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 5.11 (Commentary)
[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 5.11]
Whoever does not know the non-referential
Does not know the expanse of reality.
For this reason, one should know the non-referential
By destroying the substantial and the non-substantial. [11] ...[Tibetan]
gang-gis dmigs-med mi-shes-pa /
de-yis chos-kyi dbyings mi-shes /
de-phyir dngos-dang dngos-med-pa /
'jigs-pas dmigs-med shes-par-gyis / [11]
Commentary:
Whoever (gang-gis) as an individual does not know the (mi-shes-pa) nature of all things to be non-referential (dmigs-med) and signless, does not know (mi-shes) the abiding nature of the expanse of reality (de-yis chos-kyi dbyings), free from conceptual elaboration.
It says in the Sūtra Which Gathers All Intentions (T. 829):
Without seeing the Inconceivable,
The child who sets his intellect
On the unthinkable is foolish.
That one will turn to an activity field of darkness.
And in the Great Bounteousness of the Buddhas (T. 44):
Without knowing phenomena and their nature.
He does not know the expanse of reality.
For this reason (de-phyir) it is taught that one should know (shes-par-gyis) the non-referential (dmigs-med) reality, the nature of all things, by (-pas) analysing and destroying ('jig) deluded ideas which apprehend the subject-object dichotomy. For, when the dream-like and diverse substantial (dngos-dang) objects which appear to the mind are investigated and analysed, they do not exist, either externally or internally, and are similar to space; and (dang) when the non-substantial (dngos-med-pa) colourless consciousness which makes that realisation is analysed, the subject too is essenceless because it is not found anywhere, externally or internally. At this juncture there is no reference to anything apart from the mind and mental appearances.
The Introduction to the Conduct of a Bodhisattva (T. 3871) accordingly says:
When the substantial and non-substantial
Are not present before the intellect.
There are no extraneous forms.
Thus, one is quiescent in the non-referential.
[The detailed exegesis of non-dual pristine cognition (comments on Ch. 5.12):]
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