Life is God's dream (wisdom stories)

The mortal dream

I will tell you a little story. A king fell asleep and dreamed that he was poor. He was crying out in his sleep for just a penny for some food. Finally, the queen woke him and said, What is the matter with you? Your treasury is full of gold, and yet you are crying for a penny.” Then the king said, Oh, how silly of me. I thought I was a beggar and was starving for lack of that penny.” Such is the delusion of every soul who is dreaming he is a mortal, subject to the nightmarish evils of all kinds of disease, suffering, troubles, heartbreaks. The only way to escape this nightmare is by becoming more attached to God and less attached to the dream images of this world. It is because you have put your attention on the wrong things that you suffer.

Source: Paramahansa Yogananda

Neither and both

King Janaka once dreamt that he was a beggar. On waking up he asked his Guru — Vasishta: Am I a king dreaming of being a beggar, or a beggar dreaming of being a king? The Guru answered: You are neither, you are both.

Source: Nisargadatta Maharaja

Butterfly dream

Once upon a time, I dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was myself. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man.

Source: Zhuangzi

Life is but a dream

Once upon a time there was a farmer who lived in the village of Kamarpukur. He was a true spiritually enlightened person. He earned his living through farming and petty errands. He was married to a beautiful girl of the village, and after ten years of their matrimony, a son was born to them, who they named as Ravi. The parents loved the boy dearly. He was bright, cheerful and clever. The farmer was loved by all the villagers on account of his spiritual knowledge and good deeds. One day, he was catching fishes in the pond when a fellow brother came running and informed him that Ravi had been bitten by a venomous snake and needs immediate medical attention. The farmer rushed to his home and arranged for his son’s treatment. But, unfortunately the boy died.

His entire family was grief stricken on the death of the young boy but there was no trace of any pain of loss on the farmer’s face. He consoled his wife by saying that it was futile crying over the death of the son. Then he went back to the lake for fishing. On returning home, his wife cried bitterly saying:

Wife: You are a stone-hearted person. You haven’t shed a single drop of tear for the son who was so dear to you.

Husband: Shall I tell you why I haven’t wept?” I had a very strange dream the previous night. I dreamt I had become a King; I was the father of eight wonderful sons and was very happy with them. Then I woke up. Now, I am greatly baffled – Should I weep for those eight sons or for this one Ravi?

Everything is a dream

A man came to Lahiri Mahasaya, greatly troubled. “I keep seeing the hand of a ghost trying to choke me.”

Lahiri Mahasaya said, “You are frightened by your own dream.”

“But it is not a dream,” the man said. “I see it.”

Lahiri Mahasaya said, “Still, it is not real; everything is a dream.”

The man believed the Guru’s words, and was healed.