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 8.21 (Commentary)
[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 8.21]
The limbs (of the central deity)
Are endowed with the forty-two (deities). [21] ...[Tibetan]
yan-lag bzhi-bcu rtsa-gnyis ldan / [21]
Commentary:
[ii. The second (the detailed exegesis of the seals which provisionally appear) has four sections, the first of which concerns the emanation of the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of the forty-two buddhas. (It comments on Ch. 8.21):]
The energy of this (尘补峁囜笉补濒补) is Increasingly acquired by experiencing the contemplation in which the hand-emblems are emanated in the above manner. in this way, the limbs (yan-lag) of the body (of the central deity) are endowed (ldan) with the forty-two (bzhi-bcu rtsa-gnyis) deities and the benefit of realisation then emerges.[1]
Now, when oneself is visualised as the male & female Vairocana, the five male consorts鈥�础办峁产丑测补, 础尘颈迟腻产丑补, Vairocana, Ratnasambhava, and Amoghasiddhi, are located respectively in the crown, throat, heart, navel and secret centres of the male consort. The four spiritual warriors of buddha-尘颈苍诲鈥�碍峁迟颈驳补谤产丑补, 痴补箩谤补辫腻峁噄, 膧办腻艣补驳补谤产丑补, and 础惫补濒辞办颈迟别艣惫补谤补, are respectively the right eye, ear, nostril and side of the tongue; and similarly the four corresponding organs on the left side are the four spiritual warriors of buddha-speech鈥�Maitreya, Niv膩ra峁嘺yi峁ambhin, Samantabhadra, and 惭补帽箩耻艣谤墨. His right hand is (驰补尘腻苍迟补办补) the liberator of Yama; and his left hand is (惭补丑腻产补濒补) the liberator of discriminative awareness. His left foot is (贬补测补驳谤墨惫补) the liberator of the lotus, and his right foot is (础尘峁泃补办耻峁囜笉补濒颈苍) the liberator of impediments. These are the four male gatekeepers. The six sages are respectively the crown, throat, heart, navel, secret centres and the soles of the feet. Thus, there are twenty-three deities (within the body of Vairocana).
Meanwhile, the five female consorts鈥�叠耻诲诲丑补濒辞肠补苍腻, 笔补峁囜笉补谤补惫腻蝉颈苍墨, Dh膩tv墨艣var墨, 惭腻尘补办墨, and Samayat膩r膩鈥攁re located respectively in the crown, throat, heart, navel and secret centre of the female consort (Dh膩tv墨艣var墨). The four female deities of the sense-objects鈥�尝腻蝉测腻, 惭腻濒测腻, 骋墨迟腻, and Nart墨鈥攁re respectively her left eye, ear, nostril, and side of the tongue; and similarly the four corresponding organs of the right side are the four female deities of time, namely 顿丑奴辫腻, 笔耻峁腻, 膧lok膩, and 骋补苍诲丑腻. Her left hand is 础峁卥耻艣腻, and her right hand is 笔腻艣腻; while her right foot is 厂辫丑辞峁� and her left Ga峁囜弓h膩. These are the four female gatekeepers. Thus, there are seventeen deities within the female consort (Dh膩tv墨艣var墨).
Combined together, these forty are the so-called deities of skillful means because they coarsely and outwardly abide. With the addition of the two basic deities, the male & female (Vairocana), there are altogether forty-two deities refined (on this path). The number of male and female consorts is inequal because the sages have no female consorts; and the male & female Samantabhadra are (in this context) subsumed within the nature of the basic deities.
[Once this excellent visualisation has become radiant, there follows the second section concerning the emanation of the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of the thousand buddhas (which comments on Ch. 8.22):]
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Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Cf. Lo-chen Dharma艣r墨, gsang-bdag dgongs-rgyan, p. 237, who interprets this passage with the words: yan-lag-gi lha bzhi-bcu tham-pa rtsa-lha gnyis-la bkod-pa'i thabs-lha bzhi-bcu. This straightforward reading enables him to avoid kLong-chen-pa鈥檚 explanation, p. 739. that the two basic deities are subsequently excluded from the calculation.