Part 3: The eight dreams

After delivering this sermon, the Teacher of the World stopped; and the governor, Puṇyapāla, bowed to the Lord and announced: “Master, today I saw eight dreams: an elephant, monkey, fig tree, crow, lion, lotus, seed, and pitcher in succession. Tell me the meaning of these. I am frightened, Blessed One.”

Questioned, the Lord of the World explained their meaning: “Those who have discernment, having become equal to elephants, in the future will live as greedy laymen in a house pleasant with transitory wealth. They will not take initiation, if a bad condition or a hostile army is present; and even if initiation has been taken, they will abandon it from bad association. Certainly a few will keep the vow even in evil association. This is the meaning of the elephant-dream.

The meaning of the monkey-dream is as follows: The chief-ācāryas, belonging to sects, for the most part equal to monkeys, with uncertain mental processes and little strength of character, will become negligent in the vow. The pious will deteriorate constantly, but very few will exert themselves in dharma. The ones who are not negligent and will give instruction to those lax in dharma, they will be ridiculed by them (the negligent) like city-people in a village by the villagers. In future there will be contempt for the scriptures. Know, king, this is the meaning of the monkey-dream.

Laymen, equal to a holy fig tree in a good field, liberal, worshippers of the doctrine, will be oppressed by deceitful false sādhus. The great sages, having the character of lions, will look like watch-dogs of those having contacts with worthless doctrine. The false sādhus will take over the path of the touring-country of the well behaved sādhus, like babbūlas.^[1] Such is the meaning of the holy fig tree.

For the most part munis of a bold nature, even though seeking dharma, will not be satisfied in the sects, like crows in ditch-water. Then they, stupid, will go with other sectarians, with sūris at the head devoted to deceit, like mirages. They will constantly harass the teachers among them, saying, ‘Going with them is not fitting.’ This is the meaning of the crow-dream.

The doctrine of the Jinas, equal to a lion, devoid of memory of former births, et cetera in succession, will perish in this forest of Bharata devoid of righteous people. Certainly animals of teachers of corrupt doctrine will not prevail; but the false sādhus, self-originated like worms, having impure knowledge. The false sādhus surely will not prevail by corrupt teachers like wild animals, but from former power. That is the meaning of the lion-dream.

Righteous people will not be produced even in good families, like fragrant lotuses in multitudes of lotuses. Even though they have been devoted to dharma, they will change from bad association, like a white waterlily sprung up in a village dust heap. Born in a bad country, in a bad family, even the righteous will be inferior. So you should understand the meaning of the lotus-dream.

Just as one would sow for fruit in saline ground what are not seeds with the idea that they are seeds, so they will sow improper things in a bad person with the idea that they are proper. Or rather, as a farmer by chance would unintentionally sow in the field a seed mixed in what was not seed, so laymen, not knowing what is proper amidst improper things, will make a gift to a suitable person. That is the meaning of the seed-dream.

A few great sages, marked with the lotuses of the virtues, tolerance, et cetera, will be in a secluded place, like pitchers, filled with the water of good conduct. But many false sādhus will be everywhere, with lax practices and conduct, like dirty pitchers. Jealous, they will quarrel with the sages and the people will be impartial to the two. The ascetics and false sādhus would be dealing with impartiality like a king not possessed by a demon, (but like one) possessed by a demon, with people possessed by a demon.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

A thorny bush of little value that spreads rapidly.