Guhyagarbha Tantra (with Commentary)
by Gyurme Dorje | 1987 | 304,894 words
The English translation of the Guhyagarbha Tantra, including Longchenpa's commentary from the 14th century. The whole work is presented as a critical investigation into the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, of which the Guhyagarbhatantra is it's principle text. It contains twenty-two chapters teaching the essence and practice of Mahayoga, which s...
Text 4.16 (Commentary)
[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 4.16]
The syllable A is the uncreated real nature. [16] ...
[Tibetan]
a-ni skye-med de-bzhin-nyid / [16]
Commentary:
[The interlinear commentary (concerning the forty-two syllables�197.3-201.6) is as follows:]
Although there is no contradiction when (the syllables) are classified as before according to their respective phonetic categories, (here) they are actually explained out of order with the result that it is not easy for the expositor to explain them and it is hard for the listener to understand them. The sequence of the syllables should therefore be revealed in five stages: the syllable of the expanse along with those of the male & female consorts of the five enlightened families: the syllables of the Inner spiritual warriors along with their gatekeepers; the syllables of the outer spiritual warriors along with their gatekeepers; the syllable of pristine cognition along with those of the sages; and the syllables of the protectors of the gates with those of the wrathful deities.
[i. The first has three aspects, namely, the syllable of ³§²¹³¾²¹²Ô³Ù²¹²ú³ó²¹»å°ùÄ« the expanse, the syllables of the male consorts of the five enlightened families, and the syllables of their female consorts. The first (comments on Ch. 4.16):]
The syllable A (A-ni) is the real nature (de-bzhin-nyid) in which all things are uncreated (skye-med). It is the essence of ³§²¹³¾²¹²Ô³Ù²¹²ú³ó²¹»å°ùÄ«, the transcendental perfection of discriminative awareness.
It says in the Intermediate Mother (T. 9):
In this respect, the so-called syllable A is the approach to all things because it is uncreated from the beginning.
Texts such as the latter are identical in their explanation of the forty-two syllables.
[The second (comments on Ch. 4.17):]
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