Luminosity is good for us…

A friendly luminous being

As I see it the main issue with Luminosity and its use in esoteric Buddhism is that the “human light” of the initial more empiricist approach of “Buddhist meditation” (four foundations of mindfulness - Satipaṭṭhāna, means of valid cognition - pamāṇa[1] etc.) is neutralized and superseded by the “sheer Luminosity” of a clearly idealist and essentialist approach, where “Luminosity” is the main substance or essence of everything, the highest and purest level of being. Unifying the Luminous Self, the Luminous Body, and the Luminous Source through the spontaneously present Luminous essence is the ultimate salvation, realization and actualization. Through lack of Knowledge (gnosis, vidyā) of the Luminous reality, sentient beings migrate from one destiny to another, until an authentic Knowledge holder (vidyādhara) transmits the Knowledge that will initiate them into the Luminous reality and open up the path of their sudden or future salvation and unification with the Luminous source. Genuine “Illumination” or Enlightenment”, not a simple metaphor. Luminosity is eternal and good[2] and certainly more attractive and spectacular than (pari)nirvāṇa.

Anything physical (kāyika) and mental (cetasika) is impermanent and imperfect. The Buddha’s more empiricist approach uses physical and mental methods, such as reasoning, deliberating, contemplating etc., where the individual, although a member of a larger community (saṅgha), is on their own as far as their salvation is concerned. The Buddha merely showed the path. There is no Luminous safety net, apart from dispassion, detachment and “dropping the burden”. The safety net here is impermanence, “anatta”, “dependent origination” or “emptiness”, without a welcoming committee (tariki "other power", "outside help"), unless the Four Brahmavihāras or altruism are considered as such, but these require human empathy not Divine Light.

In Luminous Buddhism, the Buddha is the Logos shining forth from the Luminous source continuously sending out its missionaries in order to convert and save sentient beings drowning in the Ocean of Ignorance of burning in the Fires of Ignorance, sometimes by tough but fair means. Those missionaries are not only avatars but also priests, kings, rulers, bankers and experts serving as guides to the more karmically challenged in a sort of Luminous metaverse. Luminosity is good for us…

"20.26 King Anala said, “Noble one, I have attained the bodhisattva liberation called the attainment of illusions. Noble one, most of the inhabitants of my kingdom kill, steal, practice sexual misconduct, lie, slander, abuse, indulge in idle talk, are avaricious, are malicious, hold false views, commit bad actions, and are fierce, aggressive, and cruel, and they maintain a behavior consisting of all kinds of bad actions.

“There is no other way to instruct them to turn away, to desist, from that sinful behavior.

20.­27

“Noble one, in order to guide, ripen, control, and benefit these beings, motivated by great compassion I manifest the illusory images of executioners, [F.26.b] through which I execute the illusory images of the condemned. I make the illusions of those who punish and execute in various ways the illusions of those who have followed a path of bad actions. I also emanate those who experience the unendurable sufferings of having their feet, hands, noses, ears, limbs, smaller parts, and heads cut off. When the beings who live in my realm see that, they become distressed, afraid, and terrified. After that, they are careful to avoid committing bad actions.

20.­28

“Noble one, when in that way I have used that method and see that these beings are distressed, terrified, and alarmed, I then turn them away from the path of the ten bad actions, cause them to possess the path of the ten good actions, and establish them in the path to omniscience, which is the ultimate attainment of joy and happiness and the cessation of all suffering.

20.­29

“Noble one, I do not cause harm to any being with my body, speech, or mind."  

Gaṇḍa­vyūha, King Anala, chapter 20, translation by 84.000."  

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[1] "Valid cognition, judgment or measuring based on outward appearance (rūpappamāṇa), the opinion of others (ghosappamāṇa), economic status (lūkhappamāṇa) or reality (dhammappamāṇa". Buddhism was considered a “nihilist” (nāstika) tradition because of its rejection of śāstra pramāṇam, the authority of scriptures such as Revelations (śruti), Vedas etc. Also see the Rūpa Sutta (A 4.65) for measures (pamāṇa) regarding charisma. The Buddha’s followers may be followers by faith, followers of teachings and those understanding and seeing "these principles" (dhamma) are stream-enterers (SN 25.2).

[2] “Eternal, blissful, characterized by a personal self, and pure” Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra.