The Meaning of Dreams (2024-12-28)

Ru Chun: On December 19, I dreamed that I was about to enter a large U-shaped cesspit, similar to a yellow mud pit, and I felt a bit uncomfortable, worried that the filth would get on my body. I walked from one end to the other, always keeping a certain distance from the surrounding filth, and not a bit of dirt got on me. At the exit, there appeared a set of rotating turnstile doors, revolving like a moving walkway, with square and round openings on it. I originally planned to go out through the square opening, but then it occurred to me: why must I squeeze through this opening? Can't I just go straight out? As soon as this thought arose, I was out.

On December 22, I dreamed that I was going to crawl into a familiar cave, but this time, when I arrived at the entrance, I was surprised to find that the entrance had been blocked by stones, and I could not crawl in. Looking back, I felt that this entrance looked so much like a person's navel. Master, I have had several dreams in a row these past few days—do they have any meaning?

Reply: The first dream shows the process of your eliminating afflictions. You were doing your utmost to avoid the afflictions, not letting them defile your body. In the dream, you wanted to escape the mire of afflictions, thinking there must be some trick to severing afflictions, but in the end you discovered that as soon as you changed your thought, you went out through the gate of afflictions, without needing any special counteractive method. Afflictions are like these filthy things; after removing them, preventing them from staining you again will form a habit of purity. The dream shows that your practice has reached the stage of subduing and severing afflictions. Only when afflictions have been subdued and the mind has been transformed to purity can one see the Path.

The second dream shows that, on the path of rebirth in the six realms of saṃsāra that you have been familiar with for countless kalpas, you discovered that this path of rebirth has been blocked, and you can no longer undergo rebirth and transmigrate. Who blocked it? You blocked it yourself through practice. At the time of seeing the Path through practice, one severs the three fetters and no longer goes to the three evil realms. This shows that your present practice holds great hope of seeing the Path—you are not far from it. The cave entrance resembling a navel portends saṃsāra, the transmigration going to the three evil realms. You have hope of severing the three fetters and no longer needing to undergo retribution in the three evil realms. Having had these two prophetic dreams, you deserve congratulations and praise—the results are soon to come.