Observations placeholder
Six Dharmas of Nāropa - 13 The practise of the Illusory body or Dream Yoga - How to purify and develop the dream
Identifier
010827
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
The instruction on the Dream-Illusory Body Practice falls into four divisions:
(1) how to recognize the dream;
(2) how to purify and develop the dream;
(3) how to overcome the rambling type of dreams and recognize them as illusory manifestations;
(4) how to practice on the real nature of dream.
A description of the experience
The practise of the Illusory body or Dream Yoga - 2 How to purify and develop the dream:
There are two ways to develop the dream: the mundane way and the Buddhistic way. The principle of developing the dream is to create a dream or to transform it. The yogi may think in the dream stage that he rides on the rays of the sun and moon and journeys to the thirty-three heavens or to any place in this world. To enlarge his visions and experiences, he may conceive that he walks or flies in the sky. The Buddhistic way is to conceive that in the dream state one goes to the Pure Land of Amitabha or the heaven-land of Maitreya or the Aog-min Pure Land, etc., visiting the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, rendering one's offerings, and hearing the Dharma from them. To be able to do this, one must have attained the mastery of Prana power. Only through the Prana power is one able to transform or create any dream state at one's own will. For those who have this mastery these things are not difficult. For the ordinary person, however, a great deal of practice is required.
In both cases (through intensive intention and through the Prana power), the yogi sees the Buddha's Pure Land in his dream vision; however, these visions are merely the pictures the (reflections) of the Buddha's Pure Land and cannot be considered as real. In the latter case (through the exercise of Prana's power), one may receive some revelations or prophecies in dream that prove to be true. Most of them, however, are not reliable. In the former case (through intensive intention), the yogi should rely on the meritorious instructions together with some breathing exercises to practice the Dream Yoga.
The following instruction will improve the practice of Dream Yoga: When the yogi sees a man, an animal, a pillar, a vase or any other object in a dream, he should transform them by multiplying them from one to two, from two to four, to eight—up to hundreds and thousands.