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...

Text 12.8 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 12.8]

Retention endowed with characteristics
Of awareness and entrance,
Is the basis and condition
Which brings the result to maturity.
Those who transform it into a potent force [8]

[Tibetan]

shes-'jug mtshan-nyid 'byor-pa'i gzugs /
'bras-bu smin-byed rgyu-dang rkyen /
nus mthu-can-du gang-gyur-pa / [8]

Commentary:

[Interlinear Commentary (430.6-435.4):]

This has three parts, namely: the causal basis through which the status of an awareness-holder is accomplished; the provisional results accomplished thereby; and the conclusive result of one who has reached the goal.

[i. The first has two sections, among which the former concerning the actual causal basis (comments on Ch. 12.8):]

The retention (gzungs) in the mind which is endowed with ('byor-ba'i) the abiding nature of excellent view concerning the characteristics of awareness (shes-pa'i mtshan-nyid) of the primordial Buddha-hood of all things by means of the four kinds of realisation, is the basis which brings the result to maturity ('bras-bu smin-byed rgyu) in the four kinds of awareness-holder.[1] And the retention which is endowed with the coalesence of the creation and perfection stages, characteristic of the entrance ('jug) Into attainment once that has become known, is the condition (dang-rkyen) which brings the result to maturity in the four kinds of awareness-holder; i.e. once the characteristics have been known, the result of the doctrine is acquired through attainment. Those who have experienced and become familiar with that basis and condition, and who transform them Into a (-du gang gyur-pa) particularly potent force (nus-mthu-can) will emerge as awareness-holders, from the status of maturation to that of spontaneous presence, just as a wholesome seed of causal basis when moistened by the water of condition, produces its results, which range from the shoots (of spring) to the fruits of autumn.

[The latter, concerning their subsequent modes of attainment, (comments on Ch. 12.9):]

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Footnotes and references:

[1]:

For further informatin on "retention" as the causal basis for the "path of liberation" (grol-lam) in Mahāyoga, see also NSTB, Book 1, Pt. 4, p. 158.

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