Dream yoga

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The dream yoga ( Sanskrit : svapna darśana ; Tib .: rmi lam ) is on the one hand part of the “ Six Yogas of Naropa ” and thus a practice originating from the Buddhist Vajrayana , on the other hand there is an independent transfer to dream yoga within the Tibetan Bon . Dream yoga serves to maintain an awake state of consciousness during dream sleep and to acquire the ability to purposefully direct the dream events (→ lucid dream ). In the meantime, instructions for dream yoga have also been translated into Western languages.

Lucid dreaming

A skilled dream yoga practitioner becomes aware while dreaming that he is dreaming. He experiences the dream content consciously and can influence the action of his dreams. During this lucid state of consciousness he is also aware of the "unreal" and fleeting nature of the dream. In Buddhism dream yoga gives the practitioner the opportunity to practice spiritual practice during (dream sleep) phases which, from a spiritual point of view, usually pass uselessly in a state of ignorance. A lucidity during deep sleep is associated with clear light yoga .

techniques

During the sleep phase, one directs the consciousness to special energy centers ( chakras ) of the body and visualizes colored light or mystical syllables (Sanskrit Bija ) there. The sleep phase can also be used for the application of other tantric techniques such as mantra recitation or visualization of meditation deities. The correct practice requires dedication and careful guidance of a Vajrayana master who within a lineage is authorized to pass on this exercise. The clear light yoga mentioned above, on the other hand, is associated with the Dzogchen practice.

Purpose and basic point of view in dream yoga

Buddhist dream yoga is not about the content of dreams in the sense of "dream interpretation", but rather about mental clarity during otherwise unconscious phases. The ultimate goal is to experience Buddha- nature, the true nature of mind.

Tantric Buddhism regards the ordinary reality of life as " illusionary ", similar to a dream . According to this view, the appearance of the phenomena in the waking state can be called a collective dream . The phenomena of the waking state appear in the perception similar to the phenomena in the dream, but are erroneously not recognized by the ordinary observer as ultimately unreal, but rather identified as inherently existing phenomena.

The lucid dreaming is used in all phases of life reality the dream similarity, or more classic buddhist, the emptiness ( Shunyata ) of the self (the personality, constituent-factors Skandhas ) and to recognize all phenomena. Therefore, deepened experiences in lucid dreaming at night have an influence on the perception of the phenomena in the waking state during the day. The techniques of lucid dreaming are part of a comprehensive spiritual enlightenment practice . In addition, the lucidity in the dream makes it possible to practice meditation practices. This is beneficial not least because the limitations of the physical body are removed and it is easier to get certain results.

Another purpose is preparation for death. The basic idea is that dreams are substantially similar to the processes of dying and what happens after death ( bardo ). The experience of the dream similarity of the phenomena during lifetime serves to experience the sometimes frightening visions of dying and after death as illusory, and thus to recognize the real nature of the mind and to achieve liberation from the cycle of existence.

See also

literature

  • Namkhai Norbu : Dream Yoga - Controlling your dreams consciously - the Tibetan way to clarity and self-knowledge. OWBarth-Verlag, Bern-Munich-Vienna 1998, ISBN 3-502-62481-X (translation of the 1st edition of Dream Yoga and the Practice of Natural Light )
  • Namkhai Norbu: The Cycle of Day and Night - The Practical Exercises of Ati Yoga. Diederichs Verlag, Munich 1998 ISBN 3-424-00964-4
  • Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche: Dream Yoga and the Practice of Natural Light. Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca NY 2002 (2nd extended edition), ISBN 1-55939-161-8
  • Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche: Night Exercise - Tibetan Meditations in Sleep and Dream. Diederichs Verlag, 2001, ISBN 3720521893
  • Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche: The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep. Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca NY 1998, ISBN 1-55939-101-4 (English edition of "Exercise of the Night")
  • Francisco Varela : Dream, Sleep and Death - Border Areas of Consciousness , Diederichs, 1998, ISBN 3-42401-388-9
  • Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche: Ancient Wisdom: Nyingma Teachings on Dream Yoga, Meditation, and Transformation. Snow Lion Publications Ithaca NY1993
  • Swami Sivananda Radha: Practice of Dream Yoga. Freiburg im Breisgau 1996

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