Revealing lucid clarity.

རང་གསལ་
Tibetan: rang-sal
English: natural clarity, innate lucidity, self-luminous

The final state of resting in the natural state is rang-sal, or revealing the sharp lucidity of the nature of mind. Recalling our metaphor of a dirty glass of water, if we let it rest naturally and maintain that state of rest, naturally the obscurations of dirt settle out revealing the natural clarity of the water. Similarly, in our meditation, if we rest naturally, rang-bab and maintain that continuity, rang-nay, then the natural clarity of awareness becomes fully evident.

During the second state of maintaining the continuity of the natural state, rang-nay, we familiarized ourselves with recognizing the illusory play of mind and appearances. Initially, these appearances are gross phenomena, and eventually they become more subtle.

A key point for actualizing the natural clarity of awareness is to recognize when we are fixating on the natural clarity of the mind and straying into appearances. The nature of mind is luminous emptiness, so as we settle into the natural state we are going to encounter the luminosity of the mind. How we work with that luminosity becomes crucially important.

Any searching or striving binds us and causes a deviation into mind and mental states. Identifying with, reaching for, or holding onto the luminosity display of appearances in all their variety constitutes an obscuring factor and results in the diminished presence of confusion.

Conversely, in this state we also risk of settling into the foundational consciousnessness, or the alaya, in which there is a stable, peaceful meditation state but no clarity or lucidity. Recognize that subtle dullness and interrupt that meditation experience, again letting go and settling into the natural state.

The instruction for working with the natural clarity of the nature of mind in order to recognize awareness or rigpa is to recognize the illusory play of empty appearances as liberated upon arising, or shardrol. When there is no deviating or fixating on the illusory play of appearances, which represent the clarity aspect of the mind, then the sharp lucidity of awareness can be revealed, like space free from reference points. Free of all thought, completely transparent and pristine like an alpine lake, this is the unceasing luminosity of the ground of awareness.

From this state in our meditation, the teacher can point out rigpa directly. Having made fully evident the groundless, transparent awareness and eliminated the error of trying to hold onto anything, naked awareness is directly revealed as your own innate buddhanature, the state of the natural great perfection.

Having gained a direct introduction to your own true nature, next you need to be decisive about this unique state and eliminate doubt and uncertainty. That would be Garab Dorje's second key point.