PRABHĀSVARACITTA

prabhāsvaracitta. alt. ābhāsvaracitta (T. ’od gsal gy i sems; C. guangmingxin; J. kōmy ōshin; K. kwangmy ŏngsim 光明心). In Sanskrit, “mind of clear light.” According to the sy stems of anuttarayogatantra, this state of mind is the most subtle form of consciousness, which must be used to perceive reality directly in order to achieve buddhahood. There are various views as to the location and accessibility of this ty pe of consciousness, with some asserting that it resides in an indestructible drop (bindu) located at the center of the heart CAKRA in the central channel (avadhūtī), entering at the moment of conception and departing at the moment of death. Because the mind of clear light must be made manifest in order to achieve buddhahood, various practices are set forth to simulate the process of its manifestation at the moment of death, including sexual yogas. Other views hold that the mind of clear light is present in all moments of awareness and needs only to be recognized in order to achieve enlightenment.

See also āgantukakleśa; prabhāsvara.

Source

The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism by Robert E. Buswell Jr. and Donald S. Lopez Jr.