Text 3.20 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 3.20]

Phenomena are merely names which have been applied.
The teachers apply names and words
Corresponding to their meaning
And then give teaching.
But the names and words which are taught
Are without substantiality.
—So they said. [20]

[Tibetan]

chos-rnams ming-du btags-pa tsam /
ston-pas don-dang mthun-phyogs-su /
ming-dang tshig-tu btags-nas bstan /
ston min-tshig-la dngos-po med /
—ces brjod-do [20]

Commentary:

[Teaching that all things apart from their mere names, words and labels, are non-existent in the abiding nature]

All the teachings in which these five vehicles are established and the phenomena (chos-rnams) subsumed in apparitional existence, saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, which are the object to be established are actually non-existent. Thus, they are merely names which have been applied (ming-du btags-ba tsam).

There is a sūtra which says:^[1]

Subhūti, all things are mere symbols, mere labels. They are not absolute, according to the essential nature.

Who then applies these labels? The teachers (ston-pas) of the gods and human beings, i.e. the buddhas, invent them, corresponding (mthun-phyogs-su) provisionally to the meaning (don-dang) of relative truth with its mere unimpeded appearances. They apply names and words (ming-dang tshig-tu btags) such as saṃsāra, nirvāṇa, components, sensory bases and activity fields, and then a give teaching (-nas bstan). Their purpose is that the real abiding nature should be intellectually understood. In this way, names and words are applied, but at the very time at which they are taught (ston-pa'i). the names and words (ming-tshig-la) are without substantiality (dngos-po med).

One should know that although all things are given names and words by the intellect, they are themselves indivisible from space and therefore naturally non-existent as names and concepts.

The Sūtra of the King of Contemplation (T. 127) accordingly says:

Just as when children are born to some people
They are given different names.
But if one were to search for these (names)
Inside, outside, or everywhere,
They do not exist.
All things should be similarly known.

So (-ces) they meaningfully said (brjod-do) that all doctrines and phenomena are inexpressible.

[iii. A Synopsis of Saṃsāra and Nirvāṇa which are Self-Manifestations of Mind and Pristine Cognition (167.1-169.4):]

The third part (of this exegesis, see p. 493) is a synopsis of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa as self-manifestations of mind and pristine cognition. It includes a description of the cause of this self-manifestation and the actual way in which it occurs.

[The former (comments on Ch. 3.21):]

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Footnotes and references:

[1]:

N.L.