Selected Lectures on the Sutra of the Compendium of Father and Son (44)

Original Text: Great King, suppose there is a person who, in a dream, engages in combat with various adversaries. What do you think? After this person awakens and recalls the events of combat and so forth from the dream, do those things possess real existence? The King replied: They do not.

The Buddha said: Great King, if this person clings to the dream as real, is he a wise person? The King replied: He is not, World-Honored One. For what reason? In the dream, after all, there are no adversaries, much less any actual combat with them. It should be understood that this person merely brings worry and distress upon himself; none of it is real.

Explanation: The Buddha said: Great King, suppose a person, in a dream, fights together with many adversaries. What do you think? After this person awakens and still recalls the events of fighting from the dream, are those things in the dream real? King Śuddhodana replied: They are not real.

Great King, this person regards the dream as real and clings to it. Is he a wise person? King Śuddhodana replied: This person is not a wise one, World-Honored One. Why? Because adversaries do not actually exist in the dream, much less the act of fighting with those adversaries. This person is merely creating worry and distress for himself; there are no real people or events in the dream.