Text 2.6-11 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 2.6-11]

Emaho! This wondrous, marvelous reality
Is the secret of all the perfect Buddhas.
All is created through the uncreated.
At creation itself there is no creation. [6]
Emaho! This wondrous, marvellous reality
Is the secret of all the perfect Buddhas.
All ceases through the unceasing.
At cessation itself, there is no cessation. [7]
Emaho! This wondrous, marvellous reality
Is the secret of all the perfect Buddhas.
All abides through the non-abiding.
At abiding Itself, there is no abiding. [8]
Emaho! This wondrous, marvellous reality
Is the secret of all the perfect Buddhas.
All is referential through the non-referential.
At reference Itself, there is no reference. [9]
Emaho! This wondrous, marvellous reality
Is the secret of all the perfect Buddhas.
Phenomena come and go through an absence of coming and going.
At coming and going itself, there is no coming or going. [10]
—When they said this, all the Tathāgatas and all the assembled host of their queens too were filled with joy. [11] ...

[Tibetan]

e-ma-ho ngo-mtshar rmad-kyi chos / rdzogs-pa'i sangs-rgyas kun-gyi gsang / skye-ba med-las thams-cad skye / skyes-pa-nyid-na skye-ba-med / [6] e-ma-ho ngo-mtshar rmad-kyi chos / rdzogs-pa'i sangs-rgyas kun-gyi gsang / 'gag-pa med-las thams-cad 'gag / 'gag-pa-nyid-na 'gag-pa-med / [7] e-ma-ho ngo-mtshar rmad-kyi chos / rdzogs-pa'i sangs-rgyas kun-gyi gsang / gnas-pa med-las thams-cad gnas / gnas-pa-nyid-na gnas-pa-med / [8] e-ma-ho ngo-mtshar rmad-kyi chos / rdzogs-pa'i sangs-rgyas kun-gyi gsang / dmigs-pa med-las thams-cad dmigs / dmigs-pa-nyid-na dmigs-pa-med / [9] e-ma-ho ngo-mtshar rmad-kyi chos / rdzogs-pa'i sangs-rgyas kun-gyi gsang / 'gro-'ong med-las 'gro-dang 'ong / 'gro-'ong-nyid-na 'gro-'ong-med / [10] —ces brjod-pas / de-bzhin gshegs-pa thams-cad-dang / btsun-mo'i tshogs thams-cad-kyang mnyes-pas khyab-par gyur-to / [11]

Commentary:

[The discourse that they initiate]

Emaho! (e-ma-ho) is exclaimed because all things are primordlally beyond creation, cessation, and objects of conceptual elaboration; and the intellect which realises this is Indeed revealed as the nature of the five pristine cognitions.^[1] This reality (chos) which is the wondrous (ngo-mtshar) abiding nature of all things, more marvellous (rmad-kyi) than others, is the meaning of the profound secret (gsang) of all the perfect buddhas (rdzogs-pa'i sangs-rgyas kun-gyi). If you ask what is (this secret), it is that through (las) the disposition of the uncreated (skye-ba med-pa) original reality, all (thams-cad) things subsumed within appearance and emptiness, saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, appear to be created (skyes) as in a dream or magical display. But at (na) the moment when their creation (skyes-pa) itself (nyid) appears, actually there is no creation (skye-pa med). This is the essence or expanse of reality, and the Intellect which realises it is the pristine cognition of reality’s expanse.

The first two lines (of this stanza) are similarly combined with the four succeeding stanzas in the following manner: Through (las) the primordially unceasing ('gag-pa med-pa) reality in which diverse glows are reflected as on the surface of a mirror, all (thams-cad) that appears like reflected Images in the diverse apparitional reality ostensibly ceases ('gag). But at (na) the moment when their cessation Itself ('gag-pa-nyid) appears, there is no cessation ('gag-pa med). This is the mirror-like abiding nature, and the intellect which realises this is the mirror-like pristine cognition.

Through the (las) sky-like disposition in which all things are primordially non-abiding (gnas-pa med), all (thams-cad) the diverse things which appear in that manner do ostensibly abide (gnas). But at (na) the moment when abiding itself (gnas-nyid) appears, actually there is no abiding (gnas-pa med-pa). This is sameness; and the intellect which realises it is the pristine cognition of sameness.

Through the (las) disposition similar to the midst of space or a clear ocean, in which naturally pure mind-as-such is non-referential (dmigs-pa med-pa) and signless, all (thams-cad) that arises as diverse thoughts in the manner of clouds or reflected images la ostensibly referential (dmigs) in terms of refutation, proof and so forth. But at (na) the moment of reference itself (dmigs-pa-nyid), in terms of diverse thoughts, it is groundless and baseless; and in fact there is no reference (dmigs-pa med). This is the natural state, devoid of thoughts which apprehend signs, and a particular discerment. The Intellect which realises it is called the pristine cognition of particular discernment.

Through (las) an emanation-like disposition where there is originally an absence of coming and going ('gro-'ong med) with respect to all things. phenomena of appearance and awareness diversely appear to come and go ('gro-dang 'ong). But at (na) the moment when coming and going itself ('gro-'ong-nyid) appears, there is the intrinsic essence which abides and there is no coming or going ('gro-'ong med). This is the accomplishment of activity; and the Intellect which realises it is the pristine cognition of accomplishment.

There are some who claim that the meaning of these (stanzas) is connected with the pristine cognition of the four delights, but there is evidently no occasion to make this connection. This is a situation in which (not delight but) the abiding nature of all apparitional existence, saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, is revealed.^[2]

When they said this (-ces brjod-pas) concerning the primordially pure nature of all things, all the Tathāgatas (de-bzhin gshegs-pa thams-cad) who are male consorts (symbolising) appearance and all the assembled host of their queens (dang btsun-mo'i tshogs thams-cad) who are female consorts (symbolising) emptiness too (kyang) were filled with joy (mnyes-pas khyab-par gyur-to), primordially in sameness.

[How Spirituality is Aroused For The Sake Of Sentient Beings Who Have Not Realised This Reality (106.4-111.4)]

The second (see p. 442) concerns the manner in which spirituality is aroused for the sake of living beings who have not realised this reality. It has four sections, namely: a teaching on the object for which spirituality is induced—i.e. sentient beings’ lack of realisation; the bewilderment in saṃsāra which occurs through the egotistical apprehension of that unrealised nature; the truth devoid of bondage and liberation which is not bypassed from the very moment when this bewilderment appears; and a description of the diffusion of spirituality’s display in order that this reality might be revealed.

[i. The object for which spirituality is induced, i.e. sentient beings’ lack of realisation (106.6-107.5):]

The first comprises both a teaching on the cause which Induces spirituality and a teaching on the object for which it is thereby Induced. The former (comments on Ch. 2.12):

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Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

The following five stanzas indicate how the five pristine cognitions perceive their respective atemporal or primordial objects, viz. the atemporal nature of creation is perceived by the dharmadhātujñāna, the atemporal nature of cessation is perceived by the ādarśajñāna, the atemporal nature of abiding; is perceived by the samatājñāna, the atemporal nature of referential objects is perceived by the pratyavekṣanajñāna, and the atemporal nature of motion is perceived by the kṛtyupasthānajñāna, On these stanzas, see also H.V. Guenther, Matrix of Mystery. pp. 29ff.

[2]:

These stanzas have been related to the five aspects of “seminal enlightened mind” (sems-lnga), on which see above, p. 46, note 97, and Lo-chen Dharmaśrī, gsang-bdag dgongs-rgyan, pp. 106-109. The exegesis of the latter seeks to explain the five stanzas in terms of both the path of liberation (grol-lam) and the path of skillful means (thabs-lam) and it is in the context of the latter that the four delights are introduced. kLong-chen Rab-'byams-pa however, following the Atiyoga Interpretation, maintains that this is not a structure related to the path but to the self-manifesting ground.