Text 4.2 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 4.2]

ĀḤ The steadfast white syllable A
Emanates tiny syllables A
Which radiate and fill the ten directions.
It (re-)absorbs them, and yet remains constant.
Without increase or decrease.
From it, the nominal clusters (of consonants)
All then radiate and blaze forth.
They are emanated and reabsorbed in the same way. [2] ...

[Tibetan]

A: rab-tu brtan-gyur a-dkar-las /
shin-tu phra-ba'i a rnams-spro /
phyogs-bcu gang-bar gsal-gyur-nas /
bsdus-kyang 'phel-'grib med-par bstan /
de-las ming-tshogs gsal-'bar kun /
spro-zhing bsdu-ba'ang de-bzhin-no / [2]

Commentary:

[The Meditation On The Syllables (177.2-179.5)]

This Includes both the actual meditation and a teaching on its beneficial attributes. The former has three parts, namely the meditation of the creation stage, the meditation of the perfection stage, and the meditation of the rites and feast-offerings which are applied in this context.

i. The first of these:

From the disposition of one who has gone for refuse, cultivated the enlightened mind, and reflected on emptiness, the syllable AH (A) emerges steadfast (rab-tu brtan) and unwavering on a lotus and moon cushion. in this natural expression, the immaculate white syllable A (A dkar-po) is clear and resplendent. It emanates (-las spro) countless tiny syllables A (shin-tu phra-ba'i A-rnams), white in colour and the size of a hundreth part of a mustard seed, which radiate (gsal-gyur-nas) the form of the syllable A throughout phenomenal existence with their light-rays, and completely fill (gang-bar) all world-systems of the ten directions (phyogs-bcu). It (re-)absorbs (bsdus) all of them, causing them to vanish in the original syllable A itself; and yet (kyang), this syllable A Itself is instantly equipoised in a disposition that remains constant (brtan), without (med-par) Increase ('phel) or decrease ('grib) in relation to the past. From that (de-las) original syllable A, the thirty-four nominal clusters or consonants (ming-tshogs) beginning with KA, and the vowels or vocalic syllables all then (kun) radiate (gsal) in their syllabic forms, (illuminating) all the sentient beings with light which diffuses in the ten directions; and they blaze forth ('bar) in a single mass of light-rays. Thereafter, they are reabsorbed and vanish into the syllable A; and then, issuing forth again, they are emanated (spro) and reabsorbed (-zhing bsdu-ba'ang) as before, in the same way (de-bzhin-no). Then, once again on sun and moon cushions at the centre of a lotus flower, the seed-syllables from A to KṢA are sequentially arrayed and visually created as the deities. This is the cloud-mass of syllables which forms the causal basis of the creation stage.^[1]

ii. The second, (meditation on the perfection stage, comments on same verses as follows:

The deity is radiantly visualised, and, on a lotus and mooncushion in its heart-centre, there is the steadfast white syllable A. It emanates countless syllables A which fill all world-systems of the ten directions. After transforming all sentient beings into the form of the syllables, the syllable A of the heart-centre reabsorbs them, causing them to vanish into itself, while it remains equipoised in a disposition without increase or decrease. From that A, the surrounding syllables and nominal clusters or consonants are then emanated and reabsorbed in the same way, so that one becomes equipoised in the disposition of reality, where saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are without duality, without increase or decrease. This is the cloud-mass of syllables according to the perfection stage.^[2]

iii. The third, (meditation on the rites and feast-offerings which are applied in this context, comments on the same verses as follows):

During the rites of pacification, enrichment, subjugation and wrath, the syllable A and the nominal clusters or consonants emanate (respectively) in the colours white, yellow, red and dark-blue. Disease and elemental spirits are pacified. The lifespan and merit are enriched. Objects of attainment are summoned and subjugated. Venomous spirits are eradicated. Then (the syllables) are finally equipoised in a disposition without Increase or decrease, as is (explained) in detail in Chapter Five. That is the cloud-mass of syllables through which the rites and feast-offerings are attained.^[3]

[The latter section (of the meditation on the syllables discloses the beneficial attributes of this (meditation). It comments on Ch. 4.3):]

[Read next page]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Sanskrit utpattikrama. The deities corresponding to these seedsyllables are enumerated below, pp. 587-592.

[2]:

Sanskrit sampannakrama.

[3]:

On these four rites, see below, pp. 783-786, 1258-1264; and on the feast offerings (gaṇacakra). Chs. 11-12.