Why Are We Unaware of the Dream Within the Dream?

Who is it that knows within a dream? Who is it that knows dust (phenomena) while awake? Both within and outside dreams, the sixth and seventh consciousnesses possess knowing, with the knowing of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses being primary. The five consciousnesses can only perceive the objects of the five dusts (sense objects) in reality and cannot perceive dream states.

The knowing of the mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna) is greatly related to the physical body. When the physical body has obstructions, the knowing of the mental consciousness is weak or ceases. Those with the four dhyānas and eight samādhis have a physical body without obstructions; the knowing of their mental consciousness is clear, vast, and luminous. Whether asleep or awake, they can know with clarity. Even after drinking many bottles of wine, they do not become intoxicated; the wine no longer anesthetizes the central nervous system of the brain, and thus the mental consciousness remains unaffected.

The knowing of the mental consciousness is also greatly related to the knowing of the seventh consciousness (manas). Generally speaking, the seventh consciousness knows all dharmas, but the question is whether it knows them as they truly are. How this part of the seventh consciousness that knows things as they truly are can influence the mental consciousness, enabling it to also know and promptly process what is known, involves the communication ability between the two consciousnesses. This so-called communication ability is wisdom. How what the mental consciousness knows can effectively influence and permeate the seventh consciousness also involves communication ability, which is a matter of wisdom.

Wisdom is also closely related to samādhi (meditative concentration). Samādhi can make the mind quiet, peaceful, steady, and calm, enhancing thinking ability and the power of wisdom. Thus, the mutual influence between the two consciousnesses becomes strong. Samādhi can also make the physical body unobstructed. When the physical body is unobstructed, the mental consciousness has no hindrances; its knowing becomes sensitive, penetrating, and able to effectively influence the seventh consciousness. Conversely, the seventh consciousness can also effectively influence the mental consciousness. When the two mutually communicate and share, the knowing of all dharmas flows smoothly with little obstruction.

The state where waking and dreaming are seen as one is a realm of wisdom cultivated through practice. Knowing it is a dream and not being trapped by the dream state is wisdom. This cultivation primarily refers to samādhi, which is an indispensable part of practice. Only with samādhi can wisdom be developed, enabling the knowing of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses to be more true to reality and principle, knowing more truly, subtly, and extensively. Only by removing the hindrance of sleep can profound samādhi be initiated. Those with deeper samādhi have clear thinking while awake and are not confused in dreams, knowing the states without obstruction just as when awake.

The knowing of ordinary people has obstructions; this is what common speech calls lacking spiritual powers (abhijñā). Those with spiritual powers have unobstructed knowing, possessing powers like mind-reading and divine eye. This is the karmic fruit of samādhi and prajñā (wisdom). Knowing within a dream is the karmic fruit attained by those with very deep samādhi whose minds are purified. Monk Jigong had the four dhyānas and eight samādhis, possessing spiritual powers. No matter how much wine he drank, his nervous system was unaffected; it was not anesthetized. His mental consciousness was always clear, able to observe and know all states as they truly are. After ordinary people fall asleep, their mental consciousness ceases; the function of the mental faculty (manas) relying on the mental consciousness to know states becomes inoperative. Therefore, during dreams, the discerning power of the mental faculty is weak; it does not know it is a dream. The isolated consciousness in the dream also has very weak discernment and does not know it is a dream. Practitioners with strong samādhi power have an unobstructed physical body; their sixth and seventh consciousnesses are clear and luminous, so their discernment is strong. While dreaming, they know it is a dream and are not confused.

Master Kuiji had the four dhyānas and eight samādhis, possessing spiritual powers. At night while sleeping, he was extremely clear and luminous, even more so than ordinary people when awake. His sixth and seventh consciousnesses were sharp. After falling asleep, if a louse's leg fell off and it cried out in pain, Master Kuiji could hear it. This is the meritorious fruit of the power of samādhi and spiritual powers. Does being able to hear the louse's cry while asleep mean he was not actually asleep? For ordinary people, sleep is a hindrance (āvaraṇa) that covers the mind, making it unable to see or hear, like a dead person. For those who have eliminated the sleep hindrance, very little sleep is sufficient to nourish the physical body. Their samādhi reaches at least the first dhyāna; their mind is clear and luminous, with slight or no obstructions at all. During sleep, they may not completely sever the mental consciousness, yet their sleep is sufficient, which differs from ordinary people.

Especially those with spiritual powers, their sleep is like being awake, even clearer and more luminous than ordinary people when awake. In ancient times, martial artists also slept lightly and had high alertness. This alertness can be said to be of the mental consciousness, but the mental faculty indeed also has alertness; its function of alerting the mental consciousness is still very strong. Therefore, without the mental faculty, the function of the mental consciousness cannot be fully explained. Sleep and torpor (styāna) are of the same category, both being hindrances that obscure the luminosity of the conscious mind. Only after the hindrance of sleep is eliminated does the first dhyāna samādhi arise. The more torpid one is while sleeping, the worse their samādhi skill, or it indicates no samādhi and heavy hindrances. The more confused one is in dreams, the less samādhi they have. The more easily one gets drunk from wine, the greater the obstruction of the physical body, and the less samādhi they have. Those with deep samādhi skill can regulate the physical body well, unaffected by environmental factors, not hindering the functioning of the six consciousnesses. Therefore, the power of samādhi is extremely important. Even without learning Buddhism or practicing the path, cultivating samādhi well brings immense benefits.

Dedication Verse: With all the merit from the Dharma propagation and group practice on our online platform, we dedicate it to all beings in the Dharma realm, to the people of the world. We pray for world peace, that wars may not arise; that conflagrations may not ignite, and weapons may forever cease; that all disasters may completely subside! We pray that the people of all nations unite in mutual aid, with minds of compassion toward each other; for favorable weather for crops, and prosperity and peace for the nation and its people! May all beings deeply believe in cause and effect, with compassionate minds that do not kill; may they widely form good affinities and extensively cultivate wholesome karma; may they believe in the Buddha, learn the Buddha Dharma, and increase their wholesome roots; may they know suffering, abandon its origin, aspire to cessation, and cultivate the path; may they close the door to the evil destinies and open the path to Nirvana! We pray that the Buddhist teachings may eternally flourish, the true Dharma may forever abide; transforming the burning house of the three realms into the lotus land of Ultimate Bliss!