Text 5.10 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 5.10]

Substantial things in reality are not substantial.
Contemplation is the mastery of that realisation. [10] ...

[Tibetan]

dngos-rnams nyid-na dngos-med-par /
rtogs-pa'i dbang-sgyur ting-'dzin yin / [10]

Commentary:

While all things of phenomenal existence, saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, appear to be substantial (dngos), illustrated by the appearance of the cloud-mass of syllables during the creation stage, the reality (nyid) of these things (rnams) is naturally uncreated. This nature, in (na) which things are not substantial (dngos-med-par). is known to refer to the primordially pure perfection stage. Once the emanation and absorption (of the maṇḍala) has been refined from the disposition of the creation stage, which appears but is not recognised (to exist inherently), and without attachment to true existence, there follows the contemplation (ting-'dzin) of the wheel of syllables. This is (yin) one which entails repeated training in contemplation or realisation (rtogs-pa'i) of the emanation & absorption of syllables corresponding to a specific ritual; and the display or mastery (dbang-sgyur) of that in awareness.^[1]

The second (the detailed exegesis of the nature of contemplation; 216.4-222.5) comprises both the contemplation which is a meditation on discriminative awareness, the buddha-body of reality or emptiness, and the contemplation which is a meditation on skillful means, the buddha-body of form or appearance.

The former (216.4-218.6) Includes a general teaching of instruction on the non-referential truth and a detailed exegesis of the non-dual pristine cognition.

[i. This (comments on Ch. 5.11):]

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Footnotes and references:

[1]:

These aspects of contemplation based respectively on skillful means (thabs) and discriminative awareness (shes-rab) are discussed in the following pages of this chapter from the standpoint of the ground. in terms of the path, see below, Chs. 11-13.