I'm thinking it's realizing anatta as well shunyata, is this correct? Also, when people refer to 佛性 it's the same thing right?
Really need to get my hands on some glossary of chinese buddhist terms...
自性 is often misunderstood to be an independent, unchanging Self similar to Hinduism's atman-brahman.
However, if understood correctly, it is simply the mind's luminous and empty nature.
You want to call it Mind, Nature of Mind, Buddha-nature, Self-nature, Thusness, Suchness, Dzogchen, Mahamudra, etc, it's all fine.
http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.sg/2007/03/self-liberation-through-seeing-with.html
6.
As for this sparkling awareness, which is called "mind,"
Even though one says that it exists, it does not actually exist.
(On the other hand) as a source, it is the origin of the diversity of all the bliss of Nirvana and all of the sorrow of Samsara.
And as for it¡¯s being something desirable; it is cherished alike in the Eleven Vehicles.
With respect to its having a name, the various names that are applied to it are inconceivable (in their numbers).
Some call it "the nature of the mind" or "mind itself."
Some Tirthikas call it by the name Atman or "the Self."
The Sravakas call it the doctrine of Anatman or "the absence of a self."
The Chittamatrins call it by the name Chitta or "the Mind."
Some call it the Praj?¨¢p¨¢ramit¨¢ or "the Perfection of Wisdom."
Some call it the name Tathagata-garbha or "the embryo of Buddhahood."
Some call it by the name Mahamudra or "the Great Symbol."
Some call it by the name "the Unique Sphere."
Some call it by the name Dharmadhatu or "the dimension of Reality."
Some call it by the name Alaya or "the basis of everything."
And some simply call it by the name "ordinary awareness."
I see, yes it seemed as though certain aspects just pointed to awareness. So essentially it's a complete realization of the mind and its nature.
BTW, what would the "明心" in 明心見性 entail in this case? Recognising the luminosity of the mind?
Different people explain differently...
Thusness puts it this way - realizing mind is seeing its luminosity, realizing nature is seeing luminosity's empty nature.