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 13.4 (Commentary)
[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 13.4]
The concealed and hidden points
Extracted from within these
Abide in the mind of the teacher.
Who is the indestructible reality. [4][Tibetan]
khong-nas gab-sbas don 'byin-pa /
ston-pa rdo-rje'i thugs-la gnas / [4]
Commentary:
[iii. The third subdivision (of the general teaching) concerns the one who reveals this truth without error. (It comments on Ch. 13.4):]
Distinctive modes of truth abide within these (khong) different texts and their verses. in particular, there are concealed (gab) truths contained within the different verses of this natural Tantra of the Secret Nucleus which are naturally hard to understand, Including the view that all things are primordial Buddha-hood; and there are those which are hidden (sbas) by means of symbolic language and so forth because the profound secrets, which it is Improper to proclaim within range of ordinary beings, are not to be comprehended by those who lack good fortune.
These are naturally exemplified by the following verse, (Ch. 12.7):[1]
By the seal of the "vowels" and "consonants"...
Such points (don), manifestly extracted from ('byin-pa) the texts, abide in the mind of (-'i thugs-la gnas) the teacher (ston-pa) who is the master of indestructible reality (rdo-rje), and in whom the meaning of the tantra is incontrovertible. Thus, the teacher resembles an only child.
There are some who say that these (profundities) are extracted in Akaniṣṭha by the Teacher Samantabhadra, and extracted in ordinary realms by the masters of indestructible reality. Although this seems in order, there is in fact no connection. The one who extracts the meaning from within this tantra is shown to be different from the teacher of the tantra, so how could Samantabhadra be the expositor and audience, and (at the same time) extract the meaning? That is indeed a misunderstanding.[2]
[Detailed Exegesis of the Meaning of the Natural Great Perfection (448.3-483.1)]
The latter section of the (exegesis—see p. 988) is a detailed exegesis of the meaning of the natural Great Perfection. It has three subdivisions, namely: a teaching on the actual profound meaning of the nucleus; its superiority over other (teachings); and a teaching on the worthy recipients to whom it should be given.
[The Actual Profound Meaning of the Nucleus (448.3-477.6)]
This also has three parts, namely, a brief teaching, an extensive exegesis, and a synopsis.
[The first (448.4-449.6) is also threefold, and its first section concerns the creation stage of skillful means. (It comments on Ch. 13.5):]
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Footnotes and references:
[1]:
On the sbyor-sgrol practices symbolised by the coded terms ā-li kā-li, see Ch. 11, pp. 896-922.
[2]:
While identifying the teacher of the tantra and its compiler (cf. p. 67), a distinction is drawn between its teacher (Samantabhadra) and the vajrācārya who extracts meaning from the tantra.