The focus of this study is on the meanings of dreams in the sacred biographies of four Indo-Tibetan Buddhist heroes: Gautama Buddha (b. 566-486 B.C.E.), Padmasambhava (8th Century C.E.), Milarepa (1040-1123), and Tsongkhapa (1357-1419). It will be shown that, with minor variants, dreams are an accepted mode of cognition in these texts.

This study is divided into three parts. Part One examines modern Western dream theory and Ancient Indian dream theory as it was stated in the texts of Brahmanical Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Part Two presents the data on dreams that is contained in these biographies. Part Three compares the dreams and other dream related material, such as the interpretation of dreams, which are contained in the earliest biography, that of Gautama Buddha, with the dreams and other dream material contained in the biographies of the three later heroes. This is a two-fold comparison which presents (1) what has remained consistent with regard to dreams throughout these biographies and (2) what innovations have developed over time. The most notable consistency was shown to be the prophetic type of dream which has been divided into subtypes and the most notable innovations were the development of a new genre of dream, teachings dreams, and a new practice called Dream Yoga which has been traced back to the eleventh century Indian guru Naropa.

Essentially, dreams have been shown to play an important role in the acquisition, validation, and transmission of spiritual knowledge while the persistent inclusion of dreams in these biographies is a demonstration of this as well as evidence for their importance to Indo-Tibetan Buddhism in general. This importance is reflected in other types of doctrinal works such as Buddhaghosa's Manorathapurani/ and Tsongkhapa's commentary on the six Yogas of Naropa. The meanings of dreams in the biographical literature enhances their meanings in these doctrinal works and highlights aspects of the Buddhist understanding of consciousness and existence.

Since at present there is no major study of the role of dreams in any of the various forms of Buddhism, this study takes a step toward filling in our knowledge of this important aspect of Buddhism.