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 21.6 (Commentary)
[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 21.6]
HŪṂ! The great demons of all demons
Are those demons among demons who subdue demons
And also terrify their fearsome hosts.
These most terrifying (Herukas)
Are present in this great seminal point. HOḤ! [6][Tibetan]
HUṂ bdud-kun-gyi-ni bdud chen-po /
bdud-kyi bdung-de bdud-rnams 'joms /
'jigs-pa'i tshogs-kyang 'jigs-byed pa /
'jigs-byed chen-po thig-le che HOḤ / [6]
Commentary:
[The fifth aspect is a eulogy to all the maṇḍalas of enlightened activity. (It comments on Ch. 21.6):]
The great demons (bdud chen-po) are so-called because they subdue the power of (gyi-ni) all (kun) four kinds of demons (bdud) including the components.[1] They are those demons (bdud-de) who subdue ('joms) the demons (bdud-rnams) of deeds and conflicting emotions because the twofold obscurations and propensities which compound saṃsāra and are the mightiest among demons (bdud-kyi) are indeed tamed;[2] and also those who terrify their fearsome hosts ('jigs-pa'i tshogs-kyang 'digs byed-pa), such as Māra and Yama. These most terrifying ('jigs-byed chen-po) Herukas are present in this great seminal point (thig-le che) because they are naturally free from extremes of conceptual elaboration.
Alternatively (this passage might be interpreted) as follows: The great demons are those such as the Lord of Desire (dga'-rab dbang-phyug) among all the demons of the Paranirmitavaśavartin realm and so forth; and the demon superior to these demons is the proud spirit Rudra. The one who terrifies his fearsome host and their wives is the terrifying Great Glorious (Heruka) himself, and he is called the great seminal point because he is present in the essence without conceptual elaboration.[3]
[ii. The particular eulogy to the mighty lord of the maṇḍala (comments on Ch. 21.7):]
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Footnotes and references:
[1]:
On these "four kinds of demon" (bdud-bzhi), see above, foreword and title, note 12.
[2]:
On sgrib-gnyis, see above, foreword and title, note 13; and for an explanation of the way in which these compound saṃsāra, see NSTB, Book 1, Pt. 1, pp. 4b-7b.
[3]:
The latter explanation corresponds closely to the description of the subjugation of Rudra given in Ch. 15.