Are dreams due to Kamma and Gati Nimitta?

Discussion of Abhidhamma and related Commentaries
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SarathW
Posts: 21227
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2012 2:49 am

Are dreams due to Kamma and Gati Nimitta?

Post by SarathW »

I just wonder whether the dreams are due to Kamma and Gati Nimitta.
Are any of you meditate in your dreams?

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‘Kamma’ means Kusala or Akusala Kamma performed
in the past. ‘Kamma-nimitta’ or ‘sign of Kamma’ means an
object or image associated with a good or evil deed or an
instrument used to perform that Kamma that is about to
determine rebirth. For example, a devout person may see the
image of a monk or a temple. A person who is a physician may
see the image of patients. A butcher may hear the groans of
slaughtered cattle or see the image of a butcher knife.
These are called Kamma-nimitta.

‘Gati-nimitta’ means the sign of the
realm into which the dying person is to be reborn. If a person
is going to be reborn into the celestial world or heavenly
realm, then he may see celestial mansions or celestial
nymphs. If a person is about to be reborn as an animal, he
may see forests. If a person is going to be reborn in hell, he
may see hell-fire or dogs running after him and so on. These
are called signs of destiny. One of the three presents itself to
the mind of a person who is about to die — either Kamma, or
sign of Kamma, or sign of destiny.

Page 385
http://buddhispano.net/sites/default/fi ... dies-I.pdf
:thinking:
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
culaavuso
Posts: 1363
Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2014 8:27 pm

Re: Are dreams due to Kamma and Gati Nimitta?

Post by culaavuso »

Kamma certainly influences dreams. Perceptions, feelings, cravings, attachments, and tendencies of attention from waking activities tend to be related with those in dreams. Changing those activities while waking can create changes in those activities in dreams, and vice versa. Meditating in dreams without waking oneself up is a skill to be developed, it's quite easy to exit the dream unintentionally that way. I have no idea whether dream nimitta are properly classed as "gati nimitta" or not. Unfortunately there seems to be very little written about Dhamma practice and dreaming aside from Naropa.
walkart
Posts: 136
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 6:13 pm

Re: Are dreams due to Kamma and Gati Nimitta?

Post by walkart »

A dream is the defragmentation of information. Optimisation of memory space. So - yes, i think we can call it gati-nimitta.
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