Buddhism and Lucid Dreaming

I don't know if there are any other Buddhists here but if there are have you found a way to use lucid dreaming to help your practise?

I know that lucid dreaming becomes more frequent with regular meditation (if you're a lucid dreamer to begin with). I often hear Buddhist chanting in my lucid dreams and find flying in the lotus position useful. I've tried to meditate and contemplate emptiness in my dreams, but it wasn't long before I got distracted.

If you have any books, tips or advice I'd love to hear it.

Also does anyone know about accumulating karma in dreams?

Peace and love to all.

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Originally posted by Amitayus
Also does anyone know about accumulating karma in dreams?

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Kamma (karma) is basically causality- that positive actions will leave a positive impression on oneself and others and in so doing will influence oneself and others to more positive actions in the future. Dreams only directly effect oneself but if you use dreams to purify the mind and cultivate skillfull mental states the benefits of that practice will translate over to your waking mind just as if you were to do so while awake.
A prime example is metta meditation- regardless if your asleep or awake the cultivation of loving kindness in metta meditation is purely in your mind and the fruits of that practice are in the way it leads your mind to a calmer, more loving, and more compassionate path... and those fruits of practice will eventually reach others as you interact with people in the world and are able to do so in a better way as a result of your cultivation of skillfull qualities within yourself.
So in short- yes, positive karma can be cultivated regardless if you are awake or dreaming.

Unfortunatly I have yet to find any record of established lucid dreaming practice in my own sect (theravada) but the Bon of tibet had a lucid practice that was adopted by the vajreyana sect as tantric dream yoga, so thats something to search for... but its also perfectly acceptable to develop your own path- just try to keep it in agreement with the dhamma (the 5 (or 8 ) precepts, the noble eightfold path, etc.)

I dont have any links to the tantric dream yoga stuff but the following links have free dhamma talks and guided meditation sessions available for download:
Buddhist society of western australia
Audiodharma
Abhayagiri buddhist monastery
Dhamma talks

it seems mantras are a good way to maintain focused awareness while lucid...a stable point of reference within a state which can be very distracting.

the most impressive experience "i" have had while meditating in the dream state was floating, while intoning AUM. soon all superficiality seemed to dissolve, and only the cycling vibrations remained, fading into a teeming void. very peaceful and releasing :)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/155939101...glance&n=283155

the above is a book dealing with the tibetan buddhist and bon traditions which auxin mentioned, and which seem to have influenced each other a fair bit. i haven't had time to delve into it much yet, so i can't vouch for it, but it seems a good introduction to dream yoga from an experienced practioner, in readily accessible language.

as far as karma goes in relation to the dream state, i have found dreaming to be an excellent state within which to identify and work with karmic patterns.

for instance, if you find you feel a strong compulsion to perform certains acts, or sate certain desires while lucid, you can be sure this compulsion exists in the waking state as well, though perhaps less noticeably, and hidden beneath clever justifications.

as well, if i dwell on loving-compassion while dreaming, i find these seeds readily blossom in the waking state.

keep in mind though that i only draw casually from the various buddhist traditions, so perhaps i do not speak of karma in the same sense in which you do.

oh, and i also have found the lotus position to be an excellent mode of flight :wink:

peace and love..

I find Lucid dream practice to be a very helpful addition to Powa practice (transference of Consciousness). Death is very similar to falling asleep (only the nada leaves the body at death), and dreaming is thought to be similar to the intermediate state. Practicing mindfulness while sleeping, and gaining control of your dreams may be very analogous to gaining control of the intermediate state after death.

Also, dreaming is a subtle form of mind that I feel is good to explore. The WILD process sounds very much like the dissolving of the winds in Tantric practice (tummo), so it might be helpful there too.

As far as accumulating good Karma in dreams, one of my goals is to become lucid and build a field of merit (offering a Mandala). I bet that would be pretty powerful.

Hope to see you around! :)

P.

Thanks everyone, your words are very inspiring. I will have to try out these things.

Visualising the field of merit sounds like a good one although I imagine it to be quite hard. I think I'll try Green Tara or my spiritual guide first.
Thanks again.

Love and peace to all.

I have that book! It's a good read, and yes, easy language for digenstion. They cover a lot with the chakras and the flow of energy through your body, the best sleeping positions, techniques, etc... I'd certainly reccomend it.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Amitayus
I don't know if there are any other Buddhists here but if there are have you found a way to use lucid dreaming to help your practise?

I know that lucid dreaming becomes more frequent with regular meditation (if you're a lucid dreamer to begin with). I often hear Buddhist chanting in my lucid dreams and find flying in the lotus position useful. I've tried to meditate and contemplate emptiness in my dreams, but it wasn't long before I got distracted.

If you have any books, tips or advice I'd love to hear it.

Also does anyone know about accumulating karma in dreams?

Peace and love to all.

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Oh! Do Mantras. OM MANI PADME HUM is good, but probably just AUM is best.