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...
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Commentary (the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of contemplation)鈥擨ntroduction
[Commentary (224.4-261.1):]
[The commentary (on Ch. 6鈥攖he 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of contemplation which emerges from the cloud-mass of syllables) includes an overview and an interlinear commentary.]
[Overview (224.5-229-2)]
The overview comprises a general explanation of the verbal definition of the term "尘补峁囜笉补濒补" and a detailed teaching on its classifications. As to the former: The Tibetan dkyil-'khor, derived from the Sanskrit term "尘补峁囜笉补濒补" means that the central deity (etso-bo) is encircled by a retinue ('khor).
The latter refers to the three 尘补峁囜笉补濒补s of the ground, path and result:
i. The 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of the ground Indicates that the containing world and its sentient contents attain Buddha-hood primordially鈥攔espectively in the nature of the celestial palace and of the deities. These (fundamentally) abide as the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补. Outer phenomena which appear as the elements primordially abide as the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of the female consorts, inner phenomena which appear as the components abide as the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of the male consorts, and all accumulated ideas and sensory activity fields abide as the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of bodhisattvas or spiritual warriors of enlightenment.
It is said in this Secret Nucleus (Ch. 2, 2):
The aspects of the component of indestructible reality
Are known as the five perfect buddhas.
All the manifold activity fields and sensory bases
Are the nature of the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of Bodhisattvas.
Earth and water are 叠耻诲诲丑补濒辞肠补苍腻 and 惭腻尘补办墨.
Fire and air are P膩ndarav膩sin墨 and Samayat膩r膩.
Space is Dh膩tv墨艣var墨.
The three realms of existence are primordial Buddha (fields).
All things that there are, without exception.
Are not extraneous to the buddhas themselves.
Phenomena extraneous to the buddhas themselves
Have not been found by the buddhas themselves.
And in the Root Tantra of 颁补办谤补蝉补峁僾补谤补 (T. 368):
These living beings abide in a naturally present 尘补峁囜笉补濒补.
Furthermore, appearances primordially abide as the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of Buddha-body, sounds as the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of buddha-speech, and all recollections and awareness as the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of buddha-mind.
It says in the All-Accomplishing King (T. 828):
O! Concerning the nucleus or 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of buddha-body,
Arrayed by the All-Accomplishing King, teacher of teachers:
All that appears and abides in accordance with it
Is arrayed in the disposition of reality's uncreated expanse.
Concerning the nucleus or 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 array of his buddha-speech:
All that resounds and abides in accordance with it
Are words arrayed as buddha-speech in the uncreated expanse.
Concerning the nucleus or 尘补峁囜笉补濒补-array of his awareness:
All the entire recollections, awareness and thoughts
Which are in accordance with it
Are aware of the uncreated All-Accomplishing One himself.[1]
This 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 is itself revealed to be the basis of everything because It is primordially and spontaneously present.
The same text says:
O! The centre is the nucleus of unerring truth.
The periphery is endowed with the supreme bliss of 蝉补峁僺腻谤补 and nirvana.
This is the basis of all essential 尘补峁囜笉补濒补s.
All 尘补峁囜笉补濒补s without exception are realised to be gathered therein.
ii. The second is the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of the path which, when classified, has three aspects: There is the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of illustrative images; the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of genuine buddha-body, speech and mind; and a teaching on the classification of the threefold 尘补峁囜笉补濒补.
As to the first of these, it is said in the 颁补办谤补蝉补峁僾补谤补 (T. 368):
The essence of the two artificial types (of 尘补峁囜笉补濒补)
Is that their description accords with the goal.[2]
In this context also, (the illustrative 尘补峁囜笉补濒补s) are entered by those of both dull and mediocre intelligence, and are established through the radiance of contemplation. Four sorts (of Illustrative 尘补峁囜笉补濒补) are indicated, two of which are essential and two subsidiary. These are respectively the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 drawn on cotton, the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of coloured powders, and the incidental 尘补峁囜笉补濒补s of focal points and flower-clusters.[3]
The same text also says:
There is the ritual for drawing (the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补).
And the sequence in which colours are applied on its lines.
As for the three 尘补峁囜笉补濒补s of (genuine) buddha-body, speech and mind: The first, the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of buddha-body, is that in which the physical body becomes radiant as the deity, and is visually created (simply) as a single heruka (dpa'-bo gcig-pa) and so forth, as far as (elaborate creation of) the deities and a celestial palaces of the entire 尘补峁囜笉补濒补.[4]
This text also says (Ch. 9, 33-34):
...manifestly perfect
Throughout the ten directions and four times.
The Buddha-field, pure and unthinkable.
In which there is there is the celestial palace
Free from spatial dimensions,
With its ornamental (form) on the wheel.
And the assembly of its display,
Comprises all unthinkable 尘补峁囜笉补濒补s, without exception.
The 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of Buddha-speech refers to the mantra-syllables of the basic deity, surrounded by the mantras of the retinue, which are pronounced and visualised.
As this text says (Ch. 7.23):
Those (meanings) that are distinctly clarified are themselves
The supreme indestructible buddha-speech.
The 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of buddha-mind refers to the five poisons which are made Into the path as the five pristine cognitions, so that 蝉补峁僺腻谤补 is inherently pure without being renounced.
As (the Secret Nucleus. Ch. 6.2) says:
Pristine cognition is considered
In terms of the four directions and centre.
The unthinkable spontaneous 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 is Great Perfection,
And the Yogin who realises this experiences
The origin of all in that great 尘补峁囜笉补濒补.
As for the teaching on the classification of the threefold 尘补峁囜笉补濒补, it comprises: the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of the supporting celestial palace; the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of the supported deities; and the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of great non-dual pristine cognition.
The first of these is the excellent location, the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 in which the axis of the main (palace) is surrounded by a circumference of spatial array. The second is the excellent teacher, the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of deities in which the central deity is surrounded by the assembled host of the retinue. The third is the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of pristine cognition where naturally present pristine cognition is surrounded by the consciousness of recollection and awareness.
As is said in this same text:[5]
In the pristine cognition of the Great Identity
Are beheld the five pristine cognitions of the retinue.
And in the All-Accomplishing King (T. 828):
O! I, the All-Accomplishing King, teacher of teachers.
All-pervasively enveloped, without coming or going.
By the uncreated 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of Bodhisattvas.
Penetrate through realisation the uncreated truth.
Now, the naturally present pristine cognition is the nature of Samantabhadra, the pristine cognition which abides in oneself without all the conceptual elaborations of the unstable subjectobject dichotomy. The accumulated thoughts such as the five poisons which issue from its disposition are revealed to be the forty-two buddhas including the five 罢补迟丑腻驳补迟补蝉, and, as such, are pristine cognition in its state of energy. Thus awareness both in its abiding and emanational states is revealed as the primordial 尘补峁囜笉补濒补. The Yogin who knows this is never separated from the origin of all things, the disposition of the great 尘补峁囜笉补濒补.
As for the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of the result; When the path has been concluded and the rank of Samantabhadra then obtained, this state is described as the buddha-body and pristine cognition without conjunction or disjunction, in which the ground is directly liberated.
This (Secret Nucleus. Ch. 6.22) says:
And the buddha-body of pristine cognition which knows all things鈥�
At this time, all five buddha-bodies are indeed perfect.[6]
The result therefore refers to the spontaneous presence of the buddha-body of reality, the buddha-body of perfect rapture, the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补s of the three buddha-bodies and five pristine cognitions, the five 尘补峁囜笉补濒补s of buddha-body, speech, mind, attributes, and activities, and so forth.
[Interlinear Commentary (229.2-261.1)]
The Interlinear commentary includes a description of the causal basis for the emanation of the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 and an exegesis of the actual 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 which is emanated thereby.
[The former (229.3-229.5, comments on Ch. 6.1):]
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Footnotes and references:
[1]:
The All-Accomplishing King (kun-byed rgyal-po) is a synonym for Samantabhadra or 诲丑补谤尘补办腻测补. See also Eva K. Dargyay, "A Preliminary Study of the R帽in-ma Text, Kun Byed Rgyal Po'i Mdo" in STC.
[2]:
The two artificial types (bcos-ma gnyis) are those 尘补峁囜笉补濒补s drawn on cotton and with coloured powders, which are Indicated in the following paragraph. They are so-called because they are held to be inferior to the body-尘补峁囜笉补濒补s described below, Ch. 9, pp. 812ff.
[3]:
"尘补峁囜笉补濒补 drawn on cotton" (ras-bris-kyi dkyil-'khor), "尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of coloured powders" (rdul-tshon-gyi dkyil-'khor), "尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of focal points" (thig-gi dkyil-'khor), and "尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of flower-clusters" (tshom-bu'i dkyil-'khor).
[4]:
Tibetan dpa'-bo gcig-pa, Sanskrit 别办补惫墨谤补, refers to a single two-armed wrathful deity, without consort.
[5]:
N.L. However these verses are reminiscent of Ch. 13, section 8, 1. 5-6.