03-27-2010, 12:00 AM
By Shodo Harada Roshi:
Now to your question about dreaming:
It is said that dreams are the expression of the subconscious.
But here it is important to see where the person places their
values in life.
If it is someone who is doing spiritual training, the dream can be
taken as a message
concerning the practice, giving and reflecting the direction.
If someone sees their values in life on a more superficial level,
the messages of the dreams have to be take in a different way.
This is so because there are many feelings mixed in,
so that it is difficult to read the actual message.
We practice zazen to purify and clarify our life,
not only in the moment of zazen but touching everything in our
lives.
If zazen does not have this effect on the whole being,
then it is practiced in a too light way.
This is what I can say from my own experience.
Now to your question about dreaming:
It is said that dreams are the expression of the subconscious.
But here it is important to see where the person places their
values in life.
If it is someone who is doing spiritual training, the dream can be
taken as a message
concerning the practice, giving and reflecting the direction.
If someone sees their values in life on a more superficial level,
the messages of the dreams have to be take in a different way.
This is so because there are many feelings mixed in,
so that it is difficult to read the actual message.
We practice zazen to purify and clarify our life,
not only in the moment of zazen but touching everything in our
lives.
If zazen does not have this effect on the whole being,
then it is practiced in a too light way.
This is what I can say from my own experience.