Text 16.1 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 16.1]

Then the transcendent lord, the Great Joyous One, in order that these great assemblies of the maṇḍala might be accomplished by commitment, brought forth these following maṇḍalas of Buddha-speech from the awesome pristine cognition which is the indestructible body, speech and mind of those assemblies of wrathful Tathāgatas, the great Blood Drinkers, along with their queens. [1] ...

[Tibetan]

de-nas bcom-ldan-'das dgyes-pa chen-pos dkyil-'khor-gyi tshogs chen-po 'di-dag dam-tshig-gis grub-par bya-ba'i phyir / de-bzhin gshegs-pa khro-bo khrag-'thung chen-po btsun-mo-dang bcas-pa'i tshogs de-dag-gi sku-dang gsung-dang / thugs rdo-rje ye-shes rngam-pa-las gsung-gi dkyil-'khor 'di-dag phyung-ngo / [1]

Commentary:

[Interlinear Commentary on the Mantras of Buddha-Speech (537-3-543.1)]

The interlinear commentary has three parts, namely: a brief teaching on the emergence of the secret mantras; a detailed exegesis of the nature in which they emerge; and a synopsis or conclusion concerning their extraordinary signs.

[The first (comments on Ch. 16.1):]

Once the natural maṇḍala had been arrayed, then (de-nas) the transcendent lord (bcom-ldan-'das), the Great Joyous One (dgyes-pa chen-pos), in order that (phyir) these ('di-dag) great assemblies of the maṇḍala (dkyil-'khor-gyi tshogs-chen-po) of wrathful deities revealed above night be accomplished by (-gis grub-par bya-ba'i) Yogins, and inasmuch as they are natural expressions of the Buddha-speech of great commitment (dam-tshig), visualised that the so-called wrathful Tathāgatas (de-bzhin-gshegs-pa khro-bo) of the self-manifesting array became compounded by the extraneous perception of Bodhisattvas and so forth, indicating that they are not dissimilar to the indestructible expanse of peaceful deities of the Buddha-body of perfect rapture. He brought forth (phyung-ngo) of his own accord these following ('di-dag) groups of mantras or maṇḍalas of Buddha-speech (gsung-gi dkyil-'khor) from the awesome (rngam-pa-las) roar of naturally present pristine cognition (ye-shes), i.e. the self-arisen natural sound of mantra equal to a thousand claps of thunder, which is the identity of the indestructible body, speech and mind (sku-dang gsung-dang thugs-rdo-rje) of those (de-dag-gi) respective assemblies (tshogs) of wrathful deities, the great Blood Drinkers (khrag-'thung chen-po) along with their (dang-bcas-pa'i) respective queens (btsun-mo).

The second part (the detailed exegesis) has five subdivisions, comprising the mantras which respectively: create the deities; invite the beings of pristine cognition; visualise them for the sake of accomplishment; scatter the flowers of awareness; and offer torma-cakes for the sake of enlightened activity.

[i. This group of mantras is also fivefold, and its first section comprises the mantras which create the male and female central deities. (It comments on Ch. 16.2):]

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