You'll see similar descriptions of inner luminosity throughout many, if not all, contemplative traditions. Get to a certain level of 'purificiation,' a certain stillness of the mind, and you begin to experience its foundational brilliance.
And yeah, it's impermanent.
Thanks, Viscid. I'll read this later this evening. I appreciate your efforts.
_/\_Ron
What Makes an Elder? :
A head of gray hairs doesn't mean one's an elder. Advanced in years, one's called an old fool.
But one in whom there is truth, restraint, rectitude, gentleness,self-control, he's called an elder, his impurities disgorged, enlightened.
-Dhammpada, 19, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Ron-The-Elder wrote:Recently in another thread, several participants brought up the idea of "luminous mind", which I will not define in this post, but provide several citations from the suttas and commentaries:
"Luminous, monks, is the mind. And it is freed from incoming defilements." {I,v,10}
"Luminous, monks, is the mind. And it is defiled by incoming defilements. The uninstructed run-of-the-mill person doesn't discern that as it actually is present, which is why I tell you that — for the uninstructed run-of-the-mill person — there is no development of the mind." {I,vi,1}
"Luminous, monks, is the mind. And it is freed from incoming defilements. The well-instructed disciple of the noble ones discerns that as it actually is present, which is why I tell you that — for the well-instructed disciple of the
noble ones — there is development of the mind." {I,vi,2}
The "luminous mind" is not the awakened mind. The awakened mind is the mind free of defilements. "Luminous" simply refers to the initial act of awareness as the mind becomes aware of an object of consciousness. There is no need to complicate the idea of "luminous mind" with all sorts of speculations.
>> Do you see a man wise[enlightened/ariya]in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12
This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
"When one thing is practiced & pursued, ignorance is abandoned, clear knowing arises, the conceit 'I am' is abandoned, latent tendencies are uprooted, fetters are abandoned. Which one thing? Mindfulness immersed in the body." -AN 1.230
Are you envisioning some sort of beacon thingie, shining, glowing, radiating?
When I read the word "luminous" I think of something glowing, like a light bulb or the moon. I don't know how to relate that to experience, which is why I did some amateur sleuthing into the Pali. The root "bhās" from what I can tell, seems to have something to do with light or the qualities of light. Looking at it that way, the quality of "clarity" makes more sense to me.
Side anecdote: I attended a Zen center and the chant book opened with "You are the light." I was resistant to this from the very first. 50% because it seemed like some kind of Self-view, and 50% because I was like... "WHAT light??" which is exactly what I asked the priest in an interview. He said it was meant as a metaphor. I thought to myself, well that's all fine and good, but I still don't have a clue what "light" it is I'm supposed to be identifying with this metaphor...
"When one thing is practiced & pursued, ignorance is abandoned, clear knowing arises, the conceit 'I am' is abandoned, latent tendencies are uprooted, fetters are abandoned. Which one thing? Mindfulness immersed in the body." -AN 1.230
Are you envisioning some sort of beacon thingie, shining, glowing, radiating?
When I read the word "luminous" I think of something glowing, like a light bulb or the moon. I don't know how to relate that to experience, which is why I did some amateur sleuthing into the Pali. The root "bhās" from what I can tell, seems to have something to do with light or the qualities of light. Looking at it that way, the quality of "clarity" makes more sense to me.
Of course, "luminuos" is metaphorical speech, as is "clarity."
I am not claiming anything extraordinary here. During a three month vipassana retreat one can get very quiet, very concentrated and very mindful. There are times that there is the clear experience of the instant of the arising of awareness, just that instant before all the other khandha stuff arises, colors and "drives" - as it were - the direction of one's awareness. For me, "claritry" best captures that aspect of the arising of the mind (citta) moment, but one could use the word "luminuous" or some such word, keeping in mind, it is just descriptive metaphor. What else would it be? There is no need to try to turn the mind into some sort of thing of "purity."
>> Do you see a man wise[enlightened/ariya]in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12
This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
I tend to expect the word luminous to be used to refer to a clarity which is discernible as-is; discerning clarity generally requires some other illumination. Luminous things, however, don't require another light source, they are considered to provide sufficient inherent illumination for discerning any other (literally visual) qualities.
So the mind is called luminous as a metaphor because it can be seen calmly and clearly apart from the otherwise emitted thoughts and feelings and perceptions with which it is usually identified. I expect that the third tetrad of anapanasati is an exploration of this.
"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.
"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.
"Luminous, monks, is the mind. And it is freed from incoming defilements. The well-instructed disciple of the noble ones discerns that as it actually is present, which is why I tell you that — for the well-instructed disciple of the
noble ones — there is development of the mind." {I,vi,2}
Especially the words "discerns that as it actually is present"?