Luminous mind

[pt1]

Hi, I came across an explanation for light in meditation by Pa-Auk Tawya Sayadaw in his Knowing and seeing. For some reason I can't copy and paste the relevant section here - it's on page 194, question 4.10: "Could the Sayadaw please explain the light experienced in meditation scientifically?"

The gist of the explanation, which is very much in line with abhidhamma I think, is that cittas produce rupa kalapas (each rupa kalapa consists of at least 8 rupas taht arise together, of which color is one and temperature is another). The stronger the samatha and vipassana cittas, the brighter is the color rupa. Further, the temperature rupa in the citta-produced kalapa also produces further kalapas, which likewise include a color rupa. Since there are many of these two kinds of rupa kalapas produced continually by cittas, there comes the appearance of brightness and luminosity during strong samatha and vipassana. I hope I summarised this properly.

Best wishes

[phil]

Hi, I came across an explanation for light in meditation by Pa-Auk Tawya Sayadaw in his Knowing and seeing. For some reason I can't copy and paste the relevant section here - it's on page 194, question 4.10: "Could the Sayadaw please explain the light experienced in meditation scientifically?"

The gist of the explanation, which is very much in line with abhidhamma I think, is that cittas produce rupa kalapas (each rupa kalapa consists of at least 8 rupas taht arise together, of which color is one and temperature is another). The stronger the samatha and vipassana cittas, the brighter is the color rupa. Further, the temperature rupa in the citta-produced kalapa also produces further kalapas, which likewise include a color rupa. Since there are many of these two kinds of rupa kalapas produced continually by cittas, there comes the appearance of brightness and luminosity during strong samatha and vipassana. I hope I summarised this properly.

Best wishes

Hi pt and all

You explained it very clearly and it sounds plausible for sure though I haven't come across it in my little bit of Abhidhamma study. Perhaps you could ask Nina about it at DSG, though I'm sure you have more pressing questions. (BTW, I still read at DSG and have been enjoying your questions to Nina.)

But according to Abhidhamma, it is the bhavanga citta that is "luminous" although we know that all cittas are actually "dark" in their bare cognition function. (It is the object of cognition that provides light, colour etc.) So I think it is "luminous" only in the sense of being pure of defilements. Again, since this is the Classical Theravada corner, that would be the correct definition, I guess. (the "luminous mind" discussed here and the perception of light in meditation would be different topics, I think.)

Metta,

Phil