[Yash RS]

This has happened a lot with my mother. Whenever something tragic is going to happen, she gets a dream about that before it’s going to happen.

When I was in my mother’s womb around 20 years ago, some friend of my father tried to betray him. He made a false accusation of money laundering on my father and a corrupt police officer was also involved in it, in order to get money from my father.

But my mother was sleeping with no idea about this at all and saw all those future events perfectly accurate from start to end. How my father will be betrayed, where he will be, who will be helping us?,etc.

So how is this possible?

Another event when my grandmother was gonna die , my mother got to know it a night before. Also the colour of the clothes that will be used for the last rites!

 

1 user thanked author for this post.

Jittananto

[Lal]

1. In general, dreams do not have predictive capability. 

• There could be exceptional cases, but the Buddha did not discuss such aspects.
• For example, it is reported that Queen Mahamaya (mother of the Bodhisatta) had some dreams about the Bodhisatta entering her womb. 

2. However, there is the following account in the Tipitaka regarding a different aspect of dreams.

• Once, a bhikkhu had a dream where he had sex with a woman. Since having sex is a “parājikā” (breaking of a Vinaya rule) and makes a bhikkhu ineligible to keep his “bhikkhu status,” that bhikkhu got highly depressed. He went to the Buddha, reported the incident, and said he was sorry and would leave.
• But the Buddha explained that dreams do not represent our thoughts. No javana cittas (with raga, dosa, moha) can arise while dreaming. Thus, he told the bhikkhu not to leave and to continue practicing. 
• Even modern mundane laws follow the same basic principle. For example, one is not criminally liable for any crime done while “sleepwalking.” 

2 users thanked author for this post.

Yash RS, Jittananto

[taryal]

Did Buddha dicuss any comprehensive aspect of how dreams work? What I know so far is that when we sleep, the 5 indriyas become inactive but the mana indriya can still be active and detect dhammā signals. But are they random?

[Lal]

“Did Buddha dicuss any comprehensive aspect of how dreams work? “

No. he did not. We can understand why the following way.

• The brain is the critical interface between the external world and the seat of the mind (hadaya vatthu) located in the mental body (gandhabba). It is a (biological) machine that works very hard analyzing and converting the signals received by eyes, ears, etc., to a form that the hadaya vatthu understands.
• The brain needs to be rejuvenated at the end of the day, and it stops processing. During that time, the mind (hadaya vatthu) enters a “holding state” called bhavanga. Thus, no “useful activity” occurs in the mind during sleep. 

1 user thanked author for this post.

taryal

[Dhammañāṇa Bhikkhu]

Good householder,

Maybe useful to compare it like food and it’s processing. The more careful of what eating, the more restrain and useful, the lesser burden with it.

The more right view, gratitude and goodwill, the more pleasing and calm dreams, going further to even have no more dreams at all when virtue becomes pure, and especially when mindfulness is well established.

One can give it a try by doing efforts in metta-bhavana and to stay well mindful on certain kammatthan till falling asleep.

The lesser virtue, the more transgressions, the more “hungry” after sensuality, the more troubles with the “belly”.

In this regard, and to this extent, are dreams predicting, and even give some ideas of what can be expect further in such or such way of going on.

(Samana Johann)

1 user thanked author for this post.

Jittananto

[buddhas_disciple]

From the Buddha’s teachings, many types of dreams exist — some are random, some influenced by past impressions, and some even arise due to strong kamma vipāka or kamma-nimitta. In rare cases, there can be intuitive glimpses — especially if the mind is calm, pure, or strongly connected to the situation.

I just want to remind you:

The Buddha said:
“Do not believe something just because it is written in scriptures, or because it is tradition, or even because I (the Buddha) have said it.”

He further said:
“Only when you yourself see—through your own experience—that something is wholesome, beneficial, and leads to the reduction of suffering and the growth of peace, only then should you accept and follow it.”

Here’s what the Buddha emphasized:

1. “By the fruits, you shall know the path.”
   The goal of the Dhamma is not to explain mysterious events — but to understand and uproot suffering.
   If any experience (even a psychic one) increases greed, delusion, fear, or ego — it’s not helpful.
   But if it leads to compassion, dispassion, and wisdom, it may be worth reflecting on.
2. “Ehipassiko” — Come and see
   Even dreams and intuitions must be examined.
   Did it reduce suffering? Did it lead to detachment?
   Buddha said: “Test it — don’t just believe it.”
3. “Opanayiko” — Leading inward
   Anything that leads you toward detachment and liberation — that’s Dhamma.
   Anything that traps you in external fantasies, rituals, or false identity — is the opposite of Dhamma.

Real Dhamma leads you toward liberation — not just curiosity about external predictions.
Yes, dreams may occur. But what matters is what they do to your mind.

What I think:

The thing you’re trying to use to predict the future — the mind, the dream — is itself anicca (unreliable, subject to change).
And whatever you’re trying to predict? That too is anicca.

So what’s really reliable here?
What’s the point?

Instead, what did the Buddha focus on?

“I teach only suffering and the end of suffering.”

Not fortune-telling, not magic, not control of destiny — but freedom from rebirth, freedom from suffering.

Finally, I would say:

Seeing through the illusion of control is more powerful than trying to control the illusion.
Awaken the Dhamma within you.
Leave behind these low arts (tiracchāna vijjā) that only shake your Sammā Diṭṭhi.

[Author]

Posts