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 6.9 (Commentary)
[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 6.9]
Their (body-colours) are blue, white, yellow.
Scarlet, green, and various combinations of these. [9] ...[Tibetan]
mthing-kha dkar-po ser le-brgan /
ljang-gu la-sogs sna-tshogs-pa'i / [9]
Commentary:
[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):]
There are twenty-five (deities) who have body-colours corresponding to those of the enlightened families, and seventeen who have diversified body-colours. As to the former: There are five deities, namely, the male & female consorts Vairocana, the male & female consorts Samantabhadra, and the sage of the antigods, who are blue (mthing-kha) in colour to illustrate the unchanging reality of the enlightened family of Buddha-mind. The male & female consorts Akṣobhya, the male & female consorts Kṣitigarbha, and the sage of the gods are white (dkar-po) in colour to illustrate that the enlightened family of buddha-body is unmarred by defects. The male & female consorts Ratnasambhava, the male & female consorts Akāśagarbha, and the sage of human beings are yellow (ser) to Illustrate the attributes of greatness belonging to the family of enlightened attributes. The male & female consorts Amitābha, the male & female consorts Avalokitesvara, and the sage of the tormented spirits are scarlet (le-brgan) or red in colour to illustrate that the enlightened family of buddha-speech is attracted through spirituality to living beings. The male & female consorts Amoghasiddhi. the male & female consorts Vajrapāṇi, and the sage of the animals are green (ljang-khu) in colour because the family of enlightened activity grants instruction through diverse actions.
The latter are (those deities) whose colours are various combinations of these (la-sogs sna-tshogs-pa'i) because they train living beings by means of many enlightened activities and attributes: The male & female consorts Maitreya are whitish-yellow. The male & female consorts Nivāraṇaviṣkambhin are reddish-yellow. The male & female consorts Samantabhadra are reddish-green. The male & female consorts Mañjughoṣa are whitish-green. The male & female consorts Yamāntaka are dark brown. The male & female consorts Mahābala are dark yellow. The male & female consorts Hayagrīva are dark red. The male & female consorts Amṛtakuṇḍalin are dark green; and the sage of the hells is smoke-coloured.
In this context. there are some who hold that the sage of the animals is either dark yellow or red, but they have not analysed the colour of the light within the energy centres (of the 30 body).
[v. The fifth aspect (of the maṇḍala of the supported deities) concerning their style (comments on Ch. 6.10):]
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