Lecture Notes on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (Pitāputrasamāgamanasūtra) (136)

Original text:大王。譬如有人。于睡梦中。以旃檀香。或多摩罗叶香。及余香等。而以涂身。于意云何。是人觉已。忆念梦中。所涂之香。是实有不。王曰不也。

佛言大王。是人所梦。执以为实。为智者不。王曰。不也世尊。何以故。梦中毕竟。无有诸香。何况复有。以涂身耶。当知是人。徒自疲劳。都无有实。

Explanation: The Buddha said: "Great King, suppose there is a person who, while asleep and dreaming, applies sandalwood fragrance, tamāla-leaf fragrance, or other kinds of fragrance to anoint his body. What do you think of this? After this person awakens, he still recollects the fragrance he applied in the dream—is the applied fragrance real and existent?" King Śuddhodana said: "It is not real and existent."

The Buddha said: "Great King, if this person clings to his dream as being real and existent, is he a wise person?" King Śuddhodana said: "He is not a wise person, World-Honored One. Why do I say this? Because in the dream there is ultimately no fragrance at all, let alone the matter of applying fragrance to the body. One should know that this person merely tires himself in vain, wearying his mind, and there is nothing real in it at all."

The matter of applying fragrance in a dream is illusory, and the act of dreaming itself is also illusory. So did this person actually dream? He indeed did dream. Although dreaming is a false appearance, the existence of this false appearance cannot be denied. We can only find a way to recognize that this is a dream, and then we will awaken. If we recognize that all these dharmas are false appearances and find a way to prove that these dharmas are all illusory, then we will be enlightened, and in the future we will be able to transcend birth and death.