The Significance of Dreaming About One's Chest Being Pried Open (2024-10-17)

Ru Chun: These past few days, I've been accompanying my injured daughter in the hospital, sleeping there. Last night, I had just fallen asleep when I dreamed that my daughter told me a joke. I was so happy that I laughed heartily. As I laughed, it felt like a mass of energy gathered in my chest, expanding it open. I was astonished, wondering how this could happen, and then I woke up. Today, after waking, I remembered it very clearly but didn't understand its meaning. Master, what message do you think this dream is conveying?

Answer: The nature of this dream is not prophetic but allegorical, meant to reveal a certain truth. Who is revealing it to whom? It is the manas (the seventh consciousness) revealing it to the conscious mind, or perhaps the manas, due to its joy, expressed this matter. When encountering something very joyful, it must express it to feel relieved and unburdened.

What joyful event did the manas encounter? It was because you have attained some level of concentration (dhyana), learned to contemplate the Dharma correctly, contemplated many Dharma teachings, and understood them well, gaining some clarity and penetration into the Dharma. Your long-term, persistent efforts have finally yielded preliminary results, which naturally brings great joy. Hence, this dream emerged, even to the point of laughing yourself awake. What is the evidence? In the dream, a mass of energy gathered in your chest; because you laughed so vigorously, this energy burst open your chest cavity. This refers to the opening of the energy channels in the chest due to concentration (dhyana). Additionally, it allegorically points to wisdom. The chest cavity is also called the deep inner heart; its opening signifies that the wisdom of the manas within the deep inner heart has opened. Both concentration (dhyana) and wisdom (prajna) have appeared—this is the result of persistent effort.

Some people are like clumsy birds, but a clumsy bird can take flight early; it can be diligent and persistent. Eventually, the bird ceases to be clumsy and gains wisdom—this is a cause for celebration. Others, however, are not clumsy but too clever, too shrewd. How clever? Clever enough to disdain the hands-on practice of concentration (dhyana), using only the mouth and tongue. They fear hardship, fatigue, and exertion, craving ease and enjoyment. The result is that these clever birds become even clumsier than the clumsy ones; their cleverness obstructs the path. In future lives, they may end up being clever in the three evil destinies.

Merely having preliminary progress in concentration and wisdom brought forth such a dream to reveal it. Then, after attaining the fruit of severing self-view and realizing the mind to see one's nature, how supremely special and extraordinary those allegorical dreams will be! Yet, some people's so-called attainment of fruition and realization of mind lack even a hint of a favorable state or sign. What does this illustrate? It illustrates that the false cannot become true, and the true cannot become false. Those who deceive themselves can only deceive themselves; ultimately, they cannot deceive others, especially King Yama (the lord of the underworld), whom they cannot deceive at all. Even less can they deceive their own tathagatagarbha (Buddha-nature). The outcome, then, is predictable.

Ru Chun: Thank you, Master! The path of practice is always accompanied by the eruption of karmic obstacles—very difficult, causing fear and trembling, like walking on the edge of a blade. One can only rely on strong vows and faith, striving to overcome them one by one. Through overcoming them, wisdom gradually arises a little. I am grateful for the blessings and protection of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions, allowing me to persevere until now. If not for the Bodhisattvas' protection, I wouldn't know how to face so many problems.

Reply: Everyone's karmic obstacles accumulated since beginningless time are too numerous and heavy. There's no choice but to find ways to eliminate them when encountered. Those that cannot be eliminated must simply be endured. Endure them, and beyond lies another realm. Therefore, do not let karmic obstacles block your path and halt your progress. Often, one's own karma cannot be shouldered by others; one must bear the burden oneself. Once past, it is fine. There are no karmic obstacles one cannot bear; everyone has come this way since beginningless time.