[irridgita]

Luminous mind (also, "brightly shining mind," "brightly shining citta") (Pali, pabhassara citta) is a term attributed to the Buddha in the Nikayas. The mind is said to be "luminous" whether or not it is tainted by mental defilements.[1]

The statement is given no direct doctrinal explanation in the Pali discourses, but later Buddhist schools explained it using various concepts developed by them.[2] The Theravada school identifies the "luminous mind" with the bhavanga, a concept first proposed in the Theravada Abhidhamma.[3] The later schools of the Mahayana identify it with both the Mahayana concepts of bodhicitta and tathagatagarbha.[4] The idea is also connected with features of Dzogchen thought.[5]

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