Analyzing the Principle Behind "Saint Has No Dreams" Through the Dream of Urgently Seeking a Toilet

Xuefeng

November 21, 2022

Zhuangzi once said, “The ultimate person has no dreams,” a saying that later evolved into “The saint has no dreams.” What is the principle behind this?

We often dream of urgently looking for a toilet because we feel the need to urinate but can never find a suitable place. This is the subconscious mind alerting us that our bladder is full and that we need to relieve ourselves.

If the bladder is not full, we won’t have such dreams. Only when the bladder is filled with urine do we dream of urgently searching for a toilet.

From this, we can identify a pattern: If our physiological condition is normal, we will not dream. However, when a physiological issue arises, we will have corresponding dreams.

Similarly, most people experience nightmares—being chased by ghosts, villains, or wild beasts they fear, or facing natural disasters such as floods or landslides. These dreams indicate that fear or anxiety exists within us. This suggests that when there are disturbances in our mental state, we also experience corresponding dreams.

From this, we can conclude: When a person encounters physiological or psychological issues, the subconscious mind uses dreams as a warning signal. Dreams serve as indicators of problems in our physical or mental well-being.

This leads to another observation: The more frequently one dreams, the more it suggests unresolved physiological or psychological issues. Conversely, the fewer dreams one has, the fewer problems there are. If a person does not dream at all, it indicates complete harmony in both body and mind. This clarifies the principle behind “The saint has no dreams”—saints maintain balance in both their physical and mental states, so they do not dream.

If this analysis holds true, then the frequency of dreaming can serve as a touchstone for measuring one’s progress in spiritual practice and cultivation. Frequent dreaming suggests an incomplete practice; fewer dreams indicate significant improvement; and rarely or never dreaming signifies that one has achieved mastery in practice and cultivation.

Here are some dream scenarios to consider:

Dreaming of urgently looking for a toilet: Indicates that the bladder is full. Dreaming of eating food: Suggests that you are hungry. Dreaming of intimate contact with the opposite sex, even achieving sexual satisfaction: Indicates a lack of sexual activity in your life. Frequently dreaming about a specific person or certain people: Suggests unresolved emotional entanglements or karmic debts with that person or those individuals. Dreaming of wearing new clothes: Indicates that you lack adequate clothing or may soon experience a loss. Having nightmares: Signals inner worries or fears. Dreaming of being unable to move your hands or feet, or being unable to speak: Suggests poor blood circulation in the cardiovascular system; you may need to adjust your sleeping posture. Dreaming of feces, or feces sticking to your hands or feet: Suggests that it’s time to bathe, wash your clothes, or clean up your living environment. Other dreams can be interpreted in a similar manner.

The above analysis is purely my own reasoning and may not be entirely accurate; it is provided for reference only.