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 11.2 (Commentary)
[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 11.2]
The single basis and the manner of seed-syllables.
The blessing and the direct perception:
Through (these) four kinds of excellent realisation.
All things are the great king, manifestly perfect. [2][Tibetan]
rgyu gcig-pa-dang yi- 'bru'i tshul /
byin-gyis brlabs-dang mngon-sum-par /
rab-tu rtogs-pa rnam-bzhi-yis /
thams-cad mngon-rdzogs rgyal-po-che / [2]
Commentary:
[Exegesis of the Meaning of its Words (380.1-419.1):]
The second subdivision (of this chapter) comprises both the maṇḍala of the spontaneous ground which is to be known, and the maṇḍalas of skillful means and discriminative awareness according to the path which are to be experientially cultivated.
[Mandala of the Spontaneous Ground which is to be Known (380.1-384.1):]
[This (comments on Ch. 11.2):]
The single basis (rgyu gcig-pa) means that all things subsumed within apparitional existence, saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, emerge from the disposition of primordial emptiness.
It says in the Sūtra of King of contemplation (T. 127):
Just as when swirls of cloud Instantly appear
From a sky which has no trace of clouds.
And, having emerged, disintegrate,
So that there are no swirls of cloud.
One should examine whence they originate,
One should know all things in their entirety to be likewise.
All things have not only emerged at the outset from that disposition of emptiness. Indeed, the naturally uncreated essence abides from this very moment at which they appear, without a duality of appearance and emptiness, in the manner of the seedsyllables (dang yig-'bru'i tshul).
The Sūtra Requested By Devaputra (Devaputraparipṛcchāsūtra. T. 161) says:
All things abide in the manner of the naturally pure syllable A.
Now, appearances abide in the nature of the syllable OṂ, emptiness abides in the nature of the syllable ĀḤ, and their nonduality abides in the nature of the syllable HŪṂ. Therefore, things are empty while they appear, and appear while they are empty. There is no dichotomy between appearance and emptiness.
It says in the Root Stanzas Madhyamaka entitled Discriminative Awareness (T. 3824):
Creation, abiding, and similarly destruction.
Are said to resemble dreams.
Magical displays, and castles in the sky.
And:
For this reason, there is nothing but emptiness.
Just as the nature of fire is blessed with heat. all things naturally have the blessing (byin-gyis brlabs-dang) of Buddha-hood in the nature of the primordial maṇḍala; and they abides in a completely pure manner, without Impurity.
It says in the Secret Tantra (gsang-rgyud);
All things are pure.
Blessed in the primordial maṇḍala.
Now, the natures of the empty Buddha-body of reality, the apparitional buddha-body of perfect rapture, and the emanational body which is diversified in its appearance are such that all forms abide as the maṇḍala of buddha-body, all sounds abide as the maṇḍala of buddha-speech, and all reality abides as the maṇḍala of buddha-mind.
Furthermore, the natures which abide in that manner are not covert and they do not exist in an extraneous temporal dimension. Indeed, from this very moment of their appearance they are visible in direct perception (mngon-sum-par) as the essence through which external phenomena abide in the nature of the female consort, internal components in the nature of the male consort, and the aggregate of thought in the nature of the deity. From the very moment of their appearance, they reveal an intention which does not stray from the disposition of sameness.
It says accordingly in the All Accomplishing King (T. 828):[1]
Derived from enlightened mind, the basis of all.
The five great elements which are the substance of mind
Emerge as the five teachers or enlightened mind.
Their body is the Buddha-body of perfect rapture.
As for doctrines, they expound those
In accordance with their own essence.
As for teaching, their own nature is revealed.
These teachers, the buddha-body of perfect rapture,
Have an intention which does not conceive of itself.
And nor does it conceive of other phenomena either—
These five teachers of enlightened mind
Accordingly reveal all things to be reality.
In this way, the presence of the pristine cognitions is revealed by the five poisons, the five Buddha-bodies are revealed by the mind, and the five female consorts are revealed by the five elements. Clearer even than one's own face or its reflection, the Individual characteristics of all things actually are revealed as the reality of Buddha-hood: while their apparent reality is visible but is not (dualistically) recognised.[2]
The abiding nature of the genuine ground, which abides in that way, is consecrated by one's own merits and the spirituality of a genuine guru. Consequently, through these four kinds of excellent realisation (rab-tu rtogs-pa rnam-bzhi-yis) all things (thams-cad) are incontrovertibly realised to be the great king (rgyal-po-che) of primordial, manifestly perfect (mngon-rdzogs) enlightenment.[3] At that time, the abiding nature of most secret meaning is found because the things of phenomenal existence, saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, arise as the display of pristine cognition. in and common equilibrium (phyam-gcig). That is the explanation (of these verses) in terms of the real nature of the expanse.[4]
(When this passage is explained) according to the creation stage: all things are known through these four kinds of excellent realisation—The single basis refers to the three kinds of contemplation, the manner of seed syllables to the visual creation of the nucleus of the different deities, the blessing to the visual creation of the maṇḍala of the deities, and direct perception to spontaneously perfect meditation in that disposition.
Then, when combined with the perfection stage: the single basis refers to the unity of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa in the mind, the manner of the seed-syllables refers to realisation in the uncreated disposition, the blessing to the transformation of such meditative absorptions indivisibly into the essence of indestructible buddha-mind, and direct perception to realisation derived from meditating by means of the pristine cognition of one’s own particular awareness.
It says accordingly in the Sequence of the Path (p. 4736):
The view dependent on study and thought is concluded
By one who is assuredly confident.
Because, like a reflection on a clear ocean.
He does not engage the mind in verbalisation.
He is without objective referent
In the direct perception of his own awareness,
And is naturally radiant, and unswerving,
Without the threefold interaction.[5]
Then, (when the same verses are explained) according to the coalescence (of the two stages):[6] the single basis refers to the unity of creation and perfection, and of the two truths; their essence abides in the cloud-mass of syllables beyond eternalism and nihilism; from the naturally pure disposition of the expanse these (syllables) are blessed or consecrated to manifest in and of themselves as the creation and perfection (stages); and having realised this reality through awareness in a decisive and noncontradictory manner, one perseveres (to maintain it) by day and night.
It says accordingly in the Flash Splendour (T. 830):
According to the inner Yoga.
Realisation also is claimed to be of four kinds:
Through the single basis, the manner of seed-syllables.
The blessing and direct perception.
The meaning of the Great Perfection is introduced.
The basis refers to the two truths
Which, in an immediate manner.
Are characterised as a single (essence)
Because they are of a single (emptiness).[7]
In the maṇḍala of Buddha-body, speech and mind
All things are naturally realised.
From the blessing of the uncreated expanse.
All things are known to appear.
When such a nature is determined.
Without extraneous dependence or wavering.
Through the awareness of direct perception.
One has arrived at the level of Yoga.
According to passages such as these. It is Improper even to suggest that a single (interpretation) is alone valid, because the verses of indestructible reality (vajrapādas) are profound and may be applied in any context whatsoever.
[Mandalas of Skillful Means and Discriminative Awareness of the Path which are to be Experientially Cultivated (384.1-419.1):]
The latter (see p. 890) concerns the maṇḍalas of skillful means and discriminative awareness according to the path, which is experientially cultivated. It has three parts, namely: the maṇḍala in which all that appears is pristine cognition; the maṇḍala of the displayed feast offerings; and the branches of its means for attainment.
[Maṇḍala in which All that Appears is Pristine Cognition (384.2-402.1):]
The first comprises both a general teaching on the maṇḍala in which appearances and mind are indivisible, and a particular exegesis on the maṇḍala in which the paths of sexual union and "liberation" are indivisible.
The former (384.3-386.1) has three aspects, namely the maṇḍala of the male consort who is the apprehending subject, the maṇḍala of the female consort who is the apprehended object, and the maṇḍala of their indivisible display.
[i. The first of these (comments on Ch. 11.3):]
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Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
On the distinction between "reality" (chos-nyid) or "emptiness" (stong-pa-nyid) and "apparent reality" (chos-can) or "phenomenal appearances" (snang-ba). see above. Ch. 4, note 31.
[3]:
On these axioms of Mahāyoga, known as the "four kinds of excellent realisation," (viz. rgyu gcig-pa. yig-'bru'i tshul, byin-gyis brlabs, and mngon-sum-pa). see also above, pp. 116, 172, note 201; also H.V. Guenther, Matrix of Mystery, p. 13.
[4]:
The "real nature of the expanse" (de-bzhin-nyid) indicates the explanation according to the ground, in contrast to those of the path in its utpattikrama and sampannakrama aspects which follow.
[5]:
Tibetan gsum-bral indicates freedom from the dichotomy of subject, object and their interaction.
[6]:
The “coalescence of the two stages” (rim-gnyis-kyi zung-'jug) refers to rdzogs-pa chen-po, and is most commonly implied in the phrase bskyed-rdzogs gsum, where gsum refers either to the coalescence of the two stages or to the second stage of the perfection stage. See e.g.. NSTB, Book 2, Pt. 4, pp. 184b-185a.
[7]:
Tibetan gcig-pas gcig-pa'i mtshan-nyid-dang. The translation of this verse follows the interpretation of Dil-mgo mKhyen-brtse Rin-po-che.