91. The mind is luminous, but it is stained by defilements that come from without. Ordinary folk do not realize this, so they do not cultivate the mind. The mind is luminous, but it can be cleansed of defilements that come from without. This the noble disciples understand, so they do cultivate the mind.
Anguttara Nikaya I.10
I have often puzzled over these verses and have been unsure of how to understand them in light of the teaching of anatta.
I could attempt to fashion an understanding solely on the strength of my own reasoning but this kind of question seems best fit to be brought to one’s teachers and peers and to be allowed to resonate in one’s mind until wisdom begins to arise.
Cattāri Brahmavihārā 
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