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...

Text 4.5 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 4.5]

... By the emergence of these (syllables), the infinite ten directions of the six world-systems vibrated in six ways, further vibrated, and absolutely vibrated, whereafter all things became mere nominal characteristics. Ho! [5] ...

[Tibetan]

'di-dag phyung-bas / 'jig-rten drug-gi phyogs-bcu mtha'-yas-pa / rnam-pa drug-tu gYos / rab-tu gYos / kun-tu gYos-nas / chos thams-cad ming-gi mtshan-nyid-tsam-du gyur-to / hoH / [5]

Commentary:

[ii. The latter, concerning the wondrous extraordinary omens which appear, (comments on Ch. 4.5)]

By the emergence (phyung-bas) of these ('di-dag) syllables from the buddha-body, speech and mind, a great apparitional cloud-mass of syllables vibrated (gYos) slightly throughout all the infinite ten directions of the six world-systems ('jig-rten drug-gi phyogs-bcu mtha'-yas-pa). This occurs in (tu) six ways (rnam-pa drug) of transformation, namely, when the eastern side (of the syllables) is ascendant the western side is low, when the western side is ascendent the eastern side is low, when the southern side is ascendent the northern side is low, when the northern side is ascendant the southern side is low, when their extremes are ascendent their centre is low, and when the centre is ascendent the extremes are low.

Thereby, all appearances were purified in the nature of a reflected image. Then they further vibrated (rab-tu gYos) with moderate strength, so that all emptiness became radiant as the nature of pristine cognition; and then they absolutely vibrated (kun-tu gYos) in a most intense manner, whereafter (nas) all things (chos thams-cad) of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa became mere nominal characteristics (ming-gi mtshan-nyid tsam-du gyur-to) in the disposition of the non-dual natural Great Perfection, without existing independently in any respect. Because the tathāgata himself supremely rejoiced in these (signs), the exclamation Ho! was uttered to Indicate the establishing of (all things) in the disposition of sameness.

[Exegesis of the Nature of the Syllables (182.3-189.1):]

Thirdly (see p. 558), there is the enunciation of the nature of the syllables. It has six sections, namely: a description of the causal basis for the enunciation of the syllables: a teaching that the wheel of the uncreated syllable is the body of reality because all intentions of the buddhas are gathered therein: a teaching that the manifestly perfect syllables are the body of perfect rapture because the forty-two syllables are gathered in the nature of that syllable A; a teaching that the syllables are themselves the emanational body because they are the source of everything. arising as a diverse display; a teaching on the perfect nature of the forty-five maṇḍalas because the intention of the conquerors is gathered in these (syllables): and an exegesis of the sound and meaning of the syllable, through which mind-as-such is without duality of appearance and emptiness.

[i. The first, (the description of the causal basis for the enunciation of the syllables, comments on Ch. 4.6):]

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