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...
Chapter 9 - Secret Commitment of the Indestructible Array
Then the ղٳ岵ٲ, the Great Joyous One, became equipoised in the array of the secret commitments of indestructible reality, and then uttered this meaningful expression. [1]
In the palms of the great seal.
The most subtle and supreme commitment [2]
Is the genuine ṇḍ of buddha-mind.
It should be four inches (sor-mo) in its dimension. [3]Endowed with five seeds, five scents, five gems.
Five essences, five medicines, and five nectars,
It is exceedingly level.
And its lines should be pitched with awareness. [4]It should have a four-spoked circle and perimeter
Endowed with a central axis and radial lines.
And a courtyard with four corners,
A quadrangle, and embrasured gates. [5]On disks of sun and moon, the size of a round fingernail,
On a lotus seat, the size of a chick-pea.
There is the syllable, the size of a mustard seed.
And derived therefrom the (symbolic) seal is drawn.
The size of a sesame seed. [6]Surrounded by diverse kinds of manufactured cotton.
And by ornaments, earlands, potables, and savouries.
Offerings are excellently made with provisions�
A cloud-mass of songs, verses, dancing.
Gesticulations, and musical trappings.
The female consorts, the female gatekeepers.
And the female spiritual warriors
Make worthy offerings, just as they are desired. [7]The fire which has become a mouth.
Endowed with characteristics of shape and colour.
Is summoned forth into (the hearth)
And offerings of the four rites are excellently presented
With provisions of food, drink, and savouries. [8]This is similar for the ṇḍ of wrathful deities.
One who has refined the subtlest (contemplation)
Should indeed act in the same manner
In the case of the unthinkable (ṇḍs),
Insofaras they have been estimated by awareness. [9]The great seal through which offerings are made
Comprises the Buddha-fields of all ten directions
With their provisions, which form a wish-fulfilling
Cloud-mass of the mind�
There is the ground composed of diverse gemstones
Which is pliant, soft and pleasant to touch.
Beautifully designed and bedecked.
It blazes forth as a mass of precious things
Which are the origin of all.
There are shapely pools, most delicious to taste and cool.
Diverse mansions of gemstones.
Ornaments, groves of wish-granting trees.
Melodious songs, the sound of poetic verses.
Canopies, victory-banners, robes, parasols.
Long pendants, shoulder-ornaments, half-pendants.
Diverse [/ supreme] kinds of food and drink.
And there are male and female deities.
Themselves ornamented beauteously and
Numerous as atomic particles.
Who fill the space of the ten directions
With their unthinkable dancing, gesticulations and so on,
And then make offerings extensively to all ṇḍs. [10]According to distinctions in the clarity of fortunate ones,
One is either gradually or immediately
Equipoised in the expanse of reality. [11]
And one should meditate on the great seal
Through which these offerings are made. [12]When she (the karmamudrā) has radiance or is consecrated.
In the manner of the trichiliochosm absorbed in a mustard seed.
Offerings are made after inviting the ṇḍs from the expanse.
And the supreme commitment of accomplishment
(Is obtained) once they have been pleased. [13]Through offerings of the Great Identity
All ṇḍs of the buddhas without exception are pleased.
All living beings within the three realms of existence
Are filled with supreme delight. [14]Through stability in the Magical Net
All ṇḍs of the budddhas without exception.
Which emerge in the ten directions and four times.
And (the beings of pristine cognition) become manifest
To living beings of the three world-systems. [15]Body, speech, mind, and all phenomena
Do not abide in any respect, and are non-referential.
Like an optical illusion, through this union.
Meditate on the space within space. [16]Having performed all these, the mighty lord
Should enter with awareness.
Then the student should be ushered in. [17]Then this supreme son of the enlightened family
Offers the kingdom and his own body.
His children, wife, and riches.
Which are most dear and pleasant to his mind. [18]If offerings of the five raptures are made to the mighty lord.
Offerings are made to all ṇḍs.
It goes without saying that (offerings are made)
To the ṇḍ which is at hand?
All defects are purified. [19]If the ascetic discipline of faith and perseverence is well understood.
The empowerments of beneficence are given,
And the empowerments of ability
Should be given sequentially,
And received with compassion.
Such that they are not unproductive. [20]Alternatively, with palms joined together,
And in the lap of the great seal.
One who is learned should confer (empowerment) in the ṇḍ
Which is a full finger-span in dimension,
In accordance with the ritual. [21]Alternatively, on a most level site
The ṇḍ should be a full cubit in dimension,
Or a full body-length in dimension,
Or three body lengths in dimension.
With ī, threads, colour powders.
And a pleasant assistant.
Beautified with robes and ornaments.
The excellent ritual in which the lines are pitched
Should be performed by the great learned one.
Twisting (the threads) together. [22]Alternatively, It should be sixteen, and twenty
Or twenty-five cubits in dimension.
One meditates on the five ṇḍs of enlightened families.
And the forms endowed with buddha-body, speech and mind are also arrayed. [23]Alternatively, it is one reach of hearing, one yojana.
Or an unthinkable expanse of space in its dimension.
Therein one meditates on the diverse ṇḍs of the buddhas.
And, in order that they might be revealed
To deluded unseeing beings.
They should be drawn with coloured powders
Of twenty-five hues or of five hues.
These are to be painted according to the ritual
In which instruction is given. [24]The supreme infinite display of contemplation
Is endowed with syllables, symbols, heart-mantras.
Seals, or the buddha-body, speech and mind.
Consecrated in that (ṇḍ).
There are amazing and wondrous accomplishments
Which are the commitment of all the Buddhas.
If the sequence of liberation will be obtained
Even when seals have been made from clay and so forth.
It goes without saying that (mind) will be purified
By pure pristine cognition. This itself is (Buddha-hood)! [25]The Great Identity of the ṇḍs
Of the directions and times
Invites all ṇḍs from the ṇḍ
Of non-referential buddha-mind. [26]Through meditative union, characteristic of entry
Into the self-manifesting indivisible ṇḍ.
The ṇḍ of ritual service is well perfected.
Emerging from all directions and times.
This is the supreme commitment of the closest ones. [27]The wish-granting tree.
The wish-fulfilling gemstone,
And all things that emerge
Are not substantial.
But are the steadfast merit
Of one's own mind. [28]This wondrous, marvellous, amazing reality
Does not extraneously exist and come forth.
But it emerges in those dispositions
Which have the nature of discriminative awareness.
Steadfast in skillful means.
The real nature of the expanse of discriminative awareness
Becomes the seals of skillful means.
Thus pristine cognition is displayed in pristine cognition
And the display of pristine cognition is itself gathered. [29]The conquerors actually emerge and grant protection.
They confer blessing and also become visible
In the same (aforementioned) manner.
With charisma which can perform actions.
This indestructible reality of magical display
Is supreme among kings. [30]Having perfected the five kinds of ritual.
If one perfectly endowed with the five requisites
And perfect in the five aspects of mantra
Perseveres to undertake (practice) without degeneration [31]
The genuine accomplishment of empowered awareness
Will be achieved in six or twelve months.
Or in fourteen, or in sixteen.
Within sixteen lifespans (one will obtain)
The spontaneously perfect five Buddha-bodies. [32]In that nature, the seminal point of pristine cognition.
The appearance of the seminal point
Of pristine cognition itself is inconceivable,
Infinitely supreme, and manifestly perfect
Throughout the ten directions and four times. [33]The Buddha-field, pure and unthinkable.
In which 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 ṇḍs, without exception.
When it is seen, mastery is attained
And the benefit which emerges
From its vast buddha-speech
Is the harmonious pristine cognition,
Manifest in and of itself. [34]The real nature which is free from
The single and the multiple,
And is without extremes or middle.
Is not seen even by the buddhas.
The naturally present pristine cognition
Appears without abiding. [35]Purified of applied misconceptions.
That pristine cognition is not extraneous to the expanse.
As such, it makes connection through great spirituality.
Whereby it appears to the six classes of living beings
In all times and places without exception. [36]If the faithful ones enter in the ṇḍ of supreme bliss,
Where the two spouses (are present), or when
The five (coloured ṇḍ) has been formed.
They will be equal to their desired and agreeable (accomplishment).
The pristine cognition equal to one's fortune
Will draw near if it is cultivated.
And its most amazing (accomplishment)
Is certain to emerge.
But if those lacking faith spoil it.
They will be lost.�
—Such was his meaningful expression. [37]
This completes the ninth chapter of the Secret Nucleus Definitive with respect to the Real entitled the Secret Commitment of the Indestructible Array. [38]