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 11.17 (Commentary)
[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 11.17]
One should meditate on the form
Of the deities of the five clusters.
Arrayed five in union with five.
And on the ten wrathful male deities.
And the ten wrathful female deities.
In the manner of a circle. [17][Tibetan]
lnga-dang lnga-yi sbyor-ba-yis /
tshom-bu lnga-yi lha-bkod-la /
khro-bo bcu-dang khro-mo bcu /
'khor-lo'i tshul-du rnam-par bsgom / [17]
Commentary:
[The second part (of the interlinear commentary concerning the ṇḍ of the displayed feast-offerings) is the detailed exegesis of the nature of the (feast-offerings) according to different kinds of ṇḍ.]
It has two sections, namely, the nature of the supporting ṇḍ and the sequence of attainment which accords with it.
[i. The former comprises both the ṇḍ of the peaceful deities and the ṇḍ of wrathful deities. The first is threefold, namely, the ṇḍs of five clusters, three clusters and a single cluster (of deities).]
[Amons them, the first (comments on Ch. 11.17):]
One should meditate on the form (rnam-par-bsgom) of the deities of the five dusters (tshom-bu lnga-yi lha), which are derived from the [conquerors of the] five (lnga-dang) enlightened families in indivisible union (sbyor-ba-yis) with the five (lnga-yi) female consorts or objective fields of the five enlightened families. These are arrayed (bkod) fifty in number, i.e., the ten male and female consorts forming five basic (or central pairs) of male and female consorts, and the ten in each of the other four (peripheral) enlightened families. And also (one should meditate) on (la) the ten wrathful male deities (khro-bo bcu) such as Hūṃkara and the ten wrathful female deities (dang khro-mo bcu) such as Vajranāditā (rdo-rje sgra 'byin-ma), who are situated outside those (deities) on the ten radial points of a protective circle, hollow inside, i.e., in the eight cardinal directions along with the zenith and nadir. They are in the manner of a circle ('khor-lo'i tshul-du) which protects (the ṇḍ) from obstacles.[1]
Now, in the middle there are the male and female central deities (Vairocana) who are natural expressions of Samantabhadra, and around them are Sattvavajra, Ratnavajra, Dharmavajra, and Karmavajra with their four respective female consorts Sthiravajrā, Jvalavajrā, Valivajrā, and Kṣobhyavajrā; making ten male and female consorts altogether.
In the east are the male and female consorts ṣoⲹ, and around them are Vajrasattva, ղᲹ, ղ岵, and ղ with their four respective female consorts , ٳū, ṅkś, and ղ.
In the south are the male and female consorts Ratnasambhava, and around them are the four (male consorts) Vajraratna, ղūⲹ, Vajradhvaja, and ղś, with their respective female consorts , ʳṣp, ś, and Vajrasukhī.
In the west are the male and female consorts , and around them are the four (male consorts) Vajradharma, ղīṣṇ, Vajracakra, and Vajravāk with their respective female consorts ī, Ālokā, ṭ�, and Vajradyuticitrā (rdo-rje gsal-bkra-ma).
In the north are the male and female consorts Amoghasiddhi, and around them are the four (male consorts) Vajrakarma, Vajrarakṣita, ղⲹṣa, and ղṣṭ, with their respective female consorts Nartī, ҲԻ, ṅkī, and Vajrapraveśā.
Outside these fifty (deities) there are the ten wrathful male deities with their consorts, so that the five clusters altogether comprise seventy deities.[2]
In general it is held that the clusters represent the central deities and retinues when the form of the celestial palace with its gates, tiered pediments and so forth is absent, whereas the ṇḍ proper does include the celestial palace. However in this (tradition), it indicates that these deities are present as an encircling cluster.
[Secondly there is the ṇḍ of the three clusters (which comments on Ch. 11.18):]
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Footnotes and references:
[1]:
The deities of the five clusters (tshom-bu lnga'i lha-tshogs) correspond to those appearing in the fifth empowerment of ability, the rdo-rje rgyal-po'i dbang. See above. Ch. 9. pp. 800-801; also below, 942-943
[2]:
For the enumeration of khro-bo bcu, see Ch. 9. note 11; and on the khro-mo bcu including Vajranāditā, see the ղīⲹū-ٲԳٰ첹ṇḍ. P. 78. Vol. 3. pp. 154.4.8-155-3-8.