Text 22.7 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 22.7]

Those (retainers of this Tantra)
Are prophesied to become genuine beings—
Sons born from Buddha-mind
Who will abide on the excellent level
Of the awareness-holders. [7]

[Tibetan]

de-ni nges-par lung-bstan-te /
sras-ni thugs-las skyes-pa yin /
sa-rab rig-pa 'dzin-la gnas / [7]

Commentary:

[Next, the prophetic declarations concerning the genuine persons who uphold this Secret Nucleus, (comments on Ch. 22.7):]

Those (de-ni) individuals who retain and teach this tantra are prophesied (lung-bstan-te) to become the absolutely genuine (nges-par) beings of awareness who will teach it to others, and to attain Buddha-hood without impediment in a single lifetime, liberating themselves.^[1]

As our text says (Ch. 22.5):

The one who divulges it becomes me.
And the empowerments too are perfected.

And in the Indestructible Reality (NGB. Vol. 15):

Whoever practises this doctrinal tradition
Will attain perfect Buddha-hood in this lifetime.

And in the Mirror of Indestructible Reality (T. 833):

In order to reveal the meaning
Of intrinsic awareness or pristine cognition,
The self-manifesting awareness is actualised.
Even without the power or ability
To contemplate spontaneous presence
As a supreme awareness-holder.
The spiritual warrior who refines the (Bodhisattva) levels
Without deviating, will obtain a prophetic declaration
That he or she will become a being of awareness
With the same perceptual range as the Sugatas themselves.^[2]

Such individuals are the genuine sons (sras-ni) of all the Buddhas, because they are born from (las-skyes-ca yin) this amazing secret nature of Buddha-mind (thugs), just as for example the eldest son of a universal monarch is born as his regent. Provisionally, those individuals enter into the levels, they abide on the levels, and they become mature in the levels; and then conclusively they will turn to the supreme excellent level (sa-rab) of the result, which is called Holder of Indestructible Reality (rdo-rje 'dzin-pa). They will abide on (-la gnas) that conclusive (level), which is also called the "level of supreme skillful means and discriminative awareness”, and the "level of the awareness-holders" (rig-pa-'dzin).^[3]

The words "The one who divulges it becomes me" indicate that from the very present moment the teacher who expounds the tantra abides on the level of the awareness-holders because that one is said to be Samantabhadra himself. Although the enlightened attributes of those individuals appear not to be entirely perfect, they are in fact perfect because they have attained Buddha-hood primordially in the maṇḍala of the buddhas. For example, just as when a pauper perseveres to extract a treasure of gemstones, located underground or in a house, he lives during that period as a pauper because the (object of his) enjoyment is not visible. However, when he has actually possessed that great treasure, he is endowed with riches. Similarly, it should be explained that the excellent level of the awareness-holders abides within oneself, and that by striving to actualise it and entering therein, one is said to abide on the excellent level of the awareness-holders. The great Tantrapiṭakas do not explain by one-sided eternalist or extremist dogmas that only one specific enumeration (of the result) is definitive. The verses of indestructible reality are profound and may be applied in any context whatsoever.^[4]

[The summary of the chapter (comments on Ch. 22.8):]

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Footnotes and references:

[1]:

See above. Ch. 12, pp. 959-976 on the meaning of Vidyādhara; and on the use of the term rig-pa'i skyes-bu as an epithet for the six sages, see NSTB, Book 2, Pt. 1, pp. 1618.

[2]:

Expositors of this tantra who pursue the bodhisattva path are therefore predicted to attain samyaksambuddhatva, whether or not they have yet become "awareness-holders” of the anābhoga type.

[3]:

On these different names for the thirteenth level. see above, pp. 967-968.

[4]:

On the multidimensional meaning of the vajrapādas, see NSTB, Book 1, Pt. 4, pp. 166b-169a.