What is the significance of "Tuo Meng"?
Understanding the essence of life makes it easier to grasp the concept of dreams and dream-sharing. Dream-sharing occurs in a separate realm, where the dreamer and the recipient exist across different times and spaces. Through this phenomenon, messages are conveyed to the recipient. Dreams involving "dream-sharing" are particularly vivid and carry significant meaning.
Angel "Dream-Sharing" with Joseph
The New Testament of the Bible tells of the virgin birth of Jesus. Mary, Jesus' mother, was engaged to Joseph, but before their marriage, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, considered quietly ending the engagement.
While contemplating his options, Joseph had a dream in which an angel appeared to him and said: "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. This all happened to fulfill what the Lord spoke through the prophet: 'The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel.'"
After Jesus was born, three wise men from the East came to worship him, which greatly alarmed King Herod of Judea. Herod ordered the massacre of male infants in Bethlehem, where Jesus had been born. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, instructing him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt to escape the massacre. They returned to Israel only after King Herod's death.
Confucius and "Dream-Sharing" of the Doctrine
The Duke of Zhou established the rites and music that shaped Chinese culture, and Confucius held him in high regard, seeing him as a mentor. During the day, Confucius studied the Duke of Zhou's thoughts; at night, he often dreamed of him, gaining inspiration from those dreams. In his later years, as his health declined, Confucius lamented: "Alas, I am old! It has been a long time since I last dreamed of the Duke of Zhou!"
Liu Xie from the Southern and Northern Dynasties wrote "Wenxin Diaolong," the first Chinese work on literary theory, which was strongly influenced by Confucian philosophy. In its preface, he mentioned that in his thirties, "I dreamed of holding a red ritual vessel, following Confucius southward, and upon waking, I felt joyful." This dream of carrying a red sacrificial vessel and walking south with Confucius brought him great happiness upon waking.
"Dream-Sharing" After a Loved One's Passing
During the Qing Dynasty, Dai Yannian penned a story about reincarnation and dream-sharing in "Autumn Lanterns." In the Kangxi era, a Sima named Lai from Laijun, Shandong, originally from Zhejiang, found himself alone. Disrespectful of Buddhism, Lai often used his authority to obstruct temple construction. Shortly after his appointment, he was killed by his subordinate, Sun Xiu, and four fingers of his right hand were severed. On the night of Lai's murder, his wife dreamed that her husband, covered in blood, was saying goodbye. He told her he would be reborn into a certain household in a village west of Laijun, and that she would recognize him on her journey home for mourning; the newborn there missing four fingers on his right hand would be him. Lai's wife awoke with a sense of dread that her husband had met a terrible fate.
A few days later, someone from Laijun informed her of her husband's death, confirming her dream's truth. She escorted his coffin back to Zhejiang for burial. On the journey, heavy rain forced them to seek refuge in a household. Upon inquiry, she discovered it was indeed the village and household mentioned in her husband's dream. She urgently asked if a baby had recently been born, and indeed, there was one, born the very night her husband was murdered. When she saw the baby, she noticed he was missing four fingers on his right hand.
Messages Transmitted from Another Realm
In dreams, life components from various realms actively engage in their own affairs, but the actions of the "original spirit" are the most consequential, as it is the true essence of a person. Human memories mainly exist in energy form within the "original spirit." The dreams we remember vividly are manifestations of the "original spirit's" activities, while unclear or confusing dreams involve activities of non-"original spirit" life components.
Dreams that involve "dream-sharing" are particularly vivid; they are messages from other life forms (spirits or souls) in another realm to a person’s original spirit. In essence, during sleep, life forms from another realm convey important messages to the person's original spirit. This transmission of messages is very clear and carries significant meaning.