Text 6.21 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 6.21]

As the supreme level of skillful means and discriminative awareness
It is inconceivably supreme in such ways. [21] ...

[Tibetan]

thabs-dang shes-rab sa-yi mchog /
de-la-sogs-pa bsam-yas mchog / [21]

Commentary:

[The second aspect is (the detailed exegesis) concerning the perfection of the levels (which comments on Ch. 6.21):]

The level of the buddha-body of reality, the Great Cyclical Mass of Syllables (yi-ge 'khor-lo tshogs-chen) is supreme among the levels (sa-yi mchog). In it there are present without duality the Universal Light, i.e. the level of skillful means (thabs) or the emanational body and (dang) Lotus Endowed. i.e. the level of discriminative awareness (shes-rab) or the self-manifesting pure buddha-body of perfect rapture. in such ways (de la-sogs-pa) the enumeration of the levels and their enlightened attributes are immeasurable, inconceivably supreme (bsam-yas mchog) and entirely perfect.

Now, in this context, there are some ignorant of the essence of the levels who hold the level of Universal Light to refer to the buddha-body of reality, the Lotus Endowed to refer to the buddha-body of perfect rapture, and the Great Cyclical Mass of Syllables to refer to the emanational body. But that is a misunderstanding of the profundity, which does not see that these are named merely after a hierarchical series of enlightened attributes. It is explained that Universal Light is so named because emanations are universally immeasurable; Lotus Endowed is so named because apparitions are immeasurable; and Great Cyclical Mass is so named because pristine cognition is immeasurable. The latter is also called the Great Cyclical Mass of Syllables because, in the uncreated expanse. it abides as the emanational basis, naturally present and unimpeded in the manner of seed-syllables. It is not that there is a cloud-mass of syllables but that the non-dual buddha-body of reality is present. There are others who have confused this term "cycle of syllables" with the cloud-mass of syllables, which is the nature of emanation.^[1]

In connection with this argument, it is said in the Lasso of Skillful Means (T. 835):

Transcending the level of Universal Light,
When one reaches the Lotus Endowed...

Is this not, one might ask, setting a hierarchical distinction with regard to the meaning of the levels? It has been explained however that they are identical in their true meaning, and simply named according to a hierarchical distinction of enlightened attributes and appearances which arise.^[2]

[The third aspect is a synopsis of the spontaneous presence of the five Buddha-bodies (which comments on Ch. 6.22):]

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Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Here and in bis tshangs-dbyangs 'brug-sgra. p. 65, the author holds that the yi-ge 'khor-lo'i tshogs-chen-gyi sa does not refer to the actual emanation of the syllables, but to their causal basis, or dharmakāya. On these resultant levels, see also below, pp. 967-969.

[2]:

See below, pp. 675-676, 967-969, for a clearer explanation of this point.