Introduction 3.2.1: The preparatory ritual for the student鈥檚 entry

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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Introduction 3.2.1: The preparatory ritual for the student鈥檚 entry

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[Introduction (3): Empowerment and Its Result鈥�(B). The Entry and Empowerment of the Student (in the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补)鈥�(1): The preparatory ritual for the student鈥檚 entry]

Concerning the first of these, it says in the Sequence of Indestructible Activity (P. 4720, 74.2.6):

The entrance of the mighty lord into the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补,
His prayer for forbearance,
The ablution, covering, and scent.
The offering of the body, and expulsion of impediments.
The consecration (of the master) as the deity.
The granting of commitments, their appraisal,
And the bestowal of the water (of commitment),
The proclamation (concerning commitments).
The casting of one鈥檚 offering gems.
The descent of the deity, the earnest entreaty.
The opening of the eyes.
The excellent revelation of the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补,
And the provisions which are offered and presented鈥�
These are the eighteen aspects (of the entrance).

Thus, there is one factor associated with the entrance of the master, and seventeen associated with the entrance of the student. As to the former: The master of indestructible reality (惫补箩谤腻肠腻谤测补), clad in his red robe, stands at the eastern gate of the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补.

He holds a flower and recites the mantras (Ch. 7.10):

翱峁� VAJRA SAMAYA 翱峁�

Thereby, he visualises that the deities of the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 are indivisible from the Buddha-body, speech, mind, attributes and activities. Then, after reciting the verses (Ch. 7.11) which begin:

翱峁� King of pristine cognition...

He summons forth accomplishment with mantras such as:

翱峁� VAJRA SAMAYASTVA峁�

And visualises that he and the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 are present without differentiation. That is a somewhat brief explanation. When this entrance is elaborately made, (the master) enters in the manner of a student and receives the empowerment.

Then, when the students outside the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 have washed with scented water, their faces are covered with a red blindfold (mig-dar) made of cotton and so forth, and flowers are placed within their palms, folded together.

Inside (the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补), the master folds his hands together and utters the following words (Sequence of Indestructible Activity, 74.3.3):

I intentionally pray that my students
May be permitted to enter this 尘补峁囜笉补濒补鈥�
The palace or nucleus of all the 罢补迟丑腻驳补迟补蝉
Through which the pristine cognition
Of indestructible reality is obtained.

In this way, all the 罢补迟丑腻驳补迟补蝉 rejoice, and it is visualised that the students obtain permission to enter.

Then the master of ceremonies (办补谤尘腻肠腻谤测补) leads the disciples, their eyes covered with a blindfold, into the presence of the guru, through a door which is not adjacent to the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补, and where they make the following request to the guru (惭腻测腻箩腻濒腻产丑颈峁办补惫补艣测补办补, P. 4721, 78.4.6):

I bow before you, the central deity, Vajrasattva.
I desire the great path to liberation.
I seek refuge in this empowerment, its commitments.
Its 苍腻迟丑补 protectors, and its 惫墨谤补蝉 or warriors.
As I enter into the mansion of the greater vehicle.
Bestow the pristine cognition of excellent knowledge on me!

The Guru then asks:

Disciple, in what do you say you delight?

To which the students reply:

I delight in my good fortune.

The Guru then speaks (the following words from the 惭腻测腻箩腻濒腻产丑颈峁办补惫补艣测补办补, P. 4721, 78.4.7):

My child? Come hither!
Attend to the ritual conduct which is pleasant,
And grasp the indestructible Buddha-body, speech and mind.
In order to abide non-referentially
In the supreme bliss of prefect pristine cognition,
Practice liberality with a confident mind
Which has abandoned avarice.
And firmly grasp the mind itself.
I grant the perfect empowerment, of the Magical Net?

Then the master of ceremonies presses half of a vajra into their hands. The students grasp it and are led into the presence of the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 where they make obeisance, and offer their bodies with as the mantra:

翱峁� SARVABUDDHA P弄JOPASTH膧N膧YA 膧TM膧NA峁� NIRY膧TAY膧MI.

The guru then expels impediments with the crossed-vajra and so forth, while he visualises the five fingers of his (right and left) hands as the male and female consorts of the five enlightened families respectively, and makes a solemn declaration of truth. From the points of contact made by pressing the fingers together light-rays of 鈥渟eminal enlightened mind鈥� are emanated, which sever the obscurations of the disciples, causing them to melt Into light, and then to abide in the manner of mercury. Through the three kinds of (contemplative) ritual the students are equipped and protected for the visualisation of Vairocana.

Then, again, they make the following requests:^[1]

In the manner of the offerings made to the Buddhas
By the indestructible enlightened mind...

And the words which begin:

Glorious holder of the body of Indestructible reality...

Afterwards the guru, with the words 碍膧驰础 SIDDHI 翱峁� and so forth, inserts the three seed-syllables in their three centres, and these then are emanated and absorbed.

Uttering the words:

厂础搁痴础罢础罢贬膧骋础罢础碍膧驰础 SIDDHI 翱峁�

And so forth, be confers the commitments of Buddha-body, speech and mind.

He also presses a vajra to the hearts of the disciples and appraises them of the commitments with the following words (Sequence of Indestructible Activity. P. 4720, 74.4.1):

This secret of all the Buddhas
Should never be divulged
To those tainted by violation of commitments.
Do not scorn or despise me,
The one who reveals the greater vehicle.
Abide constantly in Buddha-body, speech and mind.
And act on behalf of sentient beings without exception.

Then, he pours out the water of commitment with the words (op. cit., 74.4.5):

This is water of hell for you.
If you transgres the commitments
It will burn.^[2]
Turning into a great wrathful deity of indestructible reality,
Drink this water of indestructible reality?
翱峁� VAJRA YAK峁 贬弄峁�.

Then again, he should bestow the offering-water with the words (op. cit., 74.4.4):

So it is, my son.
That you should guard the commitments.
If you guard the commitments, accomplishment will come.
Drink therefore this water
Which is nectar of indestructible reality?
翱峁� VAJRA UDAKA峁琀A岣� 贬弄峁�.

Then he proclaims his understanding of the commitments that are obtained with the words (op. cit., 74.4.5):

Through mind-as-such endowed
With skillful means and discriminative awareness
One should never harbour doubts.
But experience the five desired attributes.^[3]

Then the students cast their diadems or flowers (of offering), and these adhere to the particular deities (of the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补) with whom they are connected through (past) deeds.

At that time, they speak as follows:^[4]

May the garland of gems, flower, and so forth
Fall upon that deity whose pristine cognition
I performed ritual service for in past lives.
And whose intention is to receive me with spirituality.
翱峁� 笔搁础罢莫颁颁贬础 VAJRA HO岣�.

Then, picking up their flowers, they place them on the crown of the head and respectively invite on to the crowns of their heads the particular deities on whom their flowers have landed, saying:

EHYEHI.

The deities dissolve therein through the mantras JA岣� HU峁� VA峁� HO岣�, and a declaration of truth is made. Subsequently the students call their particular deities by name, making them sit in front of their hearts. Saying:

May I therefore achieve excellent accomplishment!

It is then visualised that the breast of each student is opened by the mantra 笔搁础痴贰艢础, and that the deity and student become indivisible through the mantra 膧VE艢A.

Then, corresponding to the enlightened family of the deity on whom one's flower has landed, one is given a secret name, such as Vajr膩ja (King of Indestructible Reality), and one should apply oneself to the meditation and recitation (of mantras) connected with that deity.

The covering over the face is then removed with the words:^[5]

Today, by dint of faith,
Behold the genuine 尘补峁囜笉补濒补.
Take birth in the enlightened family of Buddha-speech.
And resort to supreme accomplishment.
VAJRA 颁础碍峁岣� 笔搁础痴贰艢础 PHA峁�.

On opening the eyes the darkness of ignorance is removed, and one should have the volition to see the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 of pristine cognition. Then the symbolic meanings of the 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 are revealed in the words (op. cit., 74.5.2) which begin:

The light rays which dissolve all things
In the non-dual expanse are radiant.
Devoid of unity and all conceptual elaborations,
They form a circular 尘补峁囜笉补濒补, without conceptual elaboration.

And the real natures of the respective deities are revealed with the words (74.5.5):

Because everything is naturally pure.
The forty-two deities of the Magical Net
Constantly comprise all things in their divine nature.
Everything without exception forms the supreme 尘补峁囜笉补濒补.
One should know well this characteristic nature.

Then all offerings that one possesses are actually presented, or if one has none, they are promised and mentally offered.

The offerings are pledged with the following words:^[6]

HO岣� I pray intentionally
To the Identity of great pristine cognition
And its secret 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 which do not abide.^[7]
In the presence of such and such.
Who is a holder of indestructible reality.
And my guru or great mighty lord of yoga,
I have purified the buddha-mind in reality,
Subtlest of all the atoms of aeons and fields.
Thus I am present at this time as a master
Of the great secret 尘补峁囜笉补濒补. HO岣�!
When an empowerment such as this profound Magical Net,
Most uncommon of all transmitted precepts, is requested.
May I be the one to give it
With an Intention directed to sentient beings
Who possess the natural 尘补峁囜笉补濒补,
Even if they are unworthy recipients. HO岣�!
These offerings are merely an Indication
That payment for kindness is not forgotten.