Why Are We Unaware Within the Dream?

Who is it that knows within a dream? Who is it that knows the dust (phenomena) while awake? Both the sixth and seventh consciousnesses possess knowing both inside and outside the dream. The knowing of all dharmas is primarily managed by the sixth and seventh consciousnesses. The five consciousnesses can only perceive the objects of the five dusts (sense objects) in the waking state and cannot perceive the dream state, because there are no objects of the five dusts within a dream. The knowing of the mental consciousness (the sixth consciousness) is greatly related to the physical body. When the physical body has obstructions, the knowing of the mental consciousness becomes weak or ceases. Those who possess the Four Dhyānas and Eight Samādhis have an unobstructed physical body. The knowing of their mental consciousness is clear, vast, and luminous; they can know clearly whether asleep or awake. Even after drinking many bottles of wine, they do not become intoxicated, as the wine can no longer paralyze the central nervous system of the brain, and thus their mental consciousness remains unaffected.

The knowing of the mental consciousness is also greatly related to the knowing of manas (the seventh consciousness). Generally speaking, manas knows all dharmas, though it involves the question of whether it can know them as they truly are. How the part that manas knows as they truly are can influence the mental consciousness, enabling it to also know and process what is known in a timely manner, relates to the communication ability between these two consciousnesses. This so-called communication ability is wisdom. How what the mental consciousness knows can effectively influence and guide manas also relates to communication ability, which is essentially how wisdom functions. Wisdom is also closely related to concentration (dhyāna-samādhi). Concentration can make the mind tranquil, peaceful, steady, enhance thinking capacity, and increase the power of wisdom. Consequently, the mutual influence between these two consciousnesses becomes great. Furthermore, concentration can render the physical body unobstructed. When the physical body is unobstructed, the mental consciousness has no hindrances, its knowing becomes sharp, penetrating, and it can effectively influence manas. Conversely, manas can also effectively influence the mental consciousness. When the two communicate and share with each other, the knowing of all dharmas becomes smooth with little obstruction.

The state of oneness between waking and dreaming 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 the practice of concentration. Concentration is an indispensable part of cultivation. Only with concentration can wisdom be developed, enabling the knowing of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses to be more true to reality and principle, knowing more truly, more subtly, and more extensively. Only by removing the hindrance of sleep can deep concentration be initiated. Those with deeper concentration think clearly while awake and are not confused in dreams, perceiving states without obstruction just as when awake.

The knowing of ordinary people has obstructions, commonly referred to as lacking supernatural powers. Conversely, the knowing of those with supernatural powers is unobstructed; they possess powers like mind-reading and divine eye, etc. This is the meritorious fruition of concentration and wisdom. Knowing within a dream is the fruition attained by those whose minds are purified through excellent concentration. Monk Jigong (Daoji) possessed the Four Dhyānas and Eight Samādhis and had supernatural powers. No matter how much wine he drank, his nervous system was unaffected, 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 manas relying on the mental consciousness to perceive states thus becomes inoperative. Therefore, during dreaming, the discriminatory power of manas is weak, and it does not know it is a dream. The isolated mental consciousness (dream consciousness) in the dream also has very weak discriminatory power and likewise does not know it is a dream. However, practitioners with strong power of concentration have an unobstructed physical body, and their sixth and seventh consciousnesses are clear and luminous; thus, their discriminatory power is strong. When dreaming, they know it is a dream and are not confused.

Master Kuiji possessed the Four Dhyānas and Eight Samādhis and had supernatural 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 lost a leg and cried out in pain, Master Kuiji could hear it. This is the meritorious fruition of the power of concentration and supernatural powers. Does hearing the cry of the louse while asleep mean he was not actually asleep? For ordinary people, sleep is a kind of hindrance that obscures their mind, making them unaware and unhearing, like a dead person. Those who have eliminated the hindrance of sleep require very little sleep to nourish the physical body. Their concentration will reach at least the First Dhyāna; their mind is clear and luminous, with minor or no obscurations at all. While sleeping, they may not completely eliminate the mental consciousness, yet their sleep is sufficient, which differs from ordinary people.

Especially those with supernatural 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 with high alertness. This alertness could be said to be of the mental consciousness, but manas indeed also possesses alertness; its alert function is even stronger than that of the mental consciousness. Therefore, without manas, the function of the mental consciousness cannot be fully explained. Sleep and dullness are of the same category; both are hindrances that obscure the luminosity of the conscious mind. Only after the hindrance of sleep is eliminated does the First Dhyāna concentration arise. The more dull one is while sleeping, the worse one's concentration skill is, or it indicates a lack of concentration and heavy hindrances. The more confused one is in dreams, the less concentration one has. The more easily one gets drunk from wine, the greater the obstruction of the physical body, and the less concentration one has. Those with deep concentration skill can regulate the physical body well, unaffected by environmental factors, and not hindering the functioning of the six consciousnesses. Therefore, the power of concentration is extremely important. Even without studying Buddhism or practicing cultivation, mastering concentration brings very great benefits.