Commentary on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (166)

Why did the World-Honored One repeatedly speak of dreams?

The World-Honored One repeatedly spoke of dreams, using dreams to awaken His father to realize the truth quickly. Because the Buddha's father, King Śuddhodana, had been a king for a long time and had been indulging in the pleasures of the five desires, finding it hard to extricate himself, the Buddha used dreams to advise His father to quickly cultivate the path and seek liberation, and not to remain immersed any longer in the pleasures of the five desires. At the same time, this was also to awaken all the disciples, enabling us to recognize the illusory nature of all dharmas. When the manas genuinely acknowledges this illusory nature, one can realize the path and attain a fruit of the Small Vehicle from the first fruit onward, thereby embarking on the path of liberation.