Text 15.3 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 15.3]

... Through conceptions which are deluded with respect to self-hood and manifest attachment to the imaginary, beings are separated from the genuine path. Without understanding the hidden secrets, one becomes manifestly attached to the concealed secrets, and then one is deluded with respect to causes and results. In consequence, [3] ...

[Tibetan]

bdag-tu rmongs-pa'i rtog-pa-dang / brtags-pa-la mngon-par zhen-pas / yang-dag-pa'i lam-dang bral-ba-dag / gab-pa'i gsang-ba ma-rtogs-par sbas-pa'i gsang-ba-la mngon-par 'chel-nas/ rgyu-dang 'bras-bu-la rmongs-pas / [3]

Commentary:

[The former (the causal basis, comments on Ch. 15.3):]

Through the apprehension of a self and its possessions, the conceptions (rtog-pa) of one's own mind which are deluded (rmongs-pa'i) with respect to selfhood (bdag-tu) of the individual grasp the coemergent ignorance and are attached to the self; and (dang), without knowing that all things are merely symbols similar to reflected images and that they are just given imaginary (brtags-pa) status by the Intellect, there arises a manifest attachment to (la-mngon-par zhen) the true independent existence of each thing.^[1]

Through (-pas) this ignorance of the imaginary, objects are possessively grasped. in this way, one wanders in saṃsāra and the causal basis of existence is activated. Beings (dag) who are afflicted in saṃsāra by suffering are separated from (dang-bral-ka) the profound discriminative awareness, the genuine path (yarg-dag-pa'i lam) of disillusionment with saṃsāra. This is the causal basis of all compounded existence.

In addition, without understanding (ma-rtogs-par) the hidden (gab-pa'i) nature or natural secrets (gsang-ba) contained in the tantras and transmissions of profound meaning which are hard to understand, one becomes manifestly attached (mngon-par 'chel) to (la) willful misconduct concerning the concealed secrets (sbas-pa'i gsang-ba) such as the skillful means of rites of sexual union and "liberation". And then (nas), acting in that way, one is deluded with respect to (la-rmongs) one's dependence on inevitable results derived from the relationship between virtuous and sinful causes and (rgyu-dang) pleasant and unpleasant results ('bras-bu). In consequence (-pas), those who practice the profound secrets literally and enter into erroneous paths resemble Thar-pa Nag-po, who was the causal basis for the (subsequent) emergence of Rudra.^[2]

Accordingly it says in the Buddhasamāyoga (T. 366-7):

Among the Tathāgatas' scriptures
Given by the eternal Great Identity
When he formerly emerged in the past
Are those concerning the nature of the living beings
Who formerly emerged.
At that time all sentient beings
Persevered in wrong views.
And through extremely wrong views
They fell into great Avīci Hell.

The latter, the result into which (that cause) is matured has two parts, namely, the mature result which is the experience of suffering, and the associated result which is the harming of others.

[i. This has two sections, among which the former concerns birth in the hells. (It comments on Ch. 15.4):]

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Footnotes and references:

[1]:

On the three modes of ignorance, viz. "the ignorance of belief in individual selfhood" (bdag-nyid gcig-pu'i ma-rig-pa), "the coemergent ignorance" (lhan-cig skyes-pa'i ma-rig-pa), and "the ignorance of the imaginary" (kun-tu brtags-pa'i ma-rig-pa), which are said to give rise to saṃsāra, see NSTB, Book 1, Pt. 1, pp. 4b-7b.

[2]:

See above, notes 8-9.