Logical Reasoning Supinapanho

Supinapanha is one of the questions raised by the King Milinda to Ven.Nagasena. It delivered from Supina and Panha. In this case, the King asked to Ven.Nagasena about the variety of dreams. He classifies ten sorts of dream. Of them, Kalyna and Papaka are related to ethic. Ditthapubba, Aditthapubba, Katapubba and Akatapubba concern with the personal experience. Khema and Sabhaya associate with psychology. Dura and Santika correspond to the physical.

According to Ven.Nagasena, a sign comes as an object of mind called a dream. Again, there are six kinds of people who see the dreams. They are the man who is a windy humour, a bilious one, a phlegmatic one, the man who dream by the influence of a god, the man who does by influence of his own habits and the man who does in the way of prognostication. Of them, the last kind of the dream is true and the rests are false.

Among the six people who see the dreams, the diabetic is concerned with the first three things as follow: Vata, Pitta and Sehma. According to Ayuveda, the diabetic associated with Vata that cannot be cure. Yet Pitta and Sehma can be cure. However, the former is incurable according to western tradition. Otherwise, Sehma is influenced by Lobha. Pitta is influenced by Dosa and Vata is influenced by Moha. Definitely, the people see the dream due to their physical problems.

Meanwhile, there are Thina and Midda. They are normally hindrances external journey to the realization of Nibbana. According to the Sutras, Thina is mental idleness and Midda is physical idleness. When Midda comes, one becomes sleep. Thus, Midda is the element of sleep. According to Abhidhamma, when one’s mind is not directed to other object, it calls the state as Bavanga.

Actually, still Bhavanga has not come but Midda has ready to come. Then one can sleep but full of sleep come when Bhavanga come. When other objects are weak from the mind, the actual sleep comes. But still the dream does not happen. In between them, all necessary conditions are available for sleep. Seeing the dream is not sleeping like the very darkness.

As if in the very darkness, it cannot see the reflection in the darkness even the mirror is very clean. Similarly, Midda is compared to darkness and Citta is compared to a mirror. In brief, one sees the dream neither sleeping nor awaken but between them. For instance, “one dream when one sleeps” and “Monkey’s sleep” which is midway between sleep and consciousness”. In sleeping, there happens Bhavanga citta that cannot be seen the dream.

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