It keeps reoccurring
I was riding my bicycle in Hubli, and I was going through the traffic in the busy streets, suddenly a thought came to me, I wanted to go to this very nice wooded area with a lake in Mundgod which is one hour away, when I got this idea to go to this wooded area with a lake, waves of happiness flowed through my mind. So I rushed back to my small hotel room, and when I got there, I saw a cutting on a board of this woman:
There was this Indian woman who was extremely poor without husband or children, in her middle age, she was very poor, had no income, and lived in small wooden house with small windows by herself, she was worried of her livelihood and she had none. She was extremely worried about her next meal as the food was running out. She had this suffering every day, suddenly she had a different thought, she decided to stop worrying about herself and focusing on her fears, and she decided to give whatever she had to whoever that shared what little she have with other starving people. So she posted up a small sign on her door, saying that anyone who is hungry and poor may come and receive what she has to eat, not knowing what and where the next meal would come from, she decided to do this and focus on others. To let go of her fears.
With this sign she started giving away tidbits such as pieces of chapati bread. Sooner or later, the other villagers heard of her compassion and kindness, they started giving her some food so that she could give away to the poor, and like that as she aged, her door was always open for the poor and hungry, but her food supply never ended. She was not in fear of starvation anymore. She lived her life in giving.
Towards the end of her life, people considered her a saint, and made pictures of her the now elderly woman, and kept it on their shrines. They will keep her pictures on their shrines and do puja on her.
After looking at the cutting of the woman becoming a saint I found it inspiring and beautiful, I got up and on my way to go out. I went downstairs and got on the busy road with my bike. I texted a student to follow me there because he was available. As I was going down the Hubli road towards Mundgod, as I headed towards Mundgod, the busy congested road and the buildings on left and right became less and less, and started to reveal itself to become a sparsely populated village.
Today, the dream ended here very vividly, but most of the time it would continue, when it does continue, it continues like this.
Then, I was riding my bike, the streets became more sparse, giving way to more sparse village of cows, tile roofs, hays, dirt roads, and lots of trees. The sight was refreshing, welcoming, and sent waves of excitement and happiness throughout my body.
As I kept riding, I reached a fork on the road. The fork, going straight will head to Gaden monastery, go left leads towards the wooded area with the lake which is my destination in these re-occurring dreams.
I took the left, I rode on the dirt road which was increasingly surrounded with more greens and trees, yet there were open plains, no more houses to be seen on the left and right. And I came across a more heavily forested area, with thick growth of trees, yet not dark because tremendous stream of sunshine are breaking through.
The feeling was like riding through this dirt path with streams of sunlight boldly dancing indiscriminately throughout the forest floor. The forest was dark, yet brilliantly lit both simultaneously. I enjoyed the journey to the lake area.
Then I came upon a clearing, in it was a medium size lake, with the edges surrounded by trees, the lake was sparkling with sunlight on its surface, tingling and bristling as the wind gently blew on its surface.
The lake in my dream seemed to have some magical beings who abided there, what they were I am not sure, but they were made of light, and they lived at that part of forest and lake.
When I saw them, it was only glimpses through the corner of my eyes, brilliant entities with the body of golden light, with no discernible features or limbs, gliding over the edges of the wood and onto the lake.
I have been drawn to this area many times, I have re-dreamed this dream many many times over the years. Sometimes consecutively one day after another for a few days, sometimes every few months. Yet I dreamed this dream so many times. Sometimes I was in Hubli on the way there and then I woke up, sometimes I was halfway in Mundgod on the way there and I woke up, sometimes I actually arrived at that destination as I had in the past, and woke up, and sometimes I arrived at the destination where the lake was, went back to Gaden, or halfway to Hubli, and I brought more friends back. Whatever it was, it was always a combination of this, but the destination was always this lake.
I have this dream recurrently without anything prompting me. The funny thing is, Hubli, Mundgod, Gaden, and the roads in my dream all exist for real, but not this lake. Yet each time I dream it, I feel it’s real. When I wake it takes me a few minutes to orientate myself to realize if the lake/dream was real or not. Yet each time I am excited and looking forward to going there.
One of the times in my dream, halfway to the lake was a roadside small Indian restaurant where I stopped for tea and snacks sometimes with companions.
Yet when I awaked from my dreams, it took me a short while to remember there was no such lake. But even in my remembering of the non-existent lake, I still felt waves of happiness, excitement and joy to go to this place, and the dreams re-occur again and again. When I was in the midst of this dream, I had no idea that it was a dream, sometimes I would wake up for a visit to the toilet and then I went back to sleep, I could happily resume the dream.
I don’t know why I keep dreaming this over and over for years now. It creates no anxiety but just wondering why this dream keeps repeating at different lengths…..
Tsem Rinpoche
(Mundgod is a large Tibetan settlement with Gaden Monastery I lived at before Malaysia. Hubli is a city one hour away from Mundgod)
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Beautiful and inspiring story.That poor Indian lady was so generous giving out to help,feeds the starving even though she has very little for herslf.She knew she let go her fear ,she will have more to share with the starving.She lived her life in giving.There is a saying …the more we give the more, the more we have.these story tell us to be generous, kind and compassion in life .
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing your dreams of lakes which keep on reoccurring.There must be some beautiful meaning behind it.
Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing, the story about the Indian Lady is so inspiring and beautiful. Always we wanted to help and benefit others but we also worried of our livelihood if we give too much. If we can let go of our fear and focus on others, don’t worry about the wealth and starvation. Help will come automatically
Dreams in itself are amazing… however when we can recollect the dream with such clarity and vividness is what I feel most incredible.
All of us dream at some point in our REM mode of our sleep… that is when the brain so to speak is at its optimum. Here is how it is explained:
REM sleep in adult humans typically occupies 20–25% of total sleep, about 90–120 minutes of a night’s sleep. REM sleep is considered the lightest stage of sleep, and normally occurs close to morning. During a normal night of sleep, humans usually experience about four or five periods of REM sleep; they are quite short at the beginning of the night and longer toward the end. Many animals and some people tend to wake, or experience a period of very light sleep, for a short time immediately after a bout of REM.
The relative amount of REM sleep varies considerably with age. A newborn baby spends more than 80% of total sleep time in REM.[5] During REM, the activity of the brain’s neurons is quite similar to that during waking hours; for this reason, the REM-sleep stage may be called paradoxical sleep.
REM sleep is physiologically different from the other phases of sleep, which are collectively referred to as non-REM sleep (NREM sleep). Subjects’ vividly recalled dreams mostly occur during REM sleep.
Hence, what are dreams and what do they tell us? There are many literature and study that try to explain that but what is it exactly really baffles me. Is it our sub conscious mind trying to tell us something? Is it some divine intervention whereby the truth is revealed? Fascinating to say the least!
As I said above, what is mind blowing is the ability to recount with such vivid clarity one’s dreams the way Rinpoche has. Truly something special in itself! 🙂 Thank you Rinpoche for sharing such a beautifully written account of one such dream of Rinpoche’s. It feels as though we the readers have been transported into that very dream! WOW is all I can say!
What a beautiful story, Tsem Rinpoche always amazes me with his story telling thank you.
The minute details described by Rinpoche seem so real to be a dream yet it keeps recurring. The Indian lady is akin to Mother Teresa who puts compassion into action.
In Japanese Zen Buddhism the lake is used as symbol for the mind. If its surface is moving you cannot see the moon’s reflection. However, if the lake is allowed to be still the moon appears. So too the mind must become still if it is to perceive enlightenment.
Rinpoche’s dream starts with the old lady, who removed all her fears and attachments by making a decision to help others and not think about herself at all, which resulted in her having an abundance. The dream then follows on to a path, a beautiful journey to a destination of a lake, which could pretty much represent the enlightened mind !
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this dream !
I think this dream could become a reality to build one lake so beautiful surrounded by trees in a forest like KFR hehe. I like the story about the old lady that faced her fears and let go by giving what very little she had left to others who were just as hungry or more than she was already. I guess instead of feeding her fear with the thought of it actually happening she faced her fears and controlled her fears to actually make it happen and accepted it by giving others her food. But eventually enough her act of kindness returned and she was not left to starve but given more food to continue to give food to those who are hungry. Rinpoche’s description of your reoccurring dream sounds beautiful. I hope Rinpoche is well.
Interesting how it ending not the same way as it always use to end. I do not know much about dreams, just that it could be a sign, a message especially if it keeps reoccurring. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing your intimate personal dream… it has a lot of possible meaning.
The first thought that came to mind is that, the dream stopped half way unlike last time could mean that something is changing hence the destination… “the lake” may not be the destination after all?
The Indian lady, the many stalls, the people Rinpoche met along the way is like the lessons, the teachings, the people Rinpoche will meet along the way… perhaps along the way in building KFR?
The lake could represent Rinpoche’s final destination, final resting place after all of Rinpoche’s mission is accomplished and then Rinpoche can rest for a little bit? Where, who knows? Maybe in Vajrayogini’s pure land? Perhaps everything I’m saying is rubbish… but never the less it is an interesting dream with definitely a message!
What I like best in this dream is the Indian lady saint who finally conquered her fears and worry and turned to be giving and returned all that she is worried about became the opposite when she decided to transform… Could she be Tara or Vajrayogini giving a teaching?
Dear Rinpoche thank you for sharing your dream with us. It is very inspiring especially the Indian lady who give away food to the poor even she is so poor with limited resource she still can share with others. It remind us about generosity the more we the more we get.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing such a beautiful story of the lady. The more we give, the more we have. We should not even worry on we don’t have as when we give, the more we will get. Focus out.
Also thanks Rinpoche for sharing the dream about the lake. Beautiful.
Such a nice and touching story, i would have to say, my favourite part was when the lady gives food to others even though she doesn’t even have much for herself. This is true compassion. This is helping others, and i hope that others will see that.
I remembered one of Rinpoche’s teachings,to give something you get everything.There is also a saying generosity is the way to prosperity. This is what happened to the very poor Indian woman,once she started sharing and giving whatever little food she had with the poor instead of focusing on her fear other people will start sending her foods continuously so that she could share with others non stop right to her old age. This is what’s so called when you benefit others you benefit yourself as well.
I think Rinpoche would love to stay in Gaden Shartse monastery very much but has to come to Malaysia to teach and fund raise as instructed by his Guru H E Lati Rinpoche, and Rinpoche has fond memories of the Turkey Swamp in the U.S.,Rinpoche when young used to cycle with friends to the large nature reserve and park and sat by the lakeside to meditate and recite mantras.That’s why Rinpoche always has this type of dreams so often i guessed.
Thank you for sharing RInpoche’s dream. The cutting about the indian lady is a dharma teaching in itself and it is interesting that even Rinpoche’s dream is a dharma teaching!
Regarding the lake, it is interesting that Rinpoche has always been drawn to lakes, such as Turkey Swamp http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/me/avalokiteshvara-turkey-swamp-marc-me.html when Rinpoche was just a young child. Even on Rinpoche’s blog, Rinpoche has been attracted to places with water http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/art-architecture/wyoming-house.html
Perhaps there are magical beings in lakes… and Rinpoche has affinity with them…
Dear Rinpoche
I had dreams pretty much similar to that long ago. In the dreams, it was a quite poor village in country side; there was a smiling lady was selling or giving foods and I ate her soup in the dream. I didn’t understand what it meant.
Wow cool dream! It’s probably not just a dream though. Maybe you’re astral traveling in your sleep? Not unheard of. My advise, if I may, is that next time you have this dream or vision or whatever, to ask the entities who they are and what they are doing there and ask them to tell you about themselves.
Dearest Riponche,
I’m just a couple of months younger than H.E. also a wood snake. Whenever I dream of water bodies it usually means that I have to use the toilet. At this age, our bladder is not so strong also some modern medicine for high blood pressure makes one produce more waste water. Wonder if that is the case of the lake here.
how kind the indian lady . she didn’t stop giving other.rinpoche some time dreem also going to be real.
Thank you Rinpoche. I think the lake and the lady who, though poor, was always giving and giving,are inextricably entwined.
The story of the lady is an allegory. The peaceful and beautiful scene of the lake is the culmination point of this allegory. The story of the lady is a story that teaches us to develop a mind that is totally free of fear because it has been giving until it has attained selflessness. A selfless open mind without boundaries or walls or divides is the mind of ultimate peace(as symbolized by the lake).
Dear Rinpoche, the way Rinpoche explain about this place, for me it feels very relaxing. And sometimes I have dreams that repeats too, I remember hearing people say that you dream because your mind is visiting that place. So if you kept on having the same dream does it mean that your mind visited that place again and again?
The Indian lady was very kind indeed, she didn’t stop giving towards the end of her life and that must be why people considered her as a saint. Rinpoche’s dream is very special, especially it still carries on even after Rinpoche goes to sleep again, very very special.
Thank You for sharing Rinpoche.
Rinpoche’s dream seems so real. Even at times the dream would continue on after Rinpoche got up and went back to sleep again. I think the lake really exist but visible to only very pure highly attained beings. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this story of your pleasant dream with us. And the wonderful lesson that the poor lady taught us on focusing out onto others.
When Tsem Rinpoche shared with me the story, at the juncture when Rinpoche mentioned about the fork road, it brought some kind of familiarity in my mind. I could feel how real it was for Rinpoche to be there and going back and forth to the lake.
It seemed more like a small land of Dakinis, a pure land hidden in another dimension which does not exist in this mortal realm. The fork road is like a door to that dimension which only the selected few can enter. The feeling I get when Rinpoche shared the story was as if Rinpoche had a connection with this place for a long long time.
Its like going back to mothership to recharge n re-energise as Rinpoche mentions that his heart is always pounding n feels very happy when he’s on thay bike heading to the lake.
Somehow or rather, the old Indian lady reminds me of Holy Mother Vajrayogini in earthly form inspiring humankind through her actions n life.
What a mind tingling session it was!
I like the bit of the lady whose food supply didn’t end as she started to give food, rather than worry about herself. It is great reminder that when one is compassionate, one does not have to worry about the “self” anymore as that “self” will survive as long as they have a virtuous mind.