Luminous Clarity [dd']
The fourth, luminous clarity, the heart of the path, has two parts: a general presentation of the meaning of the name and the arrangement of the divisions, and a specific discussion of the meditation topics.
The Name and the Divisions [1"]
- Luminous clarity, the heart, is twofold: example and actual,
experience and realization,
Or classified as four or five, such as natural, and so on.
The yoga of luminous clarity (’od gsal) is the heart of the path because the root of all practice is to realize that the abiding nature of all phenomena is naturally luminous clarity. The meaning of the name is that the inherent luminosity (rang ’od) of the abiding nature clarifies [or illuminates] (gsal) without restriction. Or "luminous clarity" is used because even though there is no intrinsic nature, there is spontaneously present luminous appearance (snang ba).147
