Auspicious Dream After Encountering the Dao Like Spring

On the night of January 15, 2026, I dreamed that I was sitting in meditation. Many stone pillars fell from the sky, and I could not help but block them with my hand, only to realize that they were made of foam, light and airy when they struck my hand. In the dream, I was a bhikshu.

Commentary: Such a dream arises only after one has realized that form is empty, illusory, and unreal. Dreams can reveal a person's inner thoughts; the dreams of ordinary people are vastly different from those of one who has seen the path.

On January 18, 2026, I dreamed that I arrived at a golden place with many Buddha statues. One Buddha statue had a golden body and a blue-black topknot, leaving a deep impression on me. I dreamed of it twice.

On January 23, 2026, I felt as if I were contemplating suffering, emptiness, and impermanence in my dream. Then my left nasal cavity seemed to open, and I exhaled a long breath, like the final release of steam from a pressure cooker just before the lid is opened. It felt very real, not like a dream.

Commentary: Continuing diligent practice during sleep allows the body's energy channels to flow more smoothly and unobstructedly, while also continuing to eliminate karmic obstacles. Before and after seeing the path, there will be varying degrees of phenomena related to the elimination of karma, whether awake or dreaming.

On January 22, 2026, some reflections on cultivation: 1. From the ultimate truth, afflictions are empty; from the conventional truth, they exist. All phenomena are inherently empty yet wondrously existent. At the beginning of cultivation, one has no defense against the turbid energy of afflictions and can only practice by avoiding the world as much as possible for self-preservation. 2. Attaining the emptiness of the Hinayana provides a defense, allowing one to walk in the world without being turned by the states of affliction. It is like having armor against poison and the power to transcend the world, benefiting oneself while also creating conditions for benefiting others. 3. After realizing the emptiness of the Mahayana, one is not only not turned by states but also possesses the wisdom and power to transform states, to reverse the cognition and karma of sentient beings, to help them attain liberation, and to benefit the world by purifying its turbid energy. 4. The ultimate purpose of realizing emptiness is for the functional utility of undefiled wisdom, just as rice grains must be stripped of their affliction-like husks to reveal the white rice that can be eaten to satisfy hunger.

Understanding the principles is not easy; what is even more difficult are the details of daily body, speech, and mind. In these details, information about wisdom or affliction naturally manifests. For example, once I was guiding an elder. When we passed the first floor, a worker had just mopped the floor, which was very wet and clean. Without much thought, I stepped forward. Later, I noticed that the elder had not followed. Turning back, I saw him carefully rubbing the soles of his shoes back and forth on a carpet to avoid dirtying the floor. The floor where I had walked was marked by two rows of black footprints, conspicuously revealing my ignorance and arrogance. In that instant, I understood why he was so respected. Some people's goodness and wisdom seem innate; a natural act of wiping one's shoes can outweigh years of my effort, and I deeply felt unworthy of the word "cultivation."