Book Review : Dream Sutra – Perceiving Hidden Realms

A dream is a sequence of things, persons, events, situations, images, ideas, thoughts and emotions that occur involuntarily in the mind during different stages of sleep. For many years, it has been a topic of interest of philosophers, scientists and spiritualists. Everybody tries to interpret dreams in his own ways. Matysa Puran also throws light on the auspicious and inauspicious dreams during different phases of night and discusses different ways to reduce the inauspiciousness of a dream by donating things and by adopting some other simple methods. Dream Sutra talks about the spiritual evolution of oneself during a dream. A spiritual guru (with or without physical body) appears in the dreams of devotees and disciples to impart knowledge, share experiences, give instructions, convey messages, fulfil wishes and solve problems. The persons who have advanced in the spiritual progress sometimes dream about their guru, receive directions and spiritual help from them, which further assist them in connecting to their higher self.

Author narrates various fascinating incidences about the dream and dream sequences of many from the past as well as from the present. I like the interesting stories of dreams related to the great saints like Mahavir and Buddha. He also talked about a dream that Raja Janak saw and its philosophical interpretation is worth reading.

Some years back, I had a vision of Bhagwan Dattatreya in my dream although I had never worshipped him but I strongly believed in his teachings. Like him, I too have many Gurus to guide me on my spiritual path.

The best part of the book is the explanation of why more trees should be planted. According to author, “We know that growing and sustaining greenery has multiple karmic benefits. If a tree were to bear fruit for 60 years, the benefit of that fruit being consumed would accrue to the planter or the person responsible for the planting, for the entire span of those 60 years. All plants, insects, birds, animals and humans who take refuge under the tree would also be indebted. Moreover, the use of the wood of the tree during its lifetime would be a credit to the planter and a debt to those who benefited from its usage.”

At the end of the book, there is a glossary to explain the meaning of Indian words and terms. It is very helpful in understanding the concepts related to dreams and Guru shishya parampara. The illustrations are eye-catching, convey spiritual messages, inspire peace, evoke soulful energy and provide serenity.

For #TheWriteChoice