Text 10.4 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 10.4]

Clearly visualised in the celestial palace
(of the heart) which is a radiant wheel.
The essential nature of the seminal point
Forms the supreme assembly of the earland of syllables.
Therefrom the maṇḍala of the enlightened family
Is radiantly emanated and absorbed.
OṂ! Great son of the conquerors of the three times.
Grasp the indestructible reality
Of buddha-body, speech and mind!
Make offerings which please all the conquerors.
And be evenly united with all the conquerors. [4]

[Tibetan]

gsal-ba'i 'khor-lo'i gzhal-yas-su /
gsal-ba'i thig-le'i ngo-bo-nyid /
yi-ge 'phreng-ba'i tshogs-mchog-las /
rigs-kyi dkyil-'khor gsal-spro thim /
oṃ dus-gsum rgyal-ba'i sras chen-po /
sku-gsung-thugs-kyi rdo-rje zung /
rgyal-ba thams-cad mnyes-mchod-la /
rgyal-ba kun-dang mnyam-par sbyor / [4]

Commentary:

[ii. The second section is an exegesis of the particular empowerments of ability.]

[The second is the contemplation associated with the empowerment of the meditator (sgom-pa'i dbang—It comments on Ch. 10.4):]

The heart which is a radiant wheel (gsal-ba'i 'khor-lo) is visualised as the celestial palace (gzhal-yas), and within (-su) it, the ground of recollection is clearly visualised (gsal).^[1] The essential nature (ngo-bo-nyid) of (-'i) the seminal point (thig-le) or supporting pure-essence of (-ba'i) that ground, the size of a mustard seed, forms the supreme assembly of the garland ('phreng-ba'i tshogs-mchog) of syllables (yi-ge) HŪṂ, the seedsyllable of the central deity. These (syllables) melt into light. and therefrom (las) the maṇḍala of the enlightened family (rigs-kyi dkyil-'khor) of Buddha-mind is radiantly (gsal) visualised.^[2] The being of pristine cognition is emanated (spro), and absorbed (thim) so that the obscurations of the mind are purified, melt into light and are transformed into the deity. Consequently, the following promissory initiation is given as an exhortation to the student:

OṂ! great son of the conquerors of the three times (dus-gsum-gyi rgyal-ba'i sras-po chen-po), grasp (gzung) the meditation on the profound truth or indestructible reality of (kyi rdo-rje) the buddha-body, speech, and mind (sku-gsung-thugs) of all the buddhas, in which body becomes deity, speech becomes mantra and mind becomes reality. Then from that disposition, make offerings which please all the conquerors (rgyal-ba thams-cad mnyes mchod) and, with supreme bliss, present the outer, inner and secret offerings. And (la) consequently, one should obtain the rank of one who is evenly united with all the conquerors (rgyal-ba kun-dang mnyam-par sbyor).

[The third is the contemplation associated with the empowerment of enlightened activity ('phrin-las-kyi dbang;—It comments on Ch. 10.5):]

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Footnotes and references:

[1]:

"ground of recollection" (Tibetan dran-gzhi).

[2]:

On the maṇḍala of buddha-mind associated with the sgom-pa'i dbang, see above. Ch. 9, pp. 798-799. Any meditational deity (yi-dam) representing buddha-mind is appropriate in this context, except in the view of Buddhaguhya who asserts that it refers to Akṣobhya.