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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Text 8.4 (Commentary)
[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 8.4]
The two syllables O峁� and M弄峁� unite at their (finger)-tips;
And the (remaining) eight seed-syllables conjoin,
Meeting at their (finger)-tips.
They form the seal granting supreme bliss.
In which all conquerors are equipoised. [4] ...[Tibetan]
辞峁�-dang m奴峁�-gnyis rtse-sbyar-te /
'bru-brgyad bsnol-nas rtse-sprad-pa /
rgyal-ba kun-dang mnyam-sbyor-ba'i /
bde-ba chen-po sbyin-pa'i rgya / [4]
Commentary:
[The second is the seneral seal which emerges thence. (It comments on Ch. 8.4):]
The two syllables (gnyis)鈥攖he O峁� which is visualised on the index finger of the right hand, and (dang) the M弄峁� which is visualised on the middle finger of the left hand鈥攗nite (sbyar-te) directly at their (finger)-tips (rtse); and the remaining eight seed-syllables ('bru-brgyad) of the right and left hands, namely H弄峁� and L膧峁�, SV膧 and M膧峁�, 膧峁� and P膧峁�, and H膧 and T膧峁� respectively conjoin (bsnol-nas). Meeting at their (finger)-tips (rtse sprad-pa) they form the seal (rgya), granting (sbyin-pa'i) in this very lifetime the supreme bliss (bde-ba chen-po) of accomplishment in which all conquerors (rgyal-ba kun) of the five enlightened families are essentially equipoised (mnyam-sbyor-ba'i).
It also says in the Lasso of Skillful Means (T. 835):
The fingers are entwined and press down:
The middle & index fingers, thumbs & little fingers
Are made to meet at their respective tips.
While the fourth fingers are raised into position鈥�
This is the commitment seal.
Now, Buddhaguhya holds this to be the general commitment seal of the five enlightened families, i.e. the seal of one-pointed pristine cognition or buddha-mind, in which the vajra is tightly held and the two middle fingers then extended Into position. There are also some who hold that, in this gesture of "indestructible palms", the index finger of the right hand and the middle finger of the left hand both meet at their tips, while the remainder are respectively united.[1]
The general form (of this seal) should indeed be read in accordance with the passage from the Lasso of Skillful Means, but it in no way contradicts the latter two (interpretations), according to which the fingers are conjoined in the described manner because they correspond to the actual appearance of the five enlightened families (in particular contexts).[2]
[Thirdly, there are the seals or hand-emblems of the different deities which emanate from that (general seal). This has five parts of which the first, concerning the seals of the male & female consorts of the five enlightened families, itself comprises five stanzas.]
[The first of these, concerning the seals of the central deities, i.e. the male a female (Vairocana, comments on Ch. 8.5):]
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Footnotes and references:
[1]:
"gesture of the indestructible palms " (rdo-rje thal-mo).
[2]:
These variations on the general seal depend on the different seed-syllables, which change owing to the the rotation of the central deities.