In our thirst for spiritual meaning, we are like fish thirsty for water in the belly of a fishing boat.
In our true being, we know everything are everything, but are in need of nothing. Yet our thirst will be the death of us.
For the thirst for knowledge cannot be sated only by study of the sutras, but simply by the practice of being of service to others, and of being helpful to anyone in need.
Although nothingness is immanent in all sentient beings, for all our knowledge, truly does the knowledgeable person know everything and lacks nothing.
Only the fool thinks that nothing is as valuable as the lifestyle he left behind. At night he dreams of it and experiences it as thought that lifestyle is real. On awakening, he soon forgets that lifestyle lest his new friends suspect him to be apostate.
For the fool thirsts for his former lifestyle, despite doing what he can to make his present one his own.
He forgets that his former lifestyle provided him with the experience to adapt to his surroundings, and that he has the necessary skillset to fit in.
Indeed, the true purpose of his dreams of the former lifestyle is to instruct him in his new one.
Likewise, the Buddhist practitioner may dream of anything but the Buddha, and in fearing becoming apostate, goes through the motions of his practice, while dreading the thought of being found out.
In fact, he thirsts for nothingness despite knowing all things, being all things. and in need of nothing. His dreams are actually about the Buddha, but he mistakes what he dreamed about for the worldly life.
However, the Buddha is known to resort to white lies to help one of his followers to awakens to the purpose in life. Even when that purpose is to be of service to others, and to be helpful to people in need, the purpose of a dream that appears to be of worldly things is to help the practitioner to devote herself to the Buddha.
Thus, when a Buddhist dreams of having sex, that dream has little to do with sex and all to do with her devotion to the practice. This is why
one of the Buddhist precepts is concerned with sex.
Thus, if a practitioner is used to the practice of sexual contentment by self abuse, then she should refrain from fantasizing about violence against other sentient beings, theft of time that could be devoted to the Buddha, and lying to herself about why she's practicing such contentment, while under the influence of drink and/or drugs.
When a practitioner sacrifices his time and spends it practicing sexual contentment, the five practices of loving-kindness, generosity, contentment, truthful communication and mindfulness ought to guide him to the climax of his contentment.
After he has had his fill of the waters of his contentment, she is best reducing guilt by offering her shame to the Buddha in the form of devotional practice and study of the Heart Sutra.
