Telling Dreams

A woman of my acquaintance had been given a compilation of writings by Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett. There wasn’t time to look at it that evening so the tome was left beside her bed, on a chair. That night, in her dreams, she was joined by Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett who spoke wise words about meditation. Later she found the exact words in Rev. Master’s writings.

Such dreams are just dreams, nothing more. If they bring about a change of heart for the good or a sense of peace and resolution, that is good! However if they become another story to tell, then that’s what they become. A story, a beautiful dream.
However, sometimes it is good to speak (take Refuge) with a trusted friend, a senior religious, your spiritual director or wise-one of your aquaintence. To thus speak in confidence can allow the dream to fade, along with the teaching or comfort it might have brought. This is a wise way to help oneself.
Why? Because anything, even good stuff, can become a burden.

Illusions have no substance, however they can become weighty. Dreams come, dreams go.

BTW. I always ask before publishing emails, letters or snippets from conversations. In order to preserve privacy I do not publish full names, or in some cases omit them all together.

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4 thoughts on “Telling Dreams”

  1. In several posts recently I’ve used the word good. For example doing that which is good. I’ll try to remember to use italics to indicate that this is a good which is beyond paired opposites of good/bad, right/wrong.

  2. You raise an important point. Sangharashita in the “Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path” chooses to use “perfect” instead of the more common “right”, which for me makes for difficult reading. Whatever the merits of such use, I have never understood “right” in this context as the opposite of “wrong”, yet at the same time I would be reluctant to say how I do understand it. I lean to the notion of “apophasis”, saying / approaching what something is by saying what it is not.
    In gassho
    Walter

  3. Indeed, Rev. Mugo, dreams are just that, dreams. Things that arise in the mind, but, having said that I have had dreams from time to time that point out aspects of my own training that urge me to look closely or change direction, take refuge or all three. Usually such dreams are the ones remembered on awakening. Most dreams are quickly forgotten.

    Gassho
    Norman

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