Matthijs, rather than criticize the source, what do you think about the words and concepts included? I find them quite clear and useful in the current context. If you do not, what source(s) would you suggest?
For the record, the specific Wikipedia link/entry posted about Luminous Mind is quite well referenced and even has many references to one of Wallace’s books too. Some Wikipedia entries are not well referenced and are marked as such. That is not the case with this one so I accept e’s commentary about it: “…BTW for anyone interested, the wiki is pretty good on the Luminous Mind. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminous_mind “ - e It is much more expansive than the following found at a website by the same name. http://www.luminousmind.net/ "Luminous is this mind, brightly shining, but it is colored by the attachments that visit it. This unlearned people do not really understand, and so do not cultivate the mind. Luminous is this mind." — Shakyamuni Buddha, Anguttara Nikaya Here is another definition: “The ‘intrinsically luminous mind’ or ‘brightly shining mind’ (Sanskrit, prakṛti-prabhāsvara-citta) is a concept first noted in certain early discourses and later adopted by the Mahāyāna. It refers to the underlying radiant or luminous intrinsic nature of the mind (citta), especially when freed from the enveloping overlay of defilements (kleśa). Identified in Theravādin Abhidharma teachings with the bhavaṇga, the concept was later understood in Mahāyāna as an alternative designation for the inherent Buddha-nature or tathāgata- garbha.” http://www.answers.com/topic/luminous-mind And: “luminous mind. The ‘intrinsically luminous mind’ or ‘brightly shining mind’ (Skt., prakṛti-prabhāsvara-citta) is a concept first noted in certain early discourses and later adopted by the Mahāyāna. It refers to the underlying radiant or luminous intrinsic nature of the mind (citta), especially when freed from the enveloping overlay of defilements (kleśa). Identified in Theravādin Abhidharma teachings with the bhavaṅga, the concept was later understood in Mahāyāna as an alternative designation for the inherent Buddha-nature or tathāgata- garbha” - DAMIEN KEOWN. "luminous mind." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 29 Oct. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. Here is a long quotation by HHDL including the term “luminous nature of mind”: “…So then what is the other aspiration--the aspiration to one's own enlightenment? And as Dajen Gyeba Singjai, the Indian pundit--an important disciple of Nagarjuna--said, enlightenment is not something given to oneself from the outside. The causes of enlightenment are not possessed by somebody else. Rather the very factors that make enlightenment possible are contained within oneself--this being the luminous and cognitive nature of the mind, and one needs to manifest this oneself and, thereby, manifest enlightenment oneself. As Nagarjuna himself said, through the extinguishment of contaminated karma, contaminated actions and affective emotions, there is liberation. So then what are contaminated actions and afflictive emotions? Contaminated actions are induced by afflictive emotions. Afflictive emotions are induced by improper mental activities . Improper mental activity is induced by the elaborations of the conception of inherent existence. Those elaborations of the conception of inherent existence are extinguished through emptiness--meaning through realizing emptiness. There is another form of the last line which says elaborations of the conception of inherent existence are extinguished in emptiness. (This means in the sphere of the reality of emptiness, the emptiness of inherent existence.) So then how is that through meditating on emptiness one can cease the elaborations of the conception of inherent existence? In order to understand this, one needs to form comprehension of the two truths and the four truths. The four truths that the Buddha originally set forth are the very foundation of his entire teaching…” – HHDL http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:Ty0LVMFtB1UJ:www.tibetanbuddhist.org/hhdl.html+luminous+mind+hhdl&hl=en&gl=us&strip=1 Yet another commentary: “..The third turning also contained sutras such as the Tathagatagarbha (Essence of Buddhahood) Sutra, where the key teaching is on the nature of mind as clear light, as clear and luminous, and it is on the basis of this teaching that the Vajrayana evolved. The implication of the mind being clear and luminous is that all the pollutants of the mind—the afflictions and the propensities for affliction—are adventitious, or removable. It is because (1) the nature of the mind is clear light and the pollutants have not penetrated the essential nature of mind and (2) the afflictions and their imprints are based on a distorted state of mind and can therefore be removed by the cultivation of powerful antidotes, that pollutants are removable and that the potential for attaining the qualities of the Buddha, such as the ten powers and so forth, lies naturally within all of us. The third turning also contained sutras such as the Tathagatagarbha (Essence of Buddhahood) Sutra, where the key teaching is on the nature of mind as clear light, as clear and luminous, and it is on the basis of this teaching that the Vajrayana evolved. The implication of the mind being clear and luminous is that all the pollutants of the mind—the afflictions and the propensities for affliction—are adventitious, or removable. It is because (1) the nature of the mind is clear light and the pollutants have not penetrated the essential nature of mind and (2) the afflictions and their imprints are based on a distorted state of mind and can therefore be removed by the cultivation of powerful antidotes, that pollutants are removable and that the potential for attaining the qualities of the Buddha, such as the ten powers and so forth, lies naturally within all of us…” - By His Holiness the Dalai Lama at New York City, NY September 2005 (Last Updated Mar 16, 2009) Lastly, from one of the more than 100 books in my personal Buddhist library the following short and slightly esoteric analogy from an ancient and well accepted source is presented: “When a mental garment which has become stained with Contaminations and is to be cleansed by fire, Is put in fire, its stains Are burned but it is not, So, with regard to the mind of clear light Which has the stains of desire and so forth, Its stains are burned by the fire of wisdom But its nature, clear light, is not.” - Nagarjuna’s “Praise of the Element of Superior Qualities (Dharmadhatustotra) The above is quoted in “The Buddhism of Tibet – combined volume comprising The Buddhism of Tibet and the Key to the Middle Way” by Tenzin Gyatso, The Fourteenth Dalai Lama and “The precious Garland and The Song of the Four Mindfulnesses” by Nagarjuna and the Seventh Dalai Lama On Oct 29, 11:09 am, Matthijs <[email protected]> wrote: > Very bad source of information and I quote the Posting Guideline: > > Wikipedia is generally not considered a valid source for information > because it can be changed by anyone at anytime. You may be bringing > the validity of the group into question by potential members by using > it. > > In fact, cross posting, as in the case of twitter, uses > > On 27 okt, 23:19, frantheman <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > On 27 Okt., 23:12, Matthijs <[email protected]> wrote:> First of > > all nice discussion, but please do NOT use Wikipedia! > > > Why not?- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
