Text 7.21 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 7.21]

Although there are unthinkable higher and lower vehicles.
They are not spoken in isolation from the real nature.
Although they are heard differently as skillful means
For the sake of those to be trained.
And all pronouncements are expressed accordingly.
They are unspoken, according to the real nature. [21] ...

[Tibetan]

theg-pa mtho-dman bsam-yas-kyang /
de-bzhin-nyid-las ma-gsungs-te /
gdul-bya'i thabs-su so-sor thos /
ji-ltar gsung-rab kun-brjod-kyang /
de-bzhin-nyid-kyis gsungs-pa med / [21]

Commentary:

[v. The fifth section (the mode of being which does not deviate from the expanse) has three parts, among which the first teaches that although (buddha-speech) appears as the different vehicles its essence is unspoken. (It comments on Ch. 7.21):]

Although (kyang) there are unthinkable (bsam-yas) higher and lower vehicles (theg-pa mtho-dman) which appear to be spoken, they are not spoken (ma-gsungs te) at all in isolation from (las) reality or the real nature (de-bzhin-nyid).

It says appropriately in the Pagoda of Precious Gems (T. (15-93):

From the time when I attained perfect Buddha-hood until my final nirvāṇa, I did not teach any doctrine, but it appeared differently from the real nature in accordance with the volition of living beings. This indeed is the inconceivable mystery of the Buddha’s speech.

Although words are not actually spoken, they are heard differently (so-sor thos) by sentient beings as (su) the enumeration of doctrines which are learned in the skillful means (thabs) of training for the sake of those to be trained (gdul-bya'i). Although (kyang) all (kun) pronouncements (gsung-rab) of the Tathāgata included in the twelve branches are ostensibly expressed (brjod) according (ji-ltar) to the manner in which the lamp of the five aforementioned vehicles is arrayed,^[1] if appraised according to (kyis) the abiding mode of reality or the real nature (de-bzhin-nyid), they are the conclusive buddha-body of reality, and therefore unspoken (gsungs-ba-med) even minutely as a doctrinal enumeration.

It says in the Cutter of Indestructible Reality (T. 16):

Those who see me as form.
Those who perceive me as sound.
Those persons, who remain on the false path.
Do not perceive me—
For the Buddhas perceive reality.
The Guides are the body of reality,
And reality is not a knowable object.
As such, it cannot be known.

[The second part concerns the appearance of the indestructible buddha-speech for the sake of living beings through its disposition of spirituality. (It comments on Ch. 7.22):]

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Footnotes and references:

[1]:

As explained in Ch. 3, pp. 505-518, these are the yāna & devayāna, the śrāvakayāna, the pratyekabuddhayāna, the bodhisattvayāna, and the vajrayāna or guhyamantrayāna.