In that very body, within that very dream

Dreams played a role in early Buddhism, helping to establish the continuity of the tradition. Later, in the Buddhist eremitic tradition influenced by Tantric spirituality, a transformed concept of the body gave rise to a soteriological technique of dreaming (Tib. rmi lam). This practice is analyzed through fragments of mahāsiddha Tilopa, Gampopa's commentaries, and studies from Ladakh. Dream yoga has four stages, related to other psychophysical techniques (the six dharmas). Its philosophical foundations come from the yogācāra school's doctrine of consciousness, particularly Vasubandhu's three modifications of consciousness. Training in dreaming is significant for the dying process, leading to nirvāṇa.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The first part of the paper briefly outlines the role of dreams in early Buddhism and their importance in establishing the continuity of the whole tradition, before presenting in the second part entirely new aspects of dreams in the Buddhist eremitic tradition, influenced by the Tantric spiritual horizon, in particular by a transformed concept of the body. The central part of the paper follows an analysis of the soteriological technique of dreaming (Tib. rmi lam) in the tradition of Buddhist yogis and yoginīs, based on the fragments of mahāsiddha Tilopa (Ṣaḍdharmopadeśa), Gampopa’s commentaries, collected in the treatise Dags po'i bka' 'bum, and findings from studies on Buddhist eremitic tradition in Ladakh in the region of the Indian Himalayas. The four stages of dream yoga are also highlighted in relation to other psychophysical soteriological techniques (the six dharmas, Skrt. ṣaḍdharma, Tib. chos drug). The philosophical and soteriological foundations of dream yoga are presented on the basis of the doctrine of consciousness in the yogācāra school, highlighting in particular the three modifications of consciousness presented by Vasubandhu. The last part the paper outlines the significance of training in the dreaming technique in the very process of dying that leads to the unconditioned state beyond life and death, nirvāṇa.