The principle of purification is that the natural qualities (suchness) of what is purified become apparant. More and more while purification progresses. For example: The clear quality of water becomes apparant while purified. The qualities of gold become apparant when purified. The same with mind. When mind is purified its natural quality becomes apparant.
The suttas consistently describe this as a clear nature or nature of clarity (AN1.51). Also as empty, as desireless, undirected, signless (MN43), peaceful (MN4, MN26), and extremely wieldy and easy to use, to apply. (AN3.101)
Defilements not only harm the natural peace and clarity of mind but also make mind unflexible, rigid and not easy to use. This rigidness is also a entrence to describe our suffering.
This purified nature of the mind has no passions, no tendencies to get involved with feelings and perceptions (vinnana’s). It is just a bare awareness. Formations arising (perceptions and feelings) do not establish or take root in this mind. There is just nothing that makes this possible. Because vinnana’s can only establish when there is an element of craving towards what is perceived. When this is absent vinnana cannot establish or take root. Then they arise but do not establish and grow (SN22.53). After death the same. So, the non-establishment of vinnana in this very life is what confirms the non-establishment of vinnana after passing away. That is how i see this.
The establishing of vinnana is not at all the same as their arising. I have come to see this is very important. The establishing of vinnana happens when there is an element of craving towards what is perceived. Then it grows upon that. When this element of desire is gone (Nibbana) there are still perceptions and feelings but they do not establish. They arise and cease and nothing more happens. Mind does not become rigid.
I believe, in essence Mind is just a word that refers to knowing, or an ability to know. In its most basic, subtle and pure function this is a bare awareness.
It is without emotions, tendencies and me and mine-making regarding what is known. It is without conceit and conceiving upon what is known. It sees things as they really are. And this natural state of mind is harmed when vinnana’s start to establish and a wrong or distorted understanding establishes.
The establishment of vinnana,- always based upon an element of desire-, is the same as the establishing of wrong view or wrong understanding.
It is not that some ‘thing’ has established now or some single phenomena.
It refers to the establishing of a wrong understanding, a distorted perception has arisen now.
Nibbana is arrived at when all that can distort the natural understanding of mind is gone. No distortion of awareness happens anymore. Meaning, it remains a bare awareness. No vinnana establishes and grows because they can only establish when there is an element of craving (again SN22.53) and this is gone when Nibbana is arrived at. Now wrong view does not establish anymore. No awareness arises with emotions, attitudes, me and mine making of what is perceived. No awareness that conceives what is perceived. No mental proliferation upon what is known takes place.
There is only this bare awareness which sees everything as it really is, undistorted. The quality of this awareness is peaceful, at ease and shining in a way that even the skinn and someones expressions or emanation becomes shining. The sutta’s also reveal this.
No vinnana can establish in a pure mind. They can arise but not establish or take root and grow. This is called … Mind being detached from vinnana (AN10.81)
In fact it only refers to, i believe, mind remains now functioning as a bare awareness without even a sense of some concrete existing self and anything possessing to a self.
Seeing things as they really are is not some kind of learned wisdom i believe, but it refers to a pure and dispassionate state of awareness that all beings share. Only defilements hinder us to see and realise this state of bare awareness. An awareness without attitudes, emotions, views, conceit and mental proliferation upon what is known.
This sees things as they really are. It is everybodies birthright. It is not made by us, not created by us, not produced by us, like the natural qualities of pure water and gold are also not made by us.