Trying to understand Dreams within Buddhism?

DaltheJigsaw

I have been doing a lot of research on Dreams. I recently started to see if there is any mention in Buddhism. I am fascinated with dreams. Any thoughts either within Buddhism or in general from other religions?

Thanks,
Leon

person

Here's a couple links I came up with quick.

http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma7/dreams.html

http://www.budsas.org/ebud/whatbudbeliev/321.htm

xabir

Check out the book on Dream Yoga by Dzogchen teacher Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche. I learnt a lot about it and understood why I had dreams fortelling future, dreams of dharma etc. Those are called dreams of clarity. There is another popular one by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, have it with me but I haven't read it yet.

taiyaki

http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Practice-Natural-Light-Revised/dp/1559391618/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334159700&sr=8-2

Just finished this book. Definitely worth a read and buy.

Rinpoche makes a dichotomy between karmic dreams and dreams of clarity.
Through the practice/study of Dzogchen one can have more dreams of clarity, which can be lucid.

Etc.

DaltheJigsaw

Here's a couple links I came up with quick.

http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma7/dreams.html

http://www.budsas.org/ebud/whatbudbeliev/321.htm

Thank you!

DaltheJigsaw

Check out the book on Dream Yoga by Dzogchen teacher Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche. I learnt a lot about it and understood why I had dreams fortelling future, dreams of dharma etc. Those are called dreams of clarity. There is another popular one by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, have it with me but I haven't read it yet.

Interesting! Care to add a bit more about having dreams that have to do with fortunetelling future, dreams of Dharma and such?

DaltheJigsaw

http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Practice-Natural-Light-Revised/dp/1559391618/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334159700&sr=8-2

Just finished this book. Definitely worth a read and buy.

Rinpoche makes a dichotomy between karmic dreams and dreams of clarity.
Through the practice/study of Dzogchen one can have more dreams of clarity, which can be lucid.

Etc.

Thank you!

AstralProjectee

You all might find my take on dreams interesting as I grew up a Christian and changed to universalism. But if I could reincarnate I would be a Buddhist. My dad believed every single dream was from God. Note my dad use to take LSD and drugs when he was young, so that may have given him an increase in dreams later that were more connected to a higher power. I use to have that belief for many years. But I found that that's not the case later on. But I did get dreams from God and my higher self at times in my life that really did seem beyond the ordinary. I have had dreams to warn me of things. I have had lucid dreams of flying. I have had many dreams show me spiritual things. Many dreams that support the bible. Most of all they were encouraging and challenging to apply to my life. Most of my dreams need an interpretation. I am pretty good at that by now. I found that as my beliefs and thoughts changed about my life so did my dreams. You know dreams come though the astral so they are often symbolic and need interpretation. I have noticed that dreams are great teach a child deep things about life. And that spills over into other areas of there life.

You can take herbs to increase your dreams. Like African dream herb, Coleus blumei herb. I have both of them. I have not tried them yet. I have heard you can get epic, lucid dreams from using them.



The Tibetan Yogas Of Dream
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CD4QFjAD&url=http://www.holybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/Tenzin-Wangyal-Rinpoche-The-Tibetan-Yogas-Of-Dream-And-Sleep.pdf&ei=M86FT7HrOIG2tweb14HNBw&usg=AFQjCNHHOKC242rU3NC_NiI3UpoMBf9ztA&sig2=yPfbQk-Xlj2KslaMRdsNFQ


Peace!

federica

You all might find my take on dreams interesting as I grew up a Christian and changed to universalism. But if I could reincarnate I would be a Buddhist.

nothing stopping you now....:skeptic:

You can take herbs to increase your dreams.

none of which of course, we would ever recommend. :shake:

patbb

i'd start by reading all of Jung work.

He did alot of work on dreams.


his spiritual practice included lots of meditation, although not formal or organized.

My impression is that he struggled for a long time but managed to get up to some of the basic levels of vipassana without any training.


It's great for people who have an interest in spirituality but doesn't meditate much, since he approach things and talk from the point of view of someone who is re-discovering the Buddha's insights very slowly.

DaltheJigsaw

i'd start by reading all of Jung work.

He did alot of work on dreams.


his spiritual practice included lots of meditation, although not formal or organized.

My impression is that he struggled for a long time but managed to get up to some of the basic levels of vipassana without any training.


It's great for people who have an interest in spirituality but doesn't meditate much, since he approach things and talk from the point of view of someone who is re-discovering the Buddha's insights very slowly.

Thank you! Will Def do that!

ThailandTom

I might have to buy this book as well (on the list it goes ) but yes @AstralProjectee I dream pretty much every night and the dreams are often all too realistic. However, lucid they are not, I do not realize I am dreaming and it can cause great suffering, actually crying in my dreams and pain that feels so real.

xabir

http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Practice-Natural-Light-Revised/dp/1559391618/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334159700&sr=8-2

Just finished this book. Definitely worth a read and buy.

Rinpoche makes a dichotomy between karmic dreams and dreams of clarity.
Through the practice/study of Dzogchen one can have more dreams of clarity, which can be lucid.

Etc.

Lucid dreams are cool and can teach you a few things. Today I had a lucid dream where I purposely fell from a very tall building... it feels very nice and blissful. If we can have this fearlessness in facing our daily life... seeing all as the luminous and dream-like display of mind, just opening up to our experience fearlessly, without reservation, what great freedom and bliss it can be.

xabir

Interesting! Care to add a bit more about having dreams that have to do with fortunetelling future, dreams of Dharma and such?

Future telling dreams used to occur very very frequently a year ago, nowadays less frequent.

Examples related to my military life:

I dreamt of being on a mission/duty to hunt terrorist, and saw an airplane flying by. I woke up, told my friend about my dream and right then we were called into a meeting where they announced that the next day we will be sent for duty to search for terrorist threats and protect incoming airplanes from terrorist plots.

....

I dreamt of landing a helicopter in a field surrounded by forests. I woke up, next thing suddenly we were surprisedly called to do a chopper landing exercise (never thought we needed to do such things), the place is a field surrounded by forests.

....

We were supposed to be called back on Sunday morning to do duty as we were on standby and was supposed to be called up for the first (and probably last) time in such an exercise. I dreamt of people preparing for the duty, and a voice telling me "another unit is doing duty for you, you do not need to go back today". I woke up, found out that another unit is doing duty for us, I did not need to go back.

etc etc...

Mostly just small events related to my life. Sometimes I dreamt of incidents that appeared in news (nuclear accidents etc), but more rarely.

As for dharma dreams, it can be simple to profound, and I had quite a number of them. Some are profound words spoken, some are symbolic which I immediately grasped its meaning. Some of the more profound ones were related to dreams my teacher "Thusness" wanted me to know. Very subtle and profound points of dharma, which I then actualized and experienced them soon. Had these dreams especially during BMT (basic military training) when I don't have much time to communicate with him, and was also the time when certain crucial insights arose in my practice. Thusness told me he wanted me to know them through my dreams, and it was only possible because of my strong mind connection with him.

DaltheJigsaw

Thanks everyone!:)

shays860

Let us know if you get anything out of Jung. I've been trying to read his stuff forever but I just can't seem to get into it.

Lady_Alison

From a Muslim perspective and I actually do agree. . . Traditionally it is suggested to see dreams, fortune telling, soothsaying, and psychic phenomena as "whispers cast to the wind... " there is some truth but no real validaty.

I would be careful trying to live your life dependent on visions or dreams...take it from someone who dreams ALOT! it takes benadryl for me not to dream...

I have been doing a lot of research on Dreams. I recently started to see if there is any mention in Buddhism. I am fascinated with dreams. Any thoughts either within Buddhism or in general from other religions?

Thanks,
Leon

DaltheJigsaw

From a Muslim perspective and I actually do agree. . . Traditionally it is suggested to see dreams, fortune telling, soothsaying, and psychic phenomena as "whispers cast to the wind... " there is some truth but no real validaty.

I would be careful trying to live your life dependent on visions or dreams...take it from someone who dreams ALOT! it takes benadryl for me not to dream...

I have been doing a lot of research on Dreams. I recently started to see if there is any mention in Buddhism. I am fascinated with dreams. Any thoughts either within Buddhism or in general from other religions?

Thanks,
Leon

Hehe! I think that goes for Judaism. As I am a Ukrainian Jew and my dad continues giving me that whole, "when are you going to start thinking about religion?" "I AM..." "And that would be?" "Buddhism..." he looks at me with hope...But...we did have a nice conversation about Torah a few days ago. It was nice.

Lady_Alison

Judaism is compatible with Buddhism...so is Socrates but I don't call myself a socratic-ist.

Lady_Alison

Because it is also a philosophy ^_^

DaltheJigsaw

Because it is also a philosophy ^_^

Very true!

DaltheJigsaw

Judaism is compatible with Buddhism...so is Socrates but I don't call myself a socratic-ist.

True!

Lady_Alison

Make up your mind on an avatar! Lol...

Lady_Alison

From a Muslim perspective and I actually do agree. . . Traditionally it is suggested to see dreams, fortune telling, soothsaying, and psychic phenomena as "whispers cast to the wind... " there is some truth but no real validaty.

I would be careful trying to live your life dependent on visions or dreams...take it from someone who dreams ALOT! it takes benadryl for me not to dream...

I have been doing a lot of research on Dreams. I recently started to see if there is any mention in Buddhism. I am fascinated with dreams. Any thoughts either within Buddhism or in general from other religions?

Thanks,
Leon

Hehe! I think that goes for Judaism. As I am a Ukrainian Jew and my dad continues giving me that whole, "when are you going to start thinking about religion?" "I AM..." "And that would be?" "Buddhism..." he looks at me with hope...But...we did have a nice conversation about Torah a few days ago. It was nice.

When you get told by your family, "sooo, when are you going to turn into a butterfly? "

Then let me know.

DaltheJigsaw

Make up your mind on an avatar! Lol...

Working on it.

DaltheJigsaw

From a Muslim perspective and I actually do agree. . . Traditionally it is suggested to see dreams, fortune telling, soothsaying, and psychic phenomena as "whispers cast to the wind... " there is some truth but no real validaty.

I would be careful trying to live your life dependent on visions or dreams...take it from someone who dreams ALOT! it takes benadryl for me not to dream...

I have been doing a lot of research on Dreams. I recently started to see if there is any mention in Buddhism. I am fascinated with dreams. Any thoughts either within Buddhism or in general from other religions?

Thanks,
Leon

Hehe! I think that goes for Judaism. As I am a Ukrainian Jew and my dad continues giving me that whole, "when are you going to start thinking about religion?" "I AM..." "And that would be?" "Buddhism..." he looks at me with hope...But...we did have a nice conversation about Torah a few days ago. It was nice.

When you get told by your family, "sooo, when are you going to turn into a butterfly? "

Then let me know.

Lol! Gotcha! That was loud and clear!:)