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...

Introduction 2: (Inconceivable Emanations)

[Secondly, there is the overview according to the uncommon vehicles (130.5-133.6):]

The Teacher Samantabhadra, without straying from the buddha-body of reality, manifests inconceivable emanations in the worlds of the ten directions from his disposition of spirituality, arising as the body of perfect rapture; and he trains the six classes or five types of living beings. In particular, in the world-system of Patient Endurance (Sahalokadhātu) he manifests the bodies of the Thousand Buddhas and so forth, who grant instruction according to the perception of those to be trained.

It is said in the Tantra of Sky-Like Pristine Cognition (ye-shes nam-mkha'-dang mnyam-pa'i rgyud):

Derived from Samantabhadra, the perfect rapture.
Are the countless emanations who grant instruction.
In particular, in the world of Patient Endurance,
He appears as the Thousand And Two Buddha-Bodies.

The last two are Mañjuśrī and Vajrapāṇi.[1]

According to this (passage), these manifestations arise naturally from the disposition of the buddha-body of reality.

It also says in the Supreme Continuum of the Greater Vehicle (T. 4042):

Through great spirituality, the knower of the world
Perceives all world-systems,
And without straying from the body of reality.
Through the diverse nature of his emanations.
He reveals these deeds to impure realms
For the duration of the world’s existence:
He is actually born (among the gods),
And he descends from the Tuṣita realm.
He enters the womb and takes birth.
Becomes proficient in the arts.
Enjoys the company of his queens.
Renounces the world, practises asceticism,
Reaches the Point of Enlightenment, Vanquishes Māra’s host.
Attains perfect enlightenment,
(And turns) the doctrinal wheel;
He then demonstrates (final) nirvāṇa.

And in the Great Bounteousness of the Buddhas (T. 44):

Just as immeasurable reflections appear
In a vessel of water when the moon shines
But the moon is without duality.
So the learned who lack desire
Attain Buddha-hood in desireless forms.
Manifesting in all fields.
The Buddhas are not dualistic appearances.
And nor are they a single entity.
The Buddha-body is neither two nor three.
In accordance with the aspiration of sentient beings
It manifests immeasurably.
The Buddha-body is not past.
Nor is the future the Buddha-body.
It manifests in an immediate manner.
The forms which assume this magical display
Are not created and will not come into being.
Thus the body of the Tathāgatas
Is above all revealed through the uncreated nature.

And in the Sublime Sūtra Which Penetrates The Range Of The Tathāgata’s Inconceivable Pristine cognition (t. 185):

The Buddha said, “Mañjuśrī, it is for example, just as at midnight the disk of the moon’s ascending node is known to be the lunar disk facing each of all the sentient beings in Jambudvīpa, but the lunar disk itself does not conceive or think why it should be facing those sentient beings in order for sentient beings to recognise it as the lunar disk. Indeed, Mañjuśrī, the lunar disk emerges as such spontaneously and without conception because it is endowed with distinct attributes. In the same way, Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata, Arhat, or completely perfect Buddha too is seen as the Tathāgata present before all beings within the immeasurable unequalled inconceivable unappraisable inexpressible saṃsāra. However, Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata does not conceive or think that he should be present before those sentient beings in order for sentient beings to know that the Tathāgata is present before them. Indeed, the Tathāgata is present just as he is seen by sentient beings. Mañjuśrī, when there is someone to be trained by perceiving the Tathāgata’s body to be golden in colour, the body of the Tathāgata does appear golden in colour. Likewise, when there is someone to be trained (by perceiving) his body to be beryl, sapphire, corundum or red pearl in colour, he becomes present in these very colours. And similarly, when there is someone to be trained by the guardians of the world, Śakra, Brahmā, Īśvara, antigods, humans, animals, the denizens of hell, or the mundane Yama beings, he becomes present in these very forms, and teaches the doctrine.”

Through these topics the overview is completed.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The standard enumeration of the Thousand Buddhas associated with this Sahalokadhātu is given in the Bhadrakalpikasūtra. In the tradition of rdzogs-pa chen-po, two additional emanations are included. See kLong-chen Rab-'byams-pa, theg-mchog mdzod. p. 24. Elsewhere, these are stated either to be Vajrapāṇi and Mañjuśrī (phyogs-bcu mun-sel. p. 131) or Lha-'i bu nyi-ma rab-tu snans-ba and dsa;'-byed dbang-phyus (sgra-thal-'gyur and dPa'-bo chos-'byung. p. 200).

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