Commentary on the Sutra of the Father and Son Compendium, Part 152

Is dreaming of delicious food real?

Original text: King, for example, there is a person who, in a dream, is tormented by hunger and thirst, encounters delicious food, and eats freely. What do you think? After this person wakes up, he recalls the delicious food. Is it real? The king said, "No." The Buddha said, "King, this person clings to his dream as real. Is he wise?" The king said, "No, World-Honored One. Why is that? In the dream, after all, there is no such delicious meal, let alone eating it. It should be known that this person only exhausts himself; there is nothing real."

Explanation: The Buddha said: King, for example, there is a person who in a dream is tormented by hunger and thirst, encounters delicious food, and eats freely. What do you think? This person, after waking up, constantly recalls the delicious food from the dream. Is this matter real? King Śuddhodana said: It is not real.

The Buddha said: King, this person clings to his dream as real. Is he a wise person? King Śuddhodana said: He is not a wise person, World-Honored One. Why say so? Because in the dream, after all, there is no delicious food, let alone the matter of enjoying eating. It should be known that this person only vainly labors his mind.