The practices of dream and sleep are not common practices for Tibetans. They are not normally given to young practitioners, nor are they taught to the general public. But things have changed. I am teaching these things because so many people in the West have an interest in dreams and dreaming, and in dream work. Usually this interest is psychological; I hope by presenting these teachings that dream work might progress to something deeper. Psychological dream work may create more happiness in samsara and that is good, but if full realization is the goal then something more must be done. This is where sleep yoga is particularly important. It is fully at the heart of the practice of the Great Perfection, Dzogchen, which could be summarized thus: every moment of life—waking, dreaming, and sleeping—abide in pure non-dual awareness. This is the certain road to enlightenment and the path that all realized masters have taken. This is the essence of sleep yoga.
How can you have the experience of clear light? I think it is important to reflect on this question as it has to do with your attitude toward the teaching. All the teachings are of a single essence. I am referring to rigpa, to the clear light. No matter how much you learn, how many texts you study, how many teachings you receive, you will not have gotten the main point if you do not know this single essence. Tibetans have a saying: “You can receive so many teachings that your head is flat from being touched with the initiation vase, but if you don’t know the essence, nothing will change.”
When one does not directly know the nature of mind, the teachings can be difficult to understand. They may seem to refer to something impossible, because the nature of mind is beyond the conceptual mind and cannot be comprehended by it. Trying to grasp the nature of mind through concepts is like trying to understand the nature of the sun by studying shadows: something can be learned, but the essence remains unknown. This is why practice is necessary, to go beyond the moving mind and to know the nature of mind directly.
Some people come to feel burdened by all the teachings they have accumulated. This is based on a misunderstanding of the path. Continue learning and receiving teachings, but develop a deep enough understanding that you can take from them what supports you. The teachings are not an obligation once you understand and apply them. They are a path to freedom and there is joy in following that path. They only feel like a burden if one becomes mired in their form without understanding their purpose. It is necessary to learn how to conclude the teachings; this is done not through words or concepts, but in experience.
On the other hand, do not allow yourself to become trapped by the practice. What does this mean? If you continue to practice without results, with no positive changes in life, the practice is not working. Do not think that you are doing the practice if you are simply going through the motions without understanding. Empty rituals accomplish little. You need to penetrate the practice with understanding, determine what the essence is and how to apply it.
The dharma really is flexible. But this does not mean that you should throw out the tradition and make up your own. These practices are powerful and effective. They have been the vehicle for countless people to realize liberation. If the practice is not working, experimentation should be done to try to find what the purpose of the practice is. Consulting with your teacher is best. When you understand the practices, you will also find that the form is not the problem; it is the application of the form that needs to be perfected. The practice is here for you, not you for it. Learn the form, understand the purpose of it, apply it in practice, and realize the result.
Where do you ultimately conclude the practice? In the process of death, the intermediate state, the bardo. The bardo after death is like a major airport that everyone has to pass through on their travels. It is the borderline between samsara and nirvana. The capacity to abide in non-dual presence is the passport that allows entry to nirvana. If you have never had the experience of clear light during sleep, it is difficult to pass from samsara in the bardo; it is as if thick sleep covers the clear light, a blanket of thick thought covering rigpa. If you can integrate with the clear light of sleep, then you can integrate with the clear light of death. Integrating with the clear light of sleep is like passing midterm exams; you are doing well and will probably pass the final that is given in the bardo. Integrating with the clear light of death means finding buddha within yourself and being able to realize, directly, that what arises is essenceless appearance.
The presence of rigpa continues from this world into the next, so practice to experience it now, to become it and abide in it. That is the path, the continuity of clarity and unceasing wisdom. All the beings who achieved enlightenment and became buddhas crossed the border and entered the clear light. Know this so that you know what it is you prepare for. Try to get the sense of the whole of the teachings, where you are, and where you are going. Then you will know how to apply them, when to use what, and what the results will be. The teachings are like a map that can tell you where to go, where to find what you are looking for. The map clarifies everything. Without it you can become lost.
Pray to connect with the clear light during death. Pray that everyone connects with the nature of mind at the time of their death. The power of prayer is very great. When you pray, intention is developed, and what you pray for moves toward realization.
Every individual experiences moments of peace and joy. If the clear light seems a distant goal, just try continuously to maintain the positive experiences of peace and joy. Perhaps when you remember the master or the dakini you feel joy, or when you attend to the beauty of the natural world, happiness arises. Make doing these things a practice. Generate gratitude and appreciation during every moment. The clear light is the pinnacle of mystical experience, the highest joy and the greatest peace. So take joy and peace as qualities to maintain, as supports in developing the continuity of awareness. Feel these qualities in the body, see them in the world, and wish them for others. Through doing this you can develop awareness while generating compassion and positive traits.
Continuity is the key to integrating life and practice. With awareness and intention, continuity can be developed. When it is, your life will be different, and you will become a positive influence on the life around you.
Dream and sleep yogas are methods to recognize the clear light and abide in it through all the moments of life: waking, meditating, dreaming, sleeping, and death. Essentially, the teachings are designed to help us to recognize the nature of mind, to understand and overcome the obstacles in our practice, and to abide fully in rigpa. We can utilize the same methods to remain in joy, to find peace in the midst of the turmoil of the world, to live well, and to appreciate each vivid moment of our human existence.
Great masters have written that it has taken them many years of steady practice to accomplish sleep yoga, so do not be discouraged if you have no experience the first or the hundredth time you try it. There are benefits just from attempting the practice. Anything that brings more awareness into your life is beneficial. It takes long, sustained intention and practice to realize the goal. Do not allow yourself to grow discouraged. Bring your entire being to the practice; with strong intention and joyful effort you will surely find your life changing in positive ways and will certainly accomplish the practices.
I hope that those who have read this book will discover a new knowledge of dream and sleep, one that will help improve their daily life and that will ultimately lead to enlightenment.