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Dreams (Sikhism)

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Sikhism

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Indian Religions ((EIR))

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Synonyms

Sapna; Supna

Definition

Dreaming is used in the teachings of the Sikh Gurus to denote a state of being in the world, a mode of temporalization, characterized by illusion, impermanence, and attachment to material objects. This perspective is thought to present the world to a human who is egoistic and reliant upon a dualistic form of consciousness. Reading our normal consciousness as committing an error allin to a dream projected by our dualistic ego allows for a unique possibility to arise, where in we may begin to live in a wakeful state without such projections, and mere by attain a state of equipoise with the world as it is.

The Stuff Dreams are Made on

Given the near universal notion that the world is a dream – be it ancient Indian myth of Vishnu asleep on the snake Ananta(lit. endless, or limitless) who dreams the world into existence, to more modern expressions of the Shakespearean kind that “We are such stuff / As dreams are made on” – it is no surprise to see such an...

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References

  1. Manmshan Singh, Tr. Sri Guru Granth Sahib. (English-Punjabi translation). Amritsar: shiromani Gundwara Parbhandale Committee, 1969. 8 vols.

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  2. Singh N (1990) Philosophy of Sikhism. Altlantic Publishers, New Delhi

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  3. Singh P (2004) Spirit of the Sikh part II, vol 2. Punjabi University, Patiala

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Religion, S.K.K. Bindra Chair in Sikh Studies, Hofstra University, 104D Heger Hall, 11549, Hempstead, NY, USA

    Balbinder Singh Bhogal

Authors
  1. Balbinder Singh Bhogal
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Balbinder Singh Bhogal .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair

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© 2017 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Bhogal, B.S. (2017). Dreams (Sikhism). In: Mandair, AP.S. (eds) Sikhism. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-0846-1_421

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