DREAMS

QUESTION:

Everyone dreams. Some dreams seem more significant or real than others. Does Buddhism speak of different levels of dreams? For instance, I read one of Master Ta-hui Tsung-kao's (1089-1163) letters in which a person said that, in a dream, Ta-hui had entered his room; and later Ta-hui replied that he was really there. You also have said that if someone thinks of you or dreams of you with conviction, then you will be there. On the other hand. Buddhism says all things are illusion. Can you speak on this subject?

SHIH-FU:

The Mahayana sutras say that if a person practices and studies Buddhadharma with great conviction, then it is likely that he or she will dream of Buddhas, bodhisattvas and Buddha worlds. These dreams can be real. There have also been accounts of masters and patriarchs who, during the course of their practice, were told in dreams where they should seek their teachers.