Text 4.11 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 4.11]

Emerging in the ten directions and four times.
The body, speech and mind of the Being of Pristine Cognition,
Which comprise forty-five maṇḍalas.
Are perfected in the syllables from the initial one to KṢA. [11] ...

[Tibetan]

phyogs-bcu dus-bzhir gshegs-pa-yi /
ye-shes sems-dpa'i sku-gsung-thugs/
dkyil-'khor bzhi-bcu-rtsa-lnga-nyid /
yi-ge mgo-nas kṣa-lha rdzogs / [11]

Commentary:

[v. The fifth (comments on Ch. 4.11):]

As for the teaching on the perfection of the forty-five maṇḍalas: Emerging (gshegs-pa'i) for the sake of living beings of the past, future and present in the ten directions and four times (phyogs-bcu dus-bzhir), the maṇḍala of the body (sku) of the being of pristine cognition (ye-shes sems-dpa'i) of all the buddhas, naturally present and secret, comprises the body-aspect of buddha-body, the speech-aspect of buddha-body, and the mind-aspect of buddha-body. Each of these aspects also has five subdivisions when two further subdivisions of enlightened attributes and activities are added (to those of body, speech and mind); making fifteen subdivisions (of the body-maṇḍala) in all. Similarly, his speech and mind (gsung-thugs) each have their fifteen subdivisions. These comprise (nyid) the forty-five maṇḍalas (dkyil-'khor bzhi-bcu rtsa-lnga) of the five enlightened families, which are perfected (rdzogs) in the syllables (yi-ge) from the initial one (mgo-nas) A to KṢA (KṢA-la). the final one. However many subdivisions there are of the maṇḍala of the enlightened family, they are complete and gathered in the wheel of the syllables itself. This is the basis of all maṇḍalas.^[1]

In this respect, there are some who in their explanations of the forty-five syllables have not even partially seen this exposition that the enlightened family of the maṇḍala is gathered in the wheel of syllables.^[2]

[vi. The sixth (see p. 566) verbally defines the appearance of mind-as-such as the syllables.]

It has three parts, namely: a teaching on the meaning of the uncreated syllable or mind-as-such; the spontaneous presence of enlightened attributes through their appearance as syllables from the disposition of that uncreated nature; and the written representations and arrays of those syllables in which appearance and emptiness are without duality.

[The first (comments on Ch. 4.12):]

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Footnotes and references:

[1]:

On the manifold clusters of deities who emerge from the basic series, see below, pp. 797-801, 935-944. As the basis of the maṇḍala of deities. It is also known as the jñānasattva.

[2]:

Again, kLong-chen Rab-'byams-pa emphasises the resultant aspect of the wheel of syllables—its appearance as the fully mature maṇḍala of deities or of buddha-body, speech, mind, attributes, and activities.