| You may be surprised to learn that according to some | | | | dream-like nature of daily life and reality. This allows |
| schools of Tibetan Buddhism, perceived reality is | | | | them to diminish their attachments in waking life. If you |
| considered to be unreal. Dzogchen, or "Great | | | | understand that your waking life and dream life are the |
| Perfection", is a central teaching in some Tibetan | | | | same then you lose your sense of attachment for |
| Buddhist sects. It's considered to be the highest and | | | | physical objects and concerns. |
| most definitive path to enlightenment. But even more | | | | Tibetan Dream Yoga |
| amazing, not only is reality unreal but that there is | | | | Tibetan dream yoga comprises three parts; daytime |
| essentially no difference between reality and dreams! | | | | practice, morning wakeup practice, and nighttime |
| Because of this, certain Tibetan Yogis practice | | | | practice. During the day you contemplate the body as |
| conscious dreaming, or lucid dreaming to achieve a | | | | illusory and unreal. Your mind and mental activities are |
| better understanding of this concept. | | | | considered the same. You regard the world and |
| Dzogchen and Reality | | | | everything in it as dreamlike and unreal. Wakeup |
| Because perceived reality is unreal in Dzogchen, | | | | practice includes breathing out with the "ah" sound by |
| everything perceived during your life through your | | | | sitting up in bed, head raised, and emphasizing the |
| senses including sight, sound, smells, taste and touch | | | | exhalation. You then stand up, reaching towards the |
| are considered a dream or dream-like. A careful | | | | sky with the same "ah" exhalation. At night, you remind |
| examination of your life and your nightly dreams | | | | yourself to awaken within your dream. You sleep in |
| shows they are very similar and thus there is no | | | | the "sleeping Buddha" position of lying on one side, legs |
| difference between them. We experience our waking | | | | together and slightly bent and resting your head on |
| life as more concrete while the dreaming life is more | | | | your open hand then visualize the letter "A" on the |
| detached. But according to Dzogchen once you realize | | | | surface of the moon. |
| there is no difference and life is only a big dream then | | | | As you can see, certain groups of Tibetan dream |
| you can liberate yourself from emotions, attachments | | | | yogis practice lucid dreaming through Dzogchen to |
| and the ego and finally and truly become enlightened. | | | | show the ultimate unreality of nature and its similarity to |
| Tibetan Yogis and Lucid Dreaming | | | | dreaming. You don't need to become a yogi or |
| One path to this enlightenment is to realize in your | | | | Buddhist to learn to lucid dream. There are many |
| dreams that you're dreaming. The Tibetan Yogis | | | | different lucid dreaming techniques and the basics are |
| trained themselves to dream consciously with the | | | | quite simple and easy to learn. As long as you have |
| ultimate goal to awake from the dream we call reality. | | | | the time and patience to practice a few simple |
| Different yoga practices are possible while dreaming. | | | | techniques, there's no need to convert to Buddhism |
| This allows the yogi to better understand the | | | | just quite yet! |