Today, I woke up from a dream so vivid that I can still recall every detail. It was one of those journeys the mind takes you on—equal parts chaotic and serene.
It started in the park of my housing society. Out of nowhere, I ran into my old college roommate. She told me she was living nearby now, so I asked to visit her place. Our sons were with us, turning the reunion into a little family excursion. Her home was unexpectedly grand, featuring a massive garage that left me impressed.
But as we stepped out to head to my house, the dream-logic kicked in. My familiar neighborhood suddenly morphed into a completely different city.
We found ourselves at a bus stop. In the scramble to board, I grabbed her son’s hand and hopped onto the bus, but it pulled away before my friend and my own son could get on. I started screaming at the driver to stop, but he just laughed, completely ignoring my panic.
Eventually, he slowed down and let us off. As we navigated a narrow alleyway, my friend's son broke his shoe. I offered to carry him, but he suddenly bolted back toward where we came from. I hurried after him, and that’s when the dream shifted from a stressful chase to something transcendent.
At the corner of the alley, I turned right and stopped in my tracks. There, rising out of a lake, was a magnificent temple.
It was a vision of white marble and shimmering gold. Written across it were inscriptions—I couldn't read them, but they looked like Gujarati, and I felt instinctively that this was a holy Jain temple. The outer walls featured a path for parikrama (circumambulation) just above the water.
Standing at the gate, I watched men dressed in white dhotis and yellow robes walking in profound silence. It was dazzling. I remember feeling a wave of confusion: How had I missed something this beautiful when we walked past it the first time? The peace was so overwhelming that I reached for my phone to take a photo. Of course, I realized I’d left my phone with my friend. I turned to run back and find her, and in that moment of motion, I woke up.
In reality, I’ve never visited a Jain temple. I’ve always associated them with mountaintops, not lakes. Lately, I haven't been as spiritual as I once was, but waking up to such a serene image left me with a lingering sense of calm.
I don’t usually go looking for deep meanings in my dreams anymore, nor do I expect them to come true. A dream is just a dream, after all. But standing at the gate of that marble temple, even if only in my mind, felt like a small moment of enlightenment.
What’s the most vivid thing you’ve dreamt of recently? Does it ever make you feel different when you wake up?
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