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 6.8 (Commentary)
[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 6.8]
With vajra, wheel, gemstone, Lotus, sword, and blazing bell.
Symbols such as the night lotus, the orange tree, and so on.
And delightful implements, beauteously held. [8] ...[Tibetan]
rdo-rje 'khor-lo rin-po-che /
padma ral-gri dril-bu 'bar /
ut-pal klu-shing la-sogs mtshan /
mdzes-tshul mnyes-pa'i yo-byad 'dzin / [8]
Commentary:
[iii. The third aspect (of the maṇḍala of the supported deity) concerns the symbolic hand-implements which they hold. (It comments on Chapter 6.8):]
Vairocana. the buddha-mind. to symbolise that emptiness and compassion are without duality, holds the vajra (rdo-rje) in his first or basic right hand. Akṣobhya similarly holds the wheel ('khor-lo) to symbolise that he has cut through the net of conflicting emotions and turns the doctrinal wheel.[1] Ratnasambhava holds the genstone (rin-po-che) to symbolise that he fulfils the hopes of living beings and is spontaneously accomplished in enlightened attributes. Amitābha holds the lotus (padma) to symbolise that he has purified desire in the expanse and that his intention is directed with discernment towards living beings, and Amoghasiddhi holds the sword (ral-gri) to symbolise that he has cut through the conflicting emotions of living beings by means of the four kinds of enlightened activity, All of these (conquerors) hold the bell (dril-bu) in their basic or first left hand, in such a way that it embraces the female consort and presses her towards the heart. Their other (two pairs of hands) hold the hand-implements which have previously been indicated.[2]
The female consorts correspond to the male consorts in (the implements which they hold in) the right hand, and in the left hand also they hold the bell (dril-bu), blazing ('bar) forth the light of pristine cognition’s gems, and embracing their respective male consorts. There are some who maintain that there are no symbolic implements in the right hand of the female consort, but that is not discerned in the great means for attainment (mahāsādhana).
The symbolic hand-implements of the central deity (Vairocana) are also described as follows in the Mirror of Indestructible Reality (T. 833):
The vajra, the wheel and the blazing sword.
The bell, the lotus and the gemstone—
That is the sequence of Vajradhara’s (implements).
(The hands) in which the others rest
Are known in relation to the vajra,
Which (is held) at the heart in the first (right hand)
While the (first) left hand embraces (the consort).
Accordingly. (Vairocana’s) basic pair of hands embrace the female consort with the vajra and bell, his middle pair of hands hold the wheel and the lotus, while his outer pair hold the sword and the gemstone. The implements of the four other (conquerors) such 25 as Akṣobhya should be similarly known.
Now, in general those symbolic hand-implements which have been sequentially described are of four types: those which are held with the right hand extended, those which are held with the left hand extended, those which are held with both hands equally extended. and those which are held with the surrounding hands extended.[3] This description generally accords with the (afore-mentioned) sequence of (implements, beginning with) the basic pair of hands.
Now. the male consorts have three faces and six hands, while their female consorts have one face and two hands. Some say that during ritual service (the male consort) has one face and two hands. but that is an inappropriate observation, clearly not taught in this tantra (of the Secret Nucleus).[4]
Concerning the symbolic hand-implements of the spiritual warriors, our text (Ch. 6.8) speaks of:
Symbols (mtshan) such as the night-lotus, the orange tree, and so on (la-sogs-pa).
Thus. Mañjuśrī holds the night-lotus (utpala) because he has renounced conflicting emotions. Maitreya holds the orange tree (klu-shing) because he has dispelled the fever of conflicting emotions. Kṣitigarbha holds a sprouting gemstone because he has brought forth the sprout of pristine cognition. Vajrapāṇi holds the vajra because he has subjugated suffering. Ākāśagarbha holds the sword because he has cut off the continuity of conflicting emotions. Avalokiteśvara holds the lotus because he is untainted by defective flaws. Nivāraṇaviṣkambhin holds the wheel of gemstone because he teaches the doctrine to sentient beings, and Samantabhadra holds the corn-ear of gemstones because he fulfils the hopes of sentient beings.
And, as for their female consorts, there are delightful (mnyes-pa'i) implements (yo-byad) beauteously (mdzes-tshul) held ('dzin) by them: Vajralāsyā rests her clenched indestructible fists on her hips or holds a mirror, because she reveals all forms to be the essence of the real. Mālyā holds a garland of gems because she indicates that skillful means and discriminative awareness are not separated. Gītā holds a lute because she plays aloud the melody of the doctrine. Nartī holds a vajra and rings a bell in her (left) hand which moves up and down because she delights those to be trained. Dhūpā holds a censer because her scent of moral discipline satisfies (living beings), Puṣpā holds a basket of flowers because she indicates the branches of enlightenment. Ālokā holds a butter-lamp because she dispels the darkness of ignorance; and Gandhā holds a doctrinal conch of scented water because she washes the stains of propensities.
As for the six sages: Śatakratu holds a lute because he teaches the four affirmations of doctrine[5] to the gods. Vemacitra bears armour because he disciplines the antigods through fighting and disputation. Śakyamuni holds a begging bowl and a staff because he teaches the ten virtues to human beings. Sthirasiṃha holds a book because he liberates the knot of foolishness and dumbness in animals. Jvālamukha holds a chest of gems because he dispels the hunger and thirst of tormented spirits. And the ox-headed Yama (a-va glang-mgo) holds fire and water because he discloses the misfortunes of the denizens of hell.
The male & female Samantabhadra hold no symbolic hand-implements because they illustrate that the expanse and the buddha-body of reality are free from conceptual elaboration. There are some who claim that they hold the vajra and the lotus, but they have not understood the pure nature of these deities.
As for the four male gatekeepers: Yamantaka holds a skull-topped cudgel because he subjugates the demon who is lord of death. Mahābala holds a vajra because he subjugates the demon of the components. Hayagrīva holds a skull and snakes because he subjugates the demon of conflicting emotions; and Amṛtakuṇḍalin holds a crossed-vajra because he subjugates the demon of the divine prince (of egotism). Their four female consorts respectively hold an iron hook, a lasso, an iron chain, and a bell in order to Illustrate the four attractive qualities of a Bodhisattva and the four immeasurables.[6]
[iv. The fourth aspect (of the maṇḍala of the supported deities) concerns the body-colours in which they appear. (It comments on Ch. 6.9):]
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Footnotes and references:
[1]:
The order of the hand-implements here would appear to agree with Lo-chen Dharmaśrī, gsang-bdag dgongs-rgyan. p. 185. who suggests that Akṣobhya should be at the centre since he holds the vajra, and Vairocana in the east since he holds the wheel. kLong-chen-pa himself agrees with this symbolism in Ch. 1, p. 397. in Ch. 8, however, as in the present context, he asserts that Vairocana, as the central figure, holds the vajra, while Akṣobhya in the east holds the wheel. He tries to resolve this problem, below, p. 650, by indicating that Vairocana holds the wheel as a secondary implement.
[2]:
The “four kinds of enlightened activity” (phrin-las bzhi) are identical to the four rites (las-bzhi), on which see below, pp. 783-786, 1258-1264. On the diverse hand-implements, see also above Ch. 1, p. 414, where the sword emblem of Amoghasiddhi is replaced by the crossed-vajra, and below, p. 650.
[3]:
"those held with the right hand extended" (Tibetan gYas-'gyed), "those held with the left hand extended" (gYon-'gyed), "those held with both hands equally extended" (mnyam-'gyed), and "those held with the surrounding hands extended" ('khor-'gyed).
[4]:
The author asserts that even in the preliminary step of ritual service (sevā), on which see above, p. 176. note 218, the fully mature form with three faces and six beads is visualised. The distinction between the simplified/causal and multiarmed/ resultant herukas is illustrated by an incident in the life of Zur-po-che (NSTB, Book, 2, Pt. 5, pp. 304-339), when sculptors are commissioned to make such Images.
[5]:
[6]:
The four attractive qualities of a bodhisattva (bsdu-ba'i dngos-po bzhi) are liberality (sbyin-pa, Sanskrit dāna), affectionate speech (snyan-par smra-ba, Sanskrit priyavacana), purposeful activity (don-spyod-pa. Sanskrit arthacaryā). and agreement in purpose (don mthun-pa. Sanskrit samānavihāra). On the four immeasurables, see above. Ch. 1, pp. 378-381.
Other Tibetan Buddhism Concepts:
Discover the significance of concepts within the article: ‘Text 6.8 (Commentary)’. Further sources in the context of Tibetan Buddhism might help you critically compare this page with similair documents:
Vajra, Yamantaka, Hayagriva, Guhyagarbhatantra.
Concepts being referred within the main category of Buddhism context and sources.
Sword, Four immeasurables, Pure nature.