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 7.2 (Commentary)
[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 7.2]
µþ±á¸é±«á¹� ³Õ±õÅš³Õ´¡VIÅšUDDHE [2] ...
Commentary:
[i. The first of these (comments on Ch. 7.2):]
Concerning the recitation of µþ±á¸é±«á¹� ³Õ±õÅš³Õ´¡ VIÅšUDDHE, µþ±á¸é±«á¹� conveys the meanings of Vairocana. a vase, a celestial palace. and a wheel, as well as being the seed-syllable of ±«á¹£á¹‡Ä«á¹£a³¦²¹°ì°ù²¹±¹²¹°ù³Ù¾±²Ô. Among these, in this context, it visually creates the celestial palace on the circle of pristine cognition, which is the immeasurable ground. It is because the celestial palace is the essence of Vairocana and because a vase is also shaped like a celestial palace that these (other meanings) are associated with the syllable µþ±á¸é±«á¹�. This mantra is Indeed indicative of the previous Buddha ±«á¹£á¹‡Ä«á¹£a³¦²¹°ì°ù²¹±¹²¹°ù³Ù¾±²Ô because he was the one who formed an aspiration connected with the celestial palace for the sake of buddhas and sentient beings.
It is said in the Short Commentary (P. 4755):
It is the mantra of ±«á¹£á¹‡Ä«á¹£a³¦²¹°ì°ù²¹±¹²¹°ù³Ù¾±²Ô’s own aspiration.
And in the Sequence of Light (P. 4731):
The diverse ³¾²¹á¹‡á¸²¹±ô²¹²õ are emanated in µþ±á¸é±«á¹�,
As the full-grown palace of pristine cognition.
This syllable is also said to refer outwardly to the palace of the deities, inwardly to the seed-syllables of the deities, and secretly to the womb of the female consorts.
As is said in the Tantra of the Penetrating Magical Net (ngb. vol. 15):
µþ±á¸é±«á¹� gathers diversity in the expanse or womb.
Pure in its activity and essence
Is this jewelled receptacle of the Buddhas.
³Õ±õÅš³Õ´¡ means diversity, and VIÅšUDDHE indicates the natural purity of all that appears as the phenomena of ²õ²¹á¹ƒsÄå°ù²¹ and ²Ô¾±°ù±¹Äåṇa. The expanse of reality free from conceptual elaboration, which is revealed itself to be the residence of the buddhas is in this context illustratively referred to as the celestial palace.
[ii. Secondly, there are six categories of the mantras which visually create the deities, among which the first includes the mantras of the male and female consorts of the five enlightened families. (It comments on Ch. 7.3):]
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