The Nature and Classes of Dreams

In a sutra Buddha Shakyamuni1 describes the phenomenal world that we generally consider to be real through the use of multiple metaphors. These metaphoric descriptions liken our reality to a shooting star, an optical illusion, a flickering butter lamp, dewdrops at dawn, bubbles in water, lightning, a dream, and clouds. According to the Buddha, all aggregated existence, all dharmas,2 and in fact all phenomena are actually unreal and instantly changing like these examples.

Another sutra employs additional poetic metaphors for showing the essential nature of our unreal condition. These include the reflection of the moon in water, a mirage, a city comprised of sounds, a rainbow, a reflection in a mirror and also a dream.

The example of a dream is included in these sutras because we all know that if we examine a dream we will not find anything concrete. Even though the primary and the secondary causes for its arisal may be discovered, still there is nothing actually concrete or real about the dream itself.

Although there are many different conditions that may lead to dreaming, the product of the conditions, our dreams, may in general be grouped into two main categories: the more common types of dreams appearing from karmic traces3 and other types of dreams appearing from the clarity of mind.

Within the category of dreams that are caused by karma, there are dreams that are mainly related to the three states of existence, i.e., the body, energy or speech, and the tensions of the mind of the individual; and there is another class which is related to karmic traces. The latter has three causes, namely, traces of karma originating in a past life, in youth, and in the recent past of the individual.

In the tradition of Tibetan medicine, a physician who is conducting an investigation as to the origin of an illness will also consider to which of the three existences the sick person’s dreams relate. With this information, he or she can discover the real condition and situation of the body, energy, and

the mind of the sick person. Sometimes an individual who has a serious illness which is difficult to cure may be in that condition due to karmic causes originating in youth or even in a past life. It may also happen that the illness is the result of a karmic cause which has manifested from recent actions. Thus, the method of examining dreams becomes one of the most important means for analyzing and discovering the principal and secondary causes of the problem.

What is meant by dreams related to the individual’s three existences? These dreams arise due to any kind of experience of the body, speech or mind. Thus, experiences directly related to the individual’s elements, energy, and emotions may become instantaneous causes for manifesting some dream experience, either good, bad, or neutral.

For example, a person who is sleeping on a bed in an awkward position may be uncomfortable or in pain. The disturbance may become the instant cause for a negative dream. Or, if a person is not sleeping well due to obstructed breathing, dreams of suffocating or of being strangled may arise. Further, it is not

difficult to understand that feelings such as joy or sadness associated with the mind may also be the instant secondary cause for having dreams. These are examples of dreams related to conditions of the individual’s three existences. With regard to dreams related to traces of karma, one type of dream encompasses those whose cause originates in a previous life. In this kind of dream, unfamiliar things may appear which the person has not experienced in this life, such as visions of another country or strange peoples who have unfamiliar customs or language. These dreams may repeat so often that the dreamer

becomes knowledgeable of the unfamiliar world. Such experiences suggest the existence of a very strong habit from a past life which has left a karmic trace in the individual. Or a dream may appear of an unusual country with a strange person who wants to trouble or kill the dreamer; as a result the dreamer has

a very strong feeling of fear. This sometimes means that a similar situation occurred in a previous life—the person’s conditions were strongly affected and left a karmic trace. This trace reappears when the secondary conditions are ripe. This first type of karmic dream does occur, even though it is not experienced frequently by all people.

Karmic dreams of the second type are those whose causes developed in the dreamer’s youth. If the youthful person was suddenly frightened or involved in an accident, that experience may leave a trace, and thus dreams may recur later in life that relate to the event either literally or thematically. Or if, for

example, as a child someone experienced an earthquake which created great fear, then later in life there is the potential that the trace might become activated with the proper secondary causes such as the experience of another earthquake. The third type of karmic dream includes dreams originating

from recent actions that touched the person deeply. The person might have been extremely angry some time recently and, as a consequence, may have fought with someone. That intense anger leaves a trace; because of this a dream arises similar in situation or theme. The causes of all these three types of

dreams are principally karmic, that is, related to an event that touched the person deeply and left traces of the tension, fear or other strong emotion. When traces are left, it is logical that dreams with a corresponding theme arise more frequently. There are similar varieties of dreams which are related to the clarity of an individual, that is, those related to the three existences and those related to the karmic traces of the individual.

Regarding the type of clarity dream related to the three existences, all human beings have in their real nature infinite potential and unmanifest

qualities. Although the sun shines constantly, sometimes we cannot see it due to cloud covering, while at other times we can see between the clouds for a few moments. Similarly, sometimes the individual’s clarity spontaneously appears; one result of this is the appearance of dreams of clarity. People

who are practicing Dharma try to relax. Through relaxing the body, energy, and mind, the elements and energies become balanced and through this secondary or instant cause different kinds of clarity dreams arise. This is particularly true for the practitioner who is doing practices related to the chakras4 and

the channels5 which control the prana6 and energy. With some individuals, these types of clarity dreams arise through the clarity of their minds, even without the necessity of their applying secondary methods to relax the body or control the energy. When a practitioner has matured or developed, there is a

diminution of the obstacles that usually function to obscure the natural clarity of mind. Following the analogy of the sun, the clouds have now largely disappeared and the infinite rays of sunshine are able to manifest

directly. When all conditions are correct and the body, speech and mind are relaxed due to a developed practice, then there appear many kinds of

clarity dreams, some of which may anticipate a future event. Also, like ordinary dreams that have karmic causes from past lives, clarity dreams of previous karma can reawaken. Depending on the dreamer’s capacity, it might be possible to remember a past life in its entirety. One hundred or even a hundred

thousand lives can be remembered in a dream. We can read about these extraordinary dreams appearing through unobstructed clarity in accounts of the lives of bodhisattvas and arhats. An example of the dreams of clarity that a practitioner might have as a result of the karmic traces accumulated during

youth would be as follows. Earlier in his or her life, a person may have met many extraordinary teachers, or received teachings and empowerments, or learned methods of practice. Later that person can have dreams about these things in which he or she goes deeper into this knowledge. The person may even

acquire knowledge or methods for practice within dream that he or she has never heard before. One can have many interesting dreams of this type. Clarity dreams related to recent experiences may arise as follows: A person reads something, perhaps a very important Dharma text, or has a deep conversation about practicing Dharma. This may become the cause for having dreams having to do with the past, the present, or even the future.

These are the types of clarity dreams. They are a continuation and development of the ordinary type of dream and arise primarily for practitioners who already have some experience working with their dreams or who have experience of maintaining lucidity and awareness within the dream. They are the type of

dreams that manifests through the clarity of one’s state of mind, or rigpa.7 Many of the methods of practicing Dharma that are learned during waking can, upon development of dream awareness, be applied in the dream condition. In fact, one may develop these practices more easily and speedily within the

dream if one has the capacity to be lucid. There are even some books that say that if a person applies a practice within a dream, the practice is nine times more effective than when it is applied during the waking hours. The dream condition is unreal. When we discover this for ourselves within the

dream, the immense power of this realization can eliminate obstacles related to conditioned vision. For this reason, the practice of the dream is very important for liberating us from habits. We particularly need this powerful assistance, because the emotional attachments, conditioning, and ego

enhancement which compose our normal life have been strengthened over our many, many years. In a real sense, all the visions that we see in our lifetime are like a big dream. If we examine them well, the big dream of life and the smaller dreams of one night are not very different. If we truly see

the essential nature of both, we will see that there really is no difference between them. If we can finally liberate ourselves from the chains of emotions, attachments, and ego by this realization, we have the possibility of ultimately becoming enlightened.

Notes

1. Shakyamuni is the historical Buddha who, born as Prince Siddhartha, renounced his royal birthright upon perceiving the suffering of the world, and attained final enlightenment. [return]

2. Dharmas: The truth, laws, and basic realities. This term is used in the singular to describe the path towards enlightenment. [return]

3. Karmic traces: According to the doctrine of karma, all actions are followed by inevitable, but not necessarily immediate, consequences. The term “karmic traces” refers to the “seeds” which exist as unmanifest potentials and which ripen when the necessary secondary conditions are present. [return]

4. Chakras: Non-material psychic centers located within the body at specific locations. According to Buddhist metaphysics, major chakras are found at the crown of the head, the throat, the heart, the navel, and the genitals. [return]

5. Channels: Non-material meridians through which the internal airs called prana flow through the body. [return]

6. Prana: Internal airs which, according to Norbu Rinpoche, flow within the body and may be directed so as to increase energy, circulation and concentration by advanced practitioners of Yantra Yoga. [return]

7. Rigpa: Awareness or pure presence of natural self-perfected mind. For additional commentary, see The Cycle of Day and Night by Namkhai Norbu. [return]