Did the Buddha dream?

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
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acinteyyo
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Re: Did the Buddha dream?

Post by acinteyyo »

Dhammakid wrote:Was it just the Buddha's consciousness that visited and taught beings in various planes of existence other than the human realm? Or are we to take it that he was both physically and consciously there?
I think these kind of questions are inappropriate. See SN22.86 or SN44.2
"What do you think, Anuradha: Do you regard the Tathagata as being in form?... Elsewhere than form?... In feeling?... Elsewhere than feeling?... In perception?... Elsewhere than perception?... In fabrications?... Elsewhere than fabrications?... In consciousness?... Elsewhere than consciousness?"

"No, lord."

"What do you think: Do you regard the Tathagata as form-feeling-perception-fabrications-consciousness?"

"No, lord."

"Do you regard the Tathagata as that which is without form, without feeling, without perception, without fabrications, without consciousness?"

"No, lord."

"And so, Anuradha — when you can't pin down the Tathagata as a truth or reality even in the present life — is it proper for you to declare, 'Friends, the Tathagata — the supreme man, the superlative man, attainer of the superlative attainment — being described, is described otherwise than with these four positions: The Tathagata exists after death, does not exist after death, both does & does not exist after death, neither exists nor does not exist after death'?"
Thag 1.20. Ajita - I do not fear death; nor do I long for life. I’ll lay down this body, aware and mindful.
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Dhammakid
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Re: Did the Buddha dream?

Post by Dhammakid »

Venerable,
Thank you very much for that. It's greatly appreciated. I think this answers the question.

Anjali,
Dhammakid
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Goofaholix
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Re: Did the Buddha dream?

Post by Goofaholix »

What is a dream? isn't it just the mind continually proliferating even when the body is asleep? A continuation of the crap that goes through the mind during the day.

I've noticed as a result of my meditation practice I tend to be aware during some periods of sleep, I don't think it's always sleeplessness as sleeplessness results in me being tired the rest of the day. I've heard teachers suggest similar things.

So I think it not unreasonable to assume that the Buddha may have been continually aware while his body was sleeping.

As for astral travel save that for the new agers.
Pronouns (no self / not self)
“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
― Ajahn Chah
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acinteyyo
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Re: Did the Buddha dream?

Post by acinteyyo »

Dhammakid wrote:Venerable,
Thank you very much for that. It's greatly appreciated. I think this answers the question.
Anjali,Dhammakid
If "Venerable" was meant to address me, then, to prevent a mistake, I'm just an upāsaka. ;)
best wishes, acinteyyo

edit: by the way I just came across this passage:
94. Answering Questions with Questions
Because I had been on familiar terms with Luang Pu
for a long time, when I would ask him a question he
would tend to answer by asking a question in return—his
way of getting me to think out the answer on my own.
For example, when I asked, “The minds of arahants
are clean and bright. Can they predict the next lottery
number accurately?”
He answered,“Would arahants be interested in knowing
stuff like that?”
When I asked,“Do arahants dream in their sleep like
ordinary people?”
He answered,“Aren’t dreams an affair of the aggregate
of fabrication?”

When I asked,“Have there ever been any run-of-themill
people still thick with defilements who have
nevertheless been able to teach other people to become
arahants?”
He answered,
“Haven’t there been a lot of doctors who, even though they
themselves are ill, have been able to cure other people of their
illnesses?”
from Gifts He Left Behind
Last edited by acinteyyo on Sun Apr 25, 2010 7:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
Thag 1.20. Ajita - I do not fear death; nor do I long for life. I’ll lay down this body, aware and mindful.
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Dhammakid
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Re: Did the Buddha dream?

Post by Dhammakid »

Ah, sorry about that. I guess there is such a thing as being too polite, haha.

Great quote from the (actual) venerable. I've never thought of dreams as mere fabrications, even though it's pretty obvious that is what they are.

Anjali,
Dhammakid
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Kim OHara
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Re: Did the Buddha dream?

Post by Kim OHara »

Goofaholix wrote:What is a dream? isn't it just the mind continually proliferating even when the body is asleep? A continuation of the crap that goes through the mind during the day.
Many dreams are just that. Some are pseudo-explanations of things the body is aware of in sleep but the conscious mind isn't 'there' to observe - a slammed door being fitted into the dream as an explosion or something similar.
Goofaholix wrote: I've noticed as a result of my meditation practice I tend to be aware during some periods of sleep, I don't think it's always sleeplessness as sleeplessness results in me being tired the rest of the day. I've heard teachers suggest similar things.
So I think it not unreasonable to assume that the Buddha may have been continually aware while his body was sleeping.
As for astral travel save that for the new agers.
Ditto and ditto and ditto and yeah, I think so too.
:smile:
Kim
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son of dhamma
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Re: Did the Buddha dream?

Post by son of dhamma »

When consciousness (in a word, reflective cognizance) exists in this plane--which means only that it is in this mental frequency as opposed to 30 alternate ranges--then it generates gross matter or collects gross matter to form the body by the kammic processes. When the mental frequency of this consciousness is altered there is the generation of a mental form body, constructed of 'fine-matter' as is generated in the Form realm (Brahma planes). If consciousness is in the form-body then it is still in the material body, a form-body has simply been constructed from the mind which arose with no form-body at the beginning of that life (this is apparently what astral-projection is in reality). In this way there is traveling to the planes of the Form-realm, but only in the sense that one has consciousness and faculties there.
In the Pali Canon it is illustrated that the Buddha :buddha1: ascended to Tavatimsa to deliver the Abhidhamma to all the devas who assembled there, and he descended each day to eat material food which his body yet required. This describes his material body not being perceived in this plane, as though it becomes more subtle as the beings on that plane with the adjustment of his mental frequency. This is how travel to the other 10 planes in the Sensual realm is, because it matter is generated in these frequencies. In the Form realm, fine-matter is generated and to be in that realm is to have a fine-material body--it is impossible for MATTER to be present in a frequency of FINE-MATTER, and likewise NO-MATTER as in the Formless realm. Remember that consciousness is simply the reflective cognizance of whatever the body is experiencing (sensations, perceptions, mental formations).
The controversy here on this page really concerns the body that exists on different planes. The solution is that the Abhidhamma illustrates material bodies in the Sensual realm (any of the first 11 planes), and fine-material bodies in the Form realm (12-27). Moving to another plane does not mean taking gross matter and shoving it through some spatial membrane--that's materialistic 'delusionism' :quote: --but it means simply that the mental frequency is altered to be congruent of those beings existing on that plane, and a body (or formless consciousness) generated in that plane.
Comments? with metta
Sometimes no Buddhas arise in the world. Sometimes they do. When it happens, it is for the welfare and happiness of men, out of compassion for all creatures. For a long, long time he has been working to become a Buddha. He met other Buddhas along the way. And after his long striving he attains his final life, yet not without showing everyone else how to get there.
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son of dhamma
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Re: Did the Buddha dream?

Post by son of dhamma »

As far as the Buddha :buddha1: is concerned in all this: The Buddha did not dream in the sense that we do because he did not experience a less concentrated--or more dissipated--state of awareness. There is always consciousness, even during sleep, the awareness of most people has simply dissipated to such an extent that consciousness isn't reflecting anything noticeable. *It is important in America not to confuse consciousness with the American psychological idea of consciousness, which gives way to unconsciousness, etc. and is not consistent with the Dhamma scripture.
The Buddha was :buddha2: "Fully Enlightened" :buddha2: , and it is described in detail that his own consciousness is not limited by anything--he can see anything anywhere in any point of infinite time in infinite space, whether his own life or another life. His consciousness is not bound by awareness, because his mind is not something to be aware of, it has been Enlightened after Bodhisattahood, it is all-encompassing and it has become immune to suffering (Nibbana). Whether the remaining body is asleep, the size of a pin, or completely dissolved, the mind of the Buddha IS Nibbana; in the body it does not experience dissipated awareness as in dreaming, after disaggregation there is no experience (Parinibbana).
Comments? with metta
Sometimes no Buddhas arise in the world. Sometimes they do. When it happens, it is for the welfare and happiness of men, out of compassion for all creatures. For a long, long time he has been working to become a Buddha. He met other Buddhas along the way. And after his long striving he attains his final life, yet not without showing everyone else how to get there.
Individual
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Re: Did the Buddha dream?

Post by Individual »

I don't think anybody knows for certain but it's not important.
The best things in life aren't things.

The Diamond Sutra
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