According to Natural Liberation by Padmasambhava it is possible to attain the dream state in only 30 days or at most in 2-3 months – at least once – even if one has broken Samayas (tantric wows) by doing Vajrasattva (tib. Dorje Sempa, eng. Diamond Mind) purification mantras.

The practice is in three parts:

1. Daytime practice
2. Night time practice 
3. Dispelling obstacles of dreaming (This post)

Dispelling obstacles of dreaming

 For the dream yogi obstacles are fourfold:

1. Overcoming waking up unwillingly
2. Overcoming forgetfulness
3. Overcoming confusion
4. Overcoming lethargy or laziness
   

Overcoming waking up unwillingly

Every lucid dreamer and dream yogi have the experience – mainly in the beginning of the practice – to wake up when the dream state is recognized thinking: “This is a dream”. The sheer enthusiasm of finally realizing the dream state dispels the dream consciousness (substratum consciousness, Skt. Alayavijņana). To counteract this “Natural Liberation” recommends:

“Maintain your attention at the level of the heart and below, and focus your mind on a black bindu* the size of a pea, called the “syllable of darkness,” on the soles of the feet” – Guru Rinpoche.

*(“skt. Bindu term meaning “point” or “dot”. “– Wikipedia)

Doing so will remedy waking up prematurely.

Overcoming forgetfulness

By forgetfulness is meant realizing the dream state but instantly becoming confused and then continuing dreaming as normal, non-lucidly. To remedy forgetfulness training in the illusory body is recommend while during daytime becoming familiarized with “envisioning the dream state”. Then at bed time cultivate right motivation with yearning:

“May I know the dream state as the dream state and not become confused” – Natural Liberation

Furthermore “cultivate mindfulness”:

“Also, when I am apprehending the dream state, may I not become confused” – Natural Liberation

Doing so will remedy forgetfulness.

Overcoming confusion

“If your dreams are solely deceptive appearances of detrimental latent propensities, your awareness becomes diffused and you never recognize the dream state at all” – Natural Liberation

To overcome confusion three remedies are given:

1. Train in the illusory body while during daytime becoming familiarized with “envisioning the dream state”.
2. Do purification practice and offerings (ganacakra).
3. Forcefully practice pranayama (Skt. prāṇāyāma: “extension of the prana or breath”).

Continuously training like this will overcome confusion.

Overcoming lack of practice caused by insomnia

If the enthusiasm and expectation of dream yoga causes insomnia this can be alleviated by visualizing a black bindu in the center of the heart and then:

“Bring forth the anticipation without force and just for an instant, and by releasing your awareness without meditation on sleep, you will fall asleep and apprehend the dream state” – Natural Liberation

Doing so will remedy insomnia.

Overcoming lethargy or laziness

If after accomplishing the dream state the practitioner loses interest in practice and maybe think “I accomplished the dream state” Natural Liberation gives this remedy:

“… meditate on the difficulty of obtaining a human life of leisure and endowment and on death and impermanence… and you will again apprehend the dream state” – Guru Rinpoche

And so the remedies for the dispelling obstacles of attaining the dream state are completed. Natural Liberation goes further by explaining how to transform the dream state into the clear light. An article on this will follow at a later time.

This concludes “Achieving the dream state in 30 days – Part 3: Dispelling obstacles of dreaming”. If you would like to read more Pure Teachings by Shiva Bear follow this link: http://pureview.dk/?cat=185 or for Dream Yoga http://pureview.dk/?cat=166