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).[1]
Of many divisions, the twofold ones are the most prominent: example and actual; experience and realization; day and night; thin and thick;
mother and child luminous clarity, and so forth. But there are also divisions into four or five, such as natural luminous clarity and so forth, as in The Concise Illumination of the Five Stages, where it speaks of four kinds of luminous clarity: natural, of meditative absorption, conceptless clarity, and ultimate. Ronyam Dorjé’s Guhyasamāja Commentary[2] describes five:
- Natural luminous clarity is illustrated; the luminous clarity of
- sleep illustrates it; one familiarizes with luminous clarity of the
- path; connects with luminous clarity at the time of death; and
- the luminous clarity of dharmakāya is the result.
The Latter Authoritative Text[3] presents five kinds of luminous clarity and the times when they arise:
- This luminous clarity is of five kinds:
- Natural luminous clarity,
- Luminous clarity arising as consciousness,
- Luminous clarity of meditative absorption,
- Luminous clarity of suchness, and
- Luminous clarity of realization.[4]
- The times of those are five:
- The time of death and of abiding in the central channel,
- When in meditative equipoise and in sleep,
- When meditation and postmeditation become one taste,
- When higher insight is realized.
In short, the reality of the basic ground, which is free of extremes such as eternalism and nihilism, is objective luminous clarity. The realization of that reality just as it is is subjective luminous clarity. This simple layout comes from both sutra and mantra sources, so it is called "general luminous clarity." What is taught in the mantra highest tantras is called "hidden meaning luminous clarity." There are several arrangements because different names are used according to contexts. The example pristine awareness that is born during an empowerment and the luminous clarity of creation phase are similar to luminous clarity. All that arises from completion phase practice is genuine luminous clarity.
The real luminous clarity that is presented on this occasion is a special real luminous clarity that is made evident. Once the actual illusory body or a similitude is gathered in the two meditative absorptions, luminous clarity is made evident. That is the luminous clarity of training or beyond training, and there is no better luminous clarity than this.
The Meditation Topics [2]
This has three parts: the time of the ground, the time of the path, and the time of the result.
