Text 3.24 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 3.24]

... Through these words, the Tathāgata himself knew that the teachings spoken by countless emanations of the six sages and by all the Tathāgatas are also gathered in these (verses). This completes the third chapter from the Secret Nucleus Definitive With Respect To The Real, which establishes all dharmas. [24]

[Tibetan]

—zhes-brjod-pas / thub-pa drug-gi sprul-pa grangs-med-pa-dang / de-bzhin gshegs-pa thams-cad-kyis gsungs-pa yang de-dag-tu 'dus-par de-bzhin gshegs-pa-nyid-kyis mkhyen-to / gsang-ba'i snying-po de-kho-na-nyid nges-pa-las chos thams-cad gtan-la phab-pa'i le'u-ste gsum-pa'o / [24]

Commentary:

[iii. Synopsis of the Chapter (169-4-170.1)]

[The third part (see p. 492) is a synopsis or conclusion of this chapter (which comments on Ch. 3.24):]

Through these words (zhes brjod-pas), the central deity. the original Tathāgata himself (de-bzhin gshegs-pa nyid-kyis), knew that (mkhyen-to) the teachings given in many vehicles by countless emanations of the six sages (thub-pa drug-gi sprul-pa srangs-med-pa), who appear or emanate from this great spirituality, and the teachings spoken by all the Tathāgatas (dang de-bzhin gshegs-pa thams-cad-kyis gsung-ba) of the selfmanifesting array, are also (yang) gathered in these (de-dag-du 'dus-par) verses, which reveal the inexpressible nature, the self-manifestation of mind and pristine cognition.

This completes (-'o) the exegesis of the third chapter (le'u ste gsum-pa) from (las) the natural Secret Nucleus (gsang-ba'i snying-po) Definitive With Respect To The (nges-pa) inexpressible Real (de-kho-na-nyid). which establishes (gtan-la phab-pa) all dharmas (chos thams-cad) of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa to appear, but to be the originally pure reality, essentially without independent existence.

The second section (of the actual exegesis of this tantra), indicating how the maṇḍalas of both the peaceful and wrathful deities emanate from that (natural maṇḍala of the ground—see p. 331) has two parts: a teaching on the spontaneously present maṇḍala of peaceful deities (Chs. 4-14), and an exegesis of the maṇḍala in which the wrathful deities emerge (Chs. 15-21).

The former has three aspects, namely: the creation of the maṇḍala of the ground and the granting of empowerment (Chs. 4-10); a teaching on the creation and perfection stages of the path (Chs. 11-13); and a eulogy to the resultant nature of buddha-body and pristine cognition (Ch. 14).

The first of these aspects includes both a general teaching on the nature of the three maṇḍalas (of speech, body, and mind; Chs. 4-9) and a particular exegesis of the skillful means through which empowerment is granted (Ch. 10).

The former (concerning the three maṇḍalas) is threefold: it reveals the maṇḍala of the cloud-mass of syllables which is the causal basis (Chs. 4-5). it reveals the maṇḍala of contemplation which emerges therefrom (Chs. 6-8), and it reveals the maṇḍala of images which are the radiance thereof (Ch. 9).

The first of these sections also comprises both the maṇḍala-array of the cloud-mass of syllables (Ch. 4) and the sequence of attainment which accords with it (Ch. 5).