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 9.20 (Commentary)
[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 9.20]
If the ascetic discipline of faith and perseverence is well understood.
The empowerments of beneficence are given,
And the empowerments of ability
Should be given sequentially,
And received with compassion.
Such that they are not unproductive. [20][Tibetan]
dad-brtson brtul-zhugs rab-rtog-nas /
phan-pa'i dbang-sbyin nus-pa'i dbang /
rim-pa-bzhin-du sbyin-par-bya /
snying-rjes chud-ma-zos-par gzung / [20]
Commentary:
[The actual empowerments connected with the degree of (the student’s) intelligence:]
If (na) (the student) is known to have the good fortune whereby the ascetic discipline of faith and perseverence (dad-pa-dang brtson-pa'i brtul-zhugs) is well understood (rab-rtogs), the ten empowerments of beneficence (phan-pa'i dbang) and (dang) the five empowerments of ability (nus-pa'i dbang) [should be given sequentially / rim-pa bzhin-du sbyin-par-bya] by the master; and these are received (gzung) and conferred on the student's mind with superior compassion (snying-rjes), such that they are not unproductive (chud ma-zos-par).
If one is without good fortune, (the empowerments) are not given, or else only the empowerments of beneficence are conferred. The empowerments of ability are not given because there would be a great defect.
This is also said in the following passage from the Tantra of the Supreme commitment: the Great Array of Pristine Cognition (ye-shes bkod-pa chen-po dam-tshig mchog-gi rgyud):
If empowerment has been given to a student
Who is an unworthy recipient,
Both (master and student) will be lost.
In this circumstance one would be obscured by the unending darkness of wrong view which is a vast dense forest of error, one would be disturbed by the brigandry of conflicting emotion, and the light rays of the sun which is the buddhas' spirituality would have no chance to enter into enlightened activity.
There are also some (among you) who say, "Other tantras mention the four empowerments and their fourteen subdivisions, but this tantra of yours (i.e. the Secret Nucleus) is not authentic because it has a disparate enumeration of fifteen derived from both the empowerments of beneficence and ability”. Alas! those of unfortunate disposition such as yourselves have not comprehended the classifications (of empowerment) and its meaningful sequence. Such intellects have not even been directed towards the intention of the different classes of tantra. For, the Yogatantras speak of three empowerments, namely, those of the vase, ascetic discipline, and the master of indestructible reality; the Purification of All Evil Destinies (T. 483) speaks of eleven empowerments, or nineteen when they are subdivided; the Summation of the Real (T. 479) and the Tantra of the Hidden Point of the Moon (T. 477) mention three empowerments, i.e. vase, secret, and discriminating pristine cognition. Even the Buddhasamāyoga (T. 366.7) would be an inauthentic tantra because it subsumes these in the two empowerments of the master and the student. Considering, however, that all these (tantras) are not flawed because their meanings are similar, how is there a defect in this (Tantra of the Secret Nucleus)? It too is similar in meaning. It is the root of all tantras, and all the methods of empowerment according to the other tantras are gathered within it.[1]
The empowerment of the vase, which is explicitly mentioned, is the water empowerment of Akṣobhya. Those of the crown, diadem, and flower are the empowerments of Ratnasambhava. Those of the seals, i.e. of vajra and bell, are the empowerments of Amitābha and Amoghasiddhi respectively.
And, during the empowerments of ability, there is the empowerment of Vairocana which begins with the verses (Ch. 10.3):][2]
You should engage in activity of indestructible reality.
All attributes such as ascetic discipline, prophetic declaration, and inspiration are revealed through the empowerments of ability, which include the empowerment of the king of indestructible reality (rdo-rje rgyal-po).[3]
The secret empowerment is explicitly revealed (here), while the empowerment of discriminating pristine cognition and the precious empowerment of word (and meaning) are implicitly indicated as its subdivisions.[4]
Inasmuch as this (tantra) conforms in its meaning to the classes of tantra, where is the defect in it? The tongues of those who scorn such a tradition would visibly (i.e. in this very life) protrude below the larynx, and at the time of their death a great apparition of fire would blaze forth. Who but you would experience such extraordinary indications of the descent into hell? You would deserve compassion for many aeons.[5]
[Empowerment in the Mandala of the Male Consort (3418.6-349.5)]
[The second part (of the empowerment into the supreme maṇḍala for those of highest acumen—see p. 812) is the empowerment in the maṇḍala of the male consort. (It comments on Ch. 9.21):]
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Footnotes and references:
[1]:
On these various categories of abhiṣeka. see NSTB, Book 1, Pt. 4 passim and T. Skorupski, Sarvadurgatipariśodhanatantra Ch. 2 pp. 47-48. For the specific category of fifteen in the Guhyagarbha, see above. pp. 795-804, and below. Ch. 10.
[2]:
in the outer three classes of tantra, the vase empowerment has five aspects—those of water, crown, vajra, bell and name, which correspond respectively to Akṣobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitābha, Amoghasiddhi, and Vairocana. Cf. F. Lessing & A. Wayman Mkhas Grub Rje's Fundamentals of the Buddhist Tantras. pp. 141ff. Here, according to Mahāyoga, the first four are subsumed in these empowerments of beneficence (phan-pa'i dbang) while the fifth is implied in the fifth empowerment of ability (nus-pa'i dbang). See above, PP. 797-781.
[3]:
The rdo-rje rgyal-po'i dbang-bskur is the highest of the empowerments of ability, in which all five clusters of deities (lha-'i tshom-bu lnga) are present. See above, pp. 800-801, and below. Ch. 10, pp. 876-877.
[4]:
On the higher or three profound empowerments (zab-pa dbang gsum). see above, pp. 801-804 and below, pp. 870-871; also NSTB, Book 1, Pt. 4, pp. 221a.ff.