Sleep as Spiritual Practice (Tibetan Buddhism: 6th-9th Century CE)

The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Karmic traces manifest in dreams and therefore become replicated in the physical world through this transferal of consciousness. As stated by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, the writer of the book The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep (1998):
 
“Although this example focuses on karma on the psychological level, karma determines every dimension of existence. It shapes the emotional and mental phenomena in an individual’s life as well as the perception and interpretation of existence, the functioning of the body, and the cause and effect dynamism of the external world. Every aspect of experience, however small or large, is governed by karma. The karmic traces left in the mind are like seeds. And like seeds, they require certain conditions in order to manifest. Just as a seed needs the right combination of moisture and light and nutrients and temperature in order to sprout and grow, the karmic trace manifests when the right situation is encountered. The elements of the situation that support the manifestation of the karma are known as the secondary causes and conditions.” Page 28
 
The importance of dream yoga or dream practice in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition emphasises the dream space as a site for experimentation to test and trail out potential traumas, triggers and karmic seeds. By tackling them in this space, one can build the resilience and stamina to deal with them in the physical world. Karma is, therefore, training, dreams are the training ground, and the dreamer is the student. The body is an archive storing daily patterns, habits and karmic residue from the past and present; sometimes, these are from our ancestors or conditioned by society. Rinpoche calls this the “Kunzhi namshe” (page 32), an archive of this consciousness stored in the body. Some karmic residues or information can become blockages, leading to somatic illness or some kind of resistance. Through dream yoga, the aim is to unlock and let go out of these fragmented programs to become more expansive, so these locks don’t become reactionary in the material world. Dream yoga is essentially a healing practice that aids the disappearance of karmic seeds through discipline and daily/nightly awareness. The final aim of enlightenment would be to have no dreams at all. ~The karmic aim