Aptavani-1
179
Gautam Swami asked Lord Mahavir, “Which is better, to
be asleep or to be aware?” The Lord replied, “Out of a thousand
people, nine hundred ninety nine are better off asleep but for a
benevolent blessed soul, it is better to stay awake”.
Dreams
The science of sleep is deep and mysterious. Many great
scientists are engrossed in unfolding its mystery. They are
conducting experiments to find what parts of the body are at
work during sleep? What is the function of the inner psyche
(antahkaran) during sleep? But the science behind dreams is not
so easy to ascertain.
During a dream, all outlets of the gross body are closed
and only part of the antahkaran - the mind, the intellect and the
chit are at work. The ego is not able to do anything during this
time. If the ego were operative in a dream, the dreamer would
get up and start fighting or get up and leave. The dreamer
would carry out all the activities that are going on in his dream.
But during dream the ego has no say in the matter. In a wakeful
state, however, the ego is operational and therefore says, ‘I am
doing this.’ In reality it is not capable of doing anything but in
the wakeful state all the avenues and outlets are open and
therefore through illusion, the ego assumes the doership.
Dreams are real and exact. They are effective and this
can be scientifically proven. Effects of dreams experienced by
the inner body are reflected on the gross body. That is why it
is called effective. In what way is it effective? Let me explain.
In a dream if a pauper dreams he is a king, he experiences
exhilaration and if a king dreams that he is a pauper, he becomes
depressed. He is as much depressed in a dream, as he is when
he wakes up. He might even weep in his dream and upon
waking will find his eyes wet with tears. Some times, even after
waking up the effect of the dream will linger and people continue