Is the Mind [essentially] bound to ignorance "not-knowing" or free? Is the Mind [essentially] bound to ignorance &quot;not-knowing&quot; or free?
If it is bound, then its essential nature of &quot;non-knowing&quot; cannot depart, and, therefore, liberation is not [possible, or] if the essential nature departed, the mind would cease to be a Mind, i,e. it can no longer not-know.
If it is free, the meditation and other means enjoined for the sake of liberation are of no use.
Don't get infatuated with the word &quot;essence&quot; and &quot;essential&quot;. Some people talk about &quot;the essence of the mind&quot; and try to make the mind the ultimate reality. What matters is that the mind is the chief of sukha or dukkha -- bad births and good births -- like in the Dhammapada:


Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts suffering follows him like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox.
Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow.


And you still have to &quot;do&quot; the non-bright and non-dark karma, to get fully enlightened.
All this means is that you do have to work on your mind, on your actions through speech, body and thoughts -- to get a good births and/or be fully enlightened -- (not doing rituals or clinging to sensual objects).