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 5.2 (Commentary)
[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 5.2]
Mind-as-such without basis
Is the basis of all things.
Mind-as-such is the nature of the syllables.
The syllables are a cloud-mass of wish-fulfilling gems. [2] ...[Tibetan]
rtsa-ba med-pa'i sems-nyid-ni /
chos-rnams kun-gyi rtsa-ba yin /
sems-nyid yi-ge'i rang-bzhin-te /
yi-ge yid-bzhin rin-chen sprin / [2]
Commentary:
It is said in the Supreme Continuum of the Greater Vehicle (T. 4024):
Earth indeed abides in water,
Water in air, and air in space.
Space does not abide in anything.
Similarly, the components and activity fields
Abide in deeds and conflicting emotions.
Deeds and conflicting emotions always abide
In inappropriate mental scrutiny.
Inappropriate mental scrutiny indeed abides
In the purity of mind.
But the nature of mind does not itself abide
In any of these things.
Accordingly, all things depend on mind, and mind depends on naturally pure inner radiance. Therefore, mind-as-such (sems-nyid), a space-like nature which is without (med-pa'i) ground or any basis (rtsa-ba), is the basis (rtsa-ba yin) of all (kun-gyi) diverse things (chos-rnams) of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, pure and impure.
The Dohās (T. 2273) accordingly say:
Mind-as-such alone is the seed of all.
From which existence and nirvāṇa emanate.
Obeisance to mind which is like a wish-fulfilling gem,
Granting the desired result.
Just as fire and water emerge under different conditions from a single lump of crystal, the unique mind-as-such appears as saṃsāra and nirvāṇa through the action or inaction of the subject-object dichotomy, and through ignorance and awareness respectively. But actually there is no dichotomy. The primordial-ly pure mind-as-such (sems-nyid) therefore primordially arises in the nature of the syllables (yi-ge'i rang-bzhin-te) of inner radiance, and its appearance is without Independent existence. If mind-as-such, comprising the syllables (yi-ge) which appear in this way, is realised, the two kinds of benefit are possessed, manifestly causing a cascade of adornments to fall. Even when unrealised, it is primordially present as the ground from which all that is desired emerges. Therefore (the syllables) are a cloud-mass (sprin) of wish-fulfilling (yid-bzhin) precious gems (rin-chen).
[The second subdivision (comments on Ch. 5.3):]
[Read next page]