________________
16
The experts of the science of dream were respected by the high and low in ancient India. It has been stated that one should not see a king, a God, a preceptor and in interpreter of dreams with empty hands. 20
Study of Jainism
In the Bhagavati Sūtra 21 the principle of dream has been explained by mentioning five kinds of dreams: (i) Yathatathya : dream vision in accordance with truth or reality. (ii) Cintasvapna : dream based on mental construction on the basis of experiences in the waking state. These two types agree with the theories presented by Adler and Jung, "as they are the results of the process of thought to deal with the present and future problems of life. (iii) Pratana is remified dream vision, (iv) Tadviparita gives the dream image opposite to reality (v) Indistinct and impressible dream vision.
These are associated with some desires repressed by thought and appear in disguised form. In this sense the analysis of the three types mentioned here may be compared to the Freudian analysis of dreams as wish-fulfilment expressing the repressed wishes in disguised form.
These broad principles of dreams as embodied in the Bhagavati Sūtra touch upon all the combined theories on dream, propounded by Freud, Jung, Adler and other scholars. According to Freud dream is the fulfilment of the repressed desires which do not leave the organism but sink to a level of Unconscious state in which they are still active and apt to appear in disguised and symbolic ways. Abnormal worry, queer idea, hysterical paralysis, or blindness etc., sometimes are the effects of this disguise. In the case of a normal man a dream is the main venue of repressed desires which do not present themselves even in dream in their true shape and colour but come up to in garb of an innocent looking symbolism. So all dreams, whether adult or child, are the fulfilments of repressed desires.
The Svapna sūtra mentions seventy two dreams-forty two ordinary dreams and twenty great dreams. The mother of Arhat or Cakravarthin wakes up after seeing dreams with fourteen or sixteen
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
