Text 15.4 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 15.4]

... [In consequence,] [3] one is cast down by the harsh seeds of existence, and then one is born in the hottest of hells, which is unceasing. One is afflicted there by the excruciating sufferings of Intense heat, and at the very moment when one thinks, "Would that I might experience intense cold rather than this?", one is thoroughly numbed and utterly afflicted by severe pains which split (one's body) in the manner of a lotus flower. Such sufferings endured in the eight (hells) beginning with the hottest, and in the eight (hells) beginning with the coldest are connected with the world-systems and are experienced for twelve thousand great aeons. [4] ...

[Tibetan]

srid-pa'i sa-bon rtsub-mos 'phangs-nas / mtshams-med-pa'i rab-tu tsha-ba'i dmyal-bar skyes-so / de rab-tu tsha-ba'i sdug-bsngal drag-pos gdungs-pa-dang / 'di-bas shin-tu grang-yang ci ma-rung snyam-pa'i mod-la / rab-tu sbrebs-pa-dang / padma-ltar gas-pa'i sdug-bsngal drag-po dag-gis rab-tu gdungs-pa de-lta-bu'i sdug-bsngal rab-tu tsha-ba la-sogs-pa brgyad-dang / shin-tu grang-ba la-sogs-pa brgyad-po-dag-tu / 'jig-rten-gyi khams brgyud-cing bskal-pa chen-po stong-phrag bcu-gnyis-su nyams-ngo / [4]

Commentary:

[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):]

Deeds such as murder which are motivated by past hatred, deeds connected with pride and jealousy, malice directed towards one's guru and associates (mched-grogs), verbal abuse, wrong view and other such flaws which violate the commitments are the harsh seeds of existence (srid-pa'i sa-bon rtsub). By (-mos) these basest of non-virtues one is cast down ('phangs) without interval into indestructible hell, and then (nas) one is instantly transformed and born (skyes-so) in (-bar) Avīci, the hottest of hells which is unceasing (mtshams-med-pa'i rab-tu tsha-ba'i dmyal). Therein suffering is experienced for many aeons. One is afflicted by the excruciating sufferings of intense heat (da rab-tu tsha-ba'i sdug-bsngal drag-pos gdungs-pa) there in the hells, and (dang) (the consequences of) one's deeds are to some extent diminished. When one is almost released from that, one sees the conditions of the cold hells, and at the very moment when one thinks, "Would that I might (yang ci ma-rung snyam-pa'i mod-la) be born and experience the suffering in those regions of Intense cold rather than this! ('di-bas shin-tu grang), one is indeed born therein. One is thoroughly numbed (rab-tu sbrebs-pa) and frozen by snow, blizzards and so forth, and (dang) utterly (rab-tu) afflicted (gdungs-pa) over many aeons by (-gis) severe pains pains (sdug-bsngal drag-po-dag) which recur, are hard to endure, and which split (gas-pa'i) one's body into four parts, eight parts and so forth in the Banner of a lotus flower (padma-ltar). Such sufferings (de lta-bu'i sdug-bsngal) are endured alternately in the unbearable hells in their respective pairs, i.e. in the eight beginning with the hottest (rab-tu tsha-ba la-sogs-pa brgyad), namely (Avīci, Pratāpana), Tapana, Mahāraurava, Raurava, Saṃghāta, Kālasūtra, and Saṃjīva; and (dang) in the eight (brgyad-po dag-tu) beginning with (la-sogs-pa) Mahāpadma the coldest (shin-tu grang-ba), namely, Padma, Utpala, Huhuva, Hahava, Aṭaṭa, Nirarbuda, and Arbuda.^[1]

It says in the Sūtra Which Establishes Recollection (T. 287):

Those who have accumulated unremitting deeds
Are born in the Avīci Hell,
And roasted for a long time by the fires of hell.
Then they are born in Mahāpadma,
And similarly in Arbuda.
Their respective sufferings are thoroughly experienced.

According to the ordinary vehicles, (these sufferings) are revealed to exceed the number of years after which one is released from the hells at (the end of) an aeon and so forth.^[2] If, when beings are born in these hells, the destruction of their particular world-system should occur, they are connected with (brgyud) other world-systems ('jig-rten-gyi khams), and (cing) should destruction also occur there, they are born elsewhere to endure the eight pairs of hot and cold hell. These sufferings of heat and cold are experienced (myang-ngo) for (su) a duration of twelve thousand treat aeons (bskal-pa chen-po stong-phrag bcu-gnyis).

Concerning the term "great aeon”, it is explained that in a great aeon there are eighty aeons, twenty for each of the processes of creation, duration, destruction, and dissolution which occur in a single world-system.^[3]

It says in the Treasury of the Abhidharma (T. 4089):

Thus this created world-system
Endures for twenty aeons.
While its creation, destruction
And quiescent dissolution equal its duration.
These eighty (aeons) comprise a "great aeon".

While this creation and destruction of the external containing-world and the hells (postulated) according to the pious attendants has no true (inherent) existence,^[4] in the perception of its sentient beings, however, when one is born therein it does appear that the world-system is created and destroyed, and it appears like a dream that one is born in the different hell realms of other world-systems, which emerge from the propensities and full force of bewilderment.

[The latter section concerns birth among the tormented spirits. (It comments on Ch. 15.5):]

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Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The root-text, p. 1064 (Ch. 15, section 4) clearly indicates that these hot and cold hells are experienced in pairs, Avici with Mahāpadma, and so forth.

[2]:

Cf. the duration of these hot and cold hells, as enumerated in Sgam.po.pa, The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, pp. 58-62.

[3]:

For a general view of the Buddhist concept of cosmic aeons, see R. Kloetzli, Buddhist Cosmology, pp. 73-76.

[4]:

I.e. in the view of adherents of Madhyamaka among the causal vehicles and in the view of the resultant vehicles. Cf. NSTB. Book 1, Pt. 3.