Text 6.22 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 6.22]

The Buddha-body of the svāstika, without birth or death,
The one that abides in the field of all conflicting emotions.
The one that becomes an inexhaustible treasure,
The awareness-holding Buddha-body of indestructible reality.
The Buddha-body of sameness indivisible in all respects.
And the Buddha-body of pristine cognition which knows all things—
At this time all five Buddha-bodies are indeed perfect. [22] ...

[Tibetan]

skye-shi med-pa'i gYung-drung sku /
nyon-mongs kun-gyi zhing-du gnas /
zad mi-shes-pa'i gter-du 'gyur /
rdo-rje rig-pa 'dzin-pa'i sku /
thams-cad dbyer-med mnyam-pa'i sku /
thams-cad mkhyen-pa'i ye-shes-sku /
de-tshe sku-lnga kun-kyang rdzogs / [22]

Commentary:

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

When these levels have been obtained, the five Buddha-bodies are also spontaneously obtained. Thus there is first of all the buddha-body of reality free from extremes of conceptual elaboration. It is the unchanging absolute, the spontaneously present and perpetual buddha-body (sku) of the svāstika (gYung-drung),^[1] the reality without birth or death (skye-shi med-pa'i).

From its disposition the blessing arises as the buddha-body of perfect rapture, and thence the emanational body naturally emerges. He is the one which abides (gnas) and performs acts of benefit in the field (zhing-du) of training, on behalf of all (kun-gyi) sentient beings endowed with conflicting emotions (nyon-mongs), satisfying each according to his or her needs. The buddha-body of perfect rapture itself, the basis from which the emanational body arises, is the one which becomes ('gyur) a treasure (gter-du) of all raptures of the spontaneous Bounteous Array, inexhaustible (zad mi-shes-pa'i) in its provisions of enlightened attributes. The nature in which these three buddha-bodies are without conjunction or disjunction is the buddha-body (sku) of unchanging Indestructible reality (rdo-rje). holding ('dzin-pa'i) the non-dual indestructible reality and the great pristine cognition of awareness (rig-pa). Lastly, there is the buddha-body of awakening which has two aspects. The former refers to the buddha-body (sku) of (-pa'i) awakening in sameness (mnyam). Indivisible (dbyer-med) in respect of all (thams-cad) things, in primordial Great Perfection, and to the pristine cognition which qualitatively knows (the view); while the latter refers to the buddha-body (sku) of awakening and the pristine cognition (ye-shes) which quantitatively and distinctly knows (mkhyen-pa'i) all things (thams-cad).^[2]

These are also the buddha-bodies associated with the five enlightened families and the five pristine cognitions: The body of the svāstika is the buddha-body associated with the enlightened family of the Tathāgata, and the pristine cognition of reality's expanse. The buddha-body of perfect rapture with its inexhaustible reality and the awareness-holding buddha-body of indestructible reality are the buddha-bodies associated with the enlightened family of indestructible reality and the mirror-like pristine cognition. The buddha-body of sameness where all things are indivisible is the buddha-body associated with the enlightened family of precious gems and the pristine cognition of sameness. The body of pristine cognition which knows all things is the buddha-body associated with the enlightened family of the lotus and the pristine cognition of discernment. And the emanational body or the one which abides in the field of all conflicting emotions is the buddha-body associated with the enlightened family of activity and the pristine cognition of 53 accomplishment.

At this time (de-tshe) when the levels are obtained, all five buddha-bodies are indeed (sku-lnga kun-kyang) perfectly (rdzogs) obtained.

This classification of resultant levels, buddha-bodies, and pristine cognitions has no temporal sequence. The levels are so named because they are the support for enlightened attributes; the buddha-bodies are so named because one is transformed into the body of the buddhas; the pristine cognitions are so called because they abide in naturally present awareness; and the enlightened activities are so called because they benefit living beings. Although these are differently named their essence is identical, just as something is called an object because it is created from causes and conditions, impermanent because it is perishable, and a "vase" because it pours water, while these names have one essential point of reference.

[The fourth part (of the interlinear commentary on the resultant maṇḍala) is the appearance of wondrous omens (which comments on Ch. 6.23):]

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Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The svāstika is employed to symbolise the eternal or unchanging nature of the dharmakāya.

[2]:

On the rNying-ma interpretation of five or six Buddha-bodies, see also NSTB, Book 1, Pt. 2, pp. 60a-63a.