The dream you are describing is of the second type, that of a special correspondence between two people. It is readily explainable. When you dream of me with conviction and need my assistance, you can tap into the power which derives from my vows. But it is up to you, the dreamer, to do this. It is your mind which is able to do this. I am not personally entering your dream. I may be awake, or if I am asleep, I am dreaming my own dreams. We are not sharing dreams. Such dreams happen occasionally.

There are times, however, when people dream about a person they have never met, who tells them something or gives them instructions. Numerous people in Taiwan have told me that they came to me because they had a dream of me even though they had never met me. I tell them they were really dreaming. They tell me that I told them to visit the temple, but I tell them I don't remember meeting them. These are dreams of the third category. It could be the protecting deity of the temple or some other spirit who takes on my appearance and directs these people to come. It is not me. I would never get any sleep if I had to do all that work.

Most of these dreams come from the consciousness flow of the dreamer. The other person is not really appearing in the dream. That is usually the case when people dream of me. However, a student of mine told me of a dream she had had of her previous master who had died fifteen years earlier. The dream was crystal clear and he gave her very important advice. What is this? Perhaps it is the student's consciousness flow, but it could also be the mental power of her master, even though he is dead. The spiritual body of a great practitioner can continue long after the physical body dies.

STUDENT:

Is it possible to be alert or vigilant enough so that