Selected Lectures from the Sūtra of the Compendium of Father and Son (111): Chapter II, The Fourteenth Dream Metaphor

Original Text: Furthermore, great king, it is like a person who, in a dream, sees himself drinking wine until dead drunk, unable to recognize wholesome dharmas or unwholesome deeds, and unaware of merits and faults. Upon awakening, this person reflects on the events in the dream, wondering, 'Were those events real?' The king replies, 'No, they were not.'

Explanation: The Buddha said: "Once again, great king, I will use a dream as an analogy. Suppose there is a person who, in a dream, sees himself having drunk wine until he is dead drunk. He neither distinguishes wholesome dharmas nor unwholesome deeds, and is unaware of what merits or faults his actions might have. After this person awakens, he constantly recollects the events from the dream, pondering, 'Were the events in the dream real?' King Śuddhodana replied, 'They were not real.'"