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 8.2 (Commentary)
[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 8.2]
Manifestly perfect through the Magical Net,
All things are (sealed by) the seal of supreme enlightenment.
This seal of the Secret Nucleus Definitive
With Respect to the Real is hard to transcend. [2] ...[Tibetan]
sgyu-'phrul dra-bas mngon-rdzogs-pa /
thams-cad byang-chub mchog-gi rgya /
gsang-ba de-nyid nges-pa-yi /
snying-po'i phyag-rgya 'da'-dka'o / [2]
Commentary:
[Detailed Exegesis of the Nature of the Mandala of Seals (277.2-294.5)]
The latter has three parts, namely: a general teaching on the maṇḍala of seals which forms the spontaneous ground; a detailed exegesis of the maṇḍala of seals through which the path is actually attained; and a synopsis of the maṇḍala of seals according to the resultant supreme pristine cognition.
[General Teaching on the Mandala of Seals Forming 'the Spontaneous Ground (277.3-278.2):]
[This (comments on Ch. 8.2):]
All things of phenomenal existence, saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, subsumed in the components, sensory bases and activity fields abide through (-bas) the essence of the Magical Net (sgyu-'phrul dra), where buddha-body and pristine cognition are without conjunction or disjunction. They are identified as that in which manifestly perfect (mngon-rdzogs-pa) Buddha-hood is primordially attained, in the manner of fire and the heat which is its natural expression. In this way, all things (thams-cad) are said to be primordially sealed by Samantabhadra, the seal of supreme enlightenment (byang-chub mchog-gi rgya). When their naturally pure abiding nature is sealed by this seal (phyag-rgya) of the nucleus (snying-po'i) of unchanging reality, i.e. the kingly Secret (gsang-ba) Nucleus Definitive With Respect To The Real (de-nyid nges-pa-yi),[1] it is said to be hard to transcend ('da'-dka'-o). This is because it does not transcend the natural Great Perfection of sameness, and because it does not extraneously deviate from that never changing disposition.
The Intermediate Mother (T. 9) accordingly says:
Subhūti, just as for example the sky neither increases when praised by anyone, nor decreases when disparaged by anyone, similarly this reality or real nature of all things neither increases nor decreases, whether the Tathāgatas come Into the world or whether they do not.
[Detailed Exegesis of the Mandala of Seals through which the Path is Attained (278.2-288.4):]
This is threefold: the causal basis for the emergence of the seals or hand-emblems; the general sea] which thence emerges; and the seals or hand-emblems of the different deities which emanate from it.
[The first (comments on Ch. 8.3):]
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