Text 3.4 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 3.4]

... [the passing into nirvāṇa, and so forth,] [3] are endowed with the six great supernormal cognitive powers, namely, entire knowledge of the four times, entire knowledge of the continuum of the minds of all beings, entire perception of everything through the eye of miraculous ability, entire hearing through the ear of miraculous ability, performing acts of entire benefit through the provision of miraculous ability, and perfecting the conduct of Samantabhadra, entirely positive with respect to the uncorrupted. [4] ...

[Tibetan]

dus-bzhi kun-tu mkhyen-pa-dang / thams-cad-kyi sems-kyi rgyud kun-tu mkhyen-pa-dang / rdzu-'phrul-gyi spyan-gyis thams-cad kun-tu gzigs-pa-dang / rdzu-'phrul-gyi snyan-gyis kun-du gsan-pa-dang / rdzu-'phrul-gyi tshogs kun-tu don-spyod-pa-dang / zag-pa med-pas kun-tu bzang-po'i spyod-pa rdzogs-pa'i mngon-par shes-pa chen-po drug-dang [4]

Commentary:

[Instruction by direct perception]

The sages are endowed with the supernormal cognitive power of knowing past abodes, i.e. they have direct perception of all knowable things because of their entire (kun-tu) knowledge of (mkhyen-pa-dang) the four times (dus-bzhi), such as the past. Through mastery over the recollection of many lives, they instruct living beings. The four times are known in the manner of the forms (of past and future events) which appear on an oracular mirror.

Furthermore, they possess the supernormal cognitive power of knowing the minds of others. Essentially this is the entire (kun-tu) knowledge (mkhyen-pa-dang) at all times and in all circumstances, without differentiation, of the nature of all conflicting emotions and conceptual thoughts belonging to the respective minds of all beings (thams-cad-kyi sems) among the five or six classes of living beings who require to be trained. without exception. and also of the intention or continuum of (kyi-rgyud) pristine cognition, which is the perceptual knowledge of the buddhas.

They also grant instruction through the supernormal cognitive power of clairvoyance. i.e. the divine eyesight which is manifestly compounded. This is the entire perception of everything (thams-cad kun-tu gzigs-pa-dang) through the eye of (spyan-gyis) unobscured miraculous ability (rdzu-'phrul-gyi), or the perception of pristine cognition. its range encompasses the transference of consciousness at death. and the birth and emanation of living beings in both pure Buddha-fields and impure world-systems.

Then, they instruct sentient beings through the supernormal cognitive power of clairaudience. i.e. the entire hearing of (kun-tu gsan-pa-dang) every language in all world-systems. great and small, through the ear of miraculous ability (rdzu-'phrul-gyi snyan-gyis).

They Instruct through the supernormal cognitive power of miraculous ability, performing entire acts of benefit (kun-tu don spyod-pa-dang) in accordance with the volition of living beings through the provision of miraculous ability (rdzu-'phrul-gyi tshogs-kyis) which teaches each sentient being according to his or her needs.

And they instruct through the supernormal cognitive power of the cessation of corruption, naturally and wholly perfecting (rdzogs-pa'i) the conduct (spyod-pa) associated with the inexhaustible wheels of adornment. i.e. the Buddha-body, speech and mind of Samantabhadra. He is entirely positive (kun-tu bzang-po'i) and conclusive with respect to the uncorrupted (zag-pa med-pas) pristine cognition in which the twofold obscuration and propensities are without exception purified in the expanse.

In this way they Instruct through the buddha-mind, or the six great supernormal cognitive powers (mngon-par shes-pa chen-po drug), because through these six all knowable things are directly mastered.^[1]

[The third (instruction by miraculous abilities, comments on Ch. 3.5):]

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Footnotes and references:

[1]:

On the six supernormal cognitive powers (ṣadabhijña), see also below, p. 1016; and NSTB, glossary of enumerations. They are respectively lha'i mig-gi mngon-shes (divya-cakṣurabhijñā), lha'i rna-ba'i mngon-shes (divyaśrotirabhijñā), pha-rol-gyi sems shes-pa'i mngon-shes (paracittābhijñā), rdzu-'phrul-gyi bya-ba shes-pa'i mngon-shes(ṛddhyabhijñā), sngon-gyi gnas rjes dran-pa'i mngon-shes (pūrvanivāsānusmṛtyabhijñā), and zag-pa zad-pa'i mngon-shes (āśravakṣyābhijñā).