There are many different ways to explain essence, here are some:

1. As heart sutra teaches – essence has no birth no death, never dirty nor clean, can’t be added to or subtracted from.

2. Essence has 4 qualities:

Truth – life is illusion in both ways. Essence is eternal pure, never change. Appearing form is eternal change, never the same.

Compassion – because essence is always the same, we are one. Appearing form potential to change is always the same. So the potential is no different. Aware of both, equal heart appears which creates unlimited compassion.

Art – after compassion appears, convenient wisdom will develop to complete the will of help ourselves and every other life out of suffering and reach unlimited joy. Which is art of wisdom.

Free – the art of wisdom creates unlimited, spontaneous and flexible way to help the journey of compassion in unlimited joyful way. Because it is unlimited joy with free will, true eternal freedom appears.

3. Essence has unlimited perfect Dharma

Which is – Dharma wheel spins clockwise is unlimited perfect consciousness going with the system of life. Spins anti clockwise and its unlimited blindness possibility against dharma.
The twisting of the wheel represents constantly changing illusion
The wheel itself is the essence which never change.

4. Essence cannot be created, but can create everything.

Which means cannot be created by others, cannot be created by itself. And the opposite it can create all the other appearing form. Which is from creation way to talk about essence.

5. Essence has four characters

1.  Eternity – never change
2. Joy – no suffering
3. True I –  free will
4. Pure – can’t be polluted

6. Essence is unlimited perfect

Essence has no form so it has unlimited potential to create and be aware of unlimited form.

Unawakened consciousness has unlimited potential to develop perfect awareness.

Awakened consciousness remains completely free to be aware of unlimited form.

7. Essence is true compassion and wisdom

Once consciousness knows life is illusion as 5 developments are empty, 6 awareness boundary are limited dream illusion and develops wisdom to see through all, it will be able to go back to no beginning no end essence. Compassion and wisdom force of four eternal hearts will be awakened.

8. Essence has nothing to hold and can’t be held

Because nothing to hold and can’t be held, there’s no pollution from suffering, no wisdom to get and no nirvana to reach.

9. Essence has no searching heart, no judgmental heart, no possessive heart, no past present or future

Before illusion I appears, awareness ability is in the essence stage which is no beginning no end, there is no time and space. Because there is no time and space, searching heart, judgmental heart and possessive heart cannot exist.

10. Essence is nirvana

Our true self is the true essence of life, which is unlimited perfect dharma joy. This power is always there, like the sun is always shining in empty space, if blind people can’t the sun, doesn’t mean the sun is not there.

Our pure consciousness creates time and space, then becomes lost in its creation, becomes blind and is no longer aware of the creator – true self. Aware or not aware true self still remains shining as perfect nirvana.

Through developing the ability to clean out blindness, we are able to see all life is nirvana – unlimited joy.