Lu‧
Many have studied the subject of dreams, and I once said that “dreams arise from our thoughts.” However, when we are dreaming, we are often unaware of our state of being in the dream state. When we live in an environment that is not favorable to us, we will have miserable dreams. Likewise, when we live in the comfort of a supportive environment, we will tend to have sweet dreams. Ordinary folks have simple dreams while others, due to external stimulus, have dreams that express different emotions like happiness, anger, sadness and joy. When humans receive external stimulus and absorb their impacts, the corresponding emotions will be released in dreams.
The dream state is one of the activities of our body and mind, and though it is largely illusory, it nevertheless has its place in existence. Dreams are formed from the arising of thoughts, which is also significant to our cultivation. Based on causes and conditions, a dream comes into existence when the respective conditions arise, which is also a form of karmic causation.
As causes and conditions are the result of hidden karmic forces, when all of the causes and conditions ripen, our dreams will respond with a multitude of infinite dream scenarios. Chaotic dreams can greatly impact our lives and cultivation. Therefore, Mahamudra should be practiced during the day time as well as the night time to both ensure that our dreams remain proper and ensure liberation in our life.
My guru once instructed me, “The dream state is like the phenomenon of cyclic existence, fluctuating up and down like the ocean waves, completely manipulated by the force of the winds. The billowing of waves are like the ever-changing phenomenon. If we do not eradicate all these causes and conditions such as ignorance, likes and so forth, the winds and waves will never calm down.”
The Sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa said, “If ordained monks fail to practice the Dream Yoga, then they have no antidote to counteract dream states. Since all people are subject to dreaming, no one is exempted from having twisted and rampant illusions in dreams, unless they have an antidote. Basically, half of their lifetime is spiritually ill, which is considered to be a grievous condition.”
I once said that it is more feasible to discipline our thoughts in the day time as opposed to the night time when our thoughts run free and wild. Many monks who appear holy in the daytime are deluded by topsy-turvy dreams at night, where they turn lustful and lose their vital essence through wet dreams. I am not poking fun at these monks, for this is a real issue. The reason that I keep saying this is to motivate these monks to further themselves spiritually, to reach towards the higher truth instead of dwelling in the ill condition of the dream state where they wet themselves in the middle of the night or find their beds soiled. It does not reflect well on a cultivator.
Dream Yoga deals with dream states through the following three approaches:
The first method concerns the technique of the sleeping posture. When we sleep, we must lie on our right side so that our heart rests on the top. We should not sleep on our left side to avoid pressing the heart against the bed. The sleeping posture should resemble that of a sleeping lion. One can refer to the auspicious sleeping posture of the Buddha when he entered into parinirvana.
(to be continued)
