The Radiant Citta

This is an excerpt from Appendix II of the Spiritual Biography of Acariya Mun.  It is compiled from several discourses on citta given by Ãcariya Mahã Boowa. I keep going back to browse this appendix, trying to absorb this knowledge on citta.  The glossary is also a handy reference,  giving detailed, clear explanations of Buddhist terminology; giving elaborations instead of concise, restrictive terms.

The following breakdown of citta is really thought provoking.  It credits the original citta with radiance and then asserts  that its radiance is actually avijja (ignorance) and is required to be transcended in the quest for Absolute Freedom (seems to implie Nibanna). 

Here is the quote.  (I've also given the link to the entire biography afterwards.)

The term “original citta” means the original nature of the citta thatspins endlessly through the cycle of rebirth. The Buddha indicated thiswhen he said: “Monks, the original citta is intrinsically bright and clear,but it becomes defiled by the commingling of the kilesas that comepassing through.”In this sense, “original citta” refers to the origin of conventionalreality (sammuti), not the origin of Absolute Purity (parisuddhi). Whenreferring to the original citta, the Buddha stated: “Pabhassaramidaÿcittaÿ bhikkhave.” Pabhassara means radiant, it does not mean pure.His reasoning is absolutely correct; it is impossible to argue against it.Had the Buddha equated the original citta with the pure citta, one couldimmediately object: “If the citta was originally pure, why then should itbe born at all?” The Arahant, who has purified his citta, is one who nevercomes to birth again. If his citta were originally pure, why then wouldhe need to purify it? This would be the obvious objection: What reasonwould there be to purify it? The radiant citta, on the other hand, can bepurified because its radiance is nothing other than the essential, truenature of avijjã. Meditators will realize this truth clearly for themselvesat the moment when the citta transcends this radiance to reach AbsoluteFreedom (vimutti). Then, the radiance will no longer appear in the citta.At this very point, one realizes the supreme truth about the citta. (pp. 465-466)