The Difference Between Committing Killing in the Dreaming State and Committing Killing in the Waking State

The difference between inside and outside a dream is that inside a dream, there are no external appearances; nothing changes. Outside the dream, however, there are changes in external appearances, and actual events occur that benefit or harm others. Therefore, creating karma inside a dream lacks substantial and concrete retribution, whereas creating karma outside the dream results in substantial and concrete retribution. Beyond this, both inside and outside the dream are the same—both are illusory and unreal.

Although one may give away a thousand yuan in a dream, no actual money is relinquished, nor does any actual person receive the money. Thus, there is no genuine act of giving; only a mental karmic formation of generosity exists—a mental formation of being generous toward others, a mental formation free from stinginess. This is the mental formation of the manas (the seventh consciousness). If the mental formation of the manas in the dream is virtuous, it indicates that the person’s innate nature is truly good. A virtuous mind generates blessings, leading to karmic rewards and virtuous retribution. The more virtuous the mind, the greater the blessings and the larger the retribution. Giving in a dream signifies that the innate nature of the manas is virtuous. A virtuous nature yields virtuous retribution; after death, one will be reborn in a virtuous realm, born and living in a place corresponding to the nature of the manas. Virtue brings virtuous blessings; this is the virtuous retribution of one’s innate nature. If the innate nature of the manas is evil, it will diminish blessings, leading to rebirth in an evil realm corresponding to the nature of the manas, where one will suffer retribution. This is the karmic retribution of good and evil.

If one gives away a thousand yuan outside the dream, actual money is relinquished, and an actual person receives the money. Combined with the act of giving, all three factors are present, resulting in complete retribution. In the future, at the very least, one will receive millions of times the amount given in return, generating corresponding merit, blessings, and virtuous retribution. If the manas, due to the virtuous or evil nature of the mind, directs the six consciousnesses to perform virtuous or evil karmic actions, in addition to the retribution of the mind’s nature, there will also be the karmic retribution of the actions themselves. This karmic retribution is extremely specific and weighted to the last penny; the karmic fruit must inevitably be repaid.

The difference between killing in a dream and killing while awake follows the same principle. In a dream, no actual person is killed, and there is no actual act of killing, but there is the mental formation of killing. The retribution primarily stems from this mental formation. Because the mind’s nature is evil and unwholesome, it diminishes blessings, and in future lives, one will be reborn in an evil realm corresponding to the mind’s nature, suffering unwholesome retribution. When killing while awake, there is an actual event: a person is truly killed, and the external appearance ceases to exist. Therefore, one must repay the karmic fruit of killing, resulting in future retribution characterized by malicious and hateful mental states, as well as retribution for the debt of life. For example, after taking precepts, if one violates them, some violations incur not only the sin of the mind’s nature but also the karmic offense of breaking the precepts, and both are repaid together. Those who have not taken precepts but commit evil or unwholesome actions, while not incurring the offense of breaking precepts, still bear the sin of an evil mind’s nature and will suffer evil retribution. Committing evil deeds brings retribution whether one has taken precepts or not. However, taking precepts imposes a certain restraint on the mind, which is more beneficial for spiritual practice.

The manas represents the fundamental nature of a sentient being. The sixth consciousness (mano-vijñāna) can embellish and disguise, but the manas cannot—it cannot pretend or engage in deceit. It absolutely and truthfully manifests one’s innate nature. In dreams, the manas is absolutely dominant; the function of the sixth consciousness is very weak, extremely weak, almost incapable of regulating the manas. Therefore, within a dream, one cannot falsify or disguise; what is manifested is solely the innate nature of the manas—the most authentic truth.