Bill Olsen
Co-Creator, the Journey

Ken Wilber has an annoying penchant for equating concepts which sound superficially and textually similar.

The Supermind is the fourth in the seven planes of consciousness and has no relation with the “Clear Light” of Buddhism. The “Clear Light” is said to dawn at the moment of death, whereas the Supermind is outside manifestation and is cannot be realized at such moments.

In 1991, the Dalai Lama was asked the following question in New York City:

Question: When people hear of luminosity of clear light that dawns at the moment of death they ask why it is called clear light. What has this got to do with light as we know it?

Dalai Lama: “I don’t think that in the term clear light, light should be taken literally. It is sort of metaphoric. This could have its roots in our terminology of mental will According to Buddhism, all consciousness or all cognitive mental events are said to be in the nature of clarity and luminosity. So it is from that point of view that the choice of the term light is used. Clear light is the most subtle level of mind, which can be seen as the basis or the source from which eventual experience or realisation of Buddhahood, Buddha’s wisdom might come about, therefore it is called clear light. Clear light is a state of mind which becomes fully manifest only as a consequence of certain sequences or stages of dissolution, where the mind becomes devoid of certain types of obscurations, which are again metaphorically described in terms of sun-like, moonlike and darkness. These refer to the earlier three stages of dissolution which are technically called, including the clear light stage, the four empties. At the final stage of dissolution the mind is totally free of all these factors of obscuration. Therefore it is called clear light. Sort of a light. It is also possible to understand the usage of the term clear light in terms of the nature of mind itself. Mind or consciousness is a phenomena which lacks any obstructive quality. It is non-obstructed.”

from – http://viewonbuddhism.org/mind.html

Based on this description, Clear Light is probably a reflection of the highest triune Sachchidananda (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss) planes which is experienced in those moments when the subtle body separates from the physical.

I am not intimate with Buddhist cosmology but if the Supermind did have any equivalent in Buddhist cosmology, it would be probably be to the highest of the 31 planes of existence (Arupa Loka) or even higher than that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_cosmology_%28Theravada%29

Thank you,

Tom

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
when you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die