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 13.20 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 13.20]

For the maṇḍalas of the conquerors, without exception,
Apart from this, there is no secret definitive meaning.
Though sought, none is found by the conquerors. [20]

[Tibetan]

rgyal-ba'i dkyil-'khor ma-lus-la /
'di-las gsang-ba'i nges-don med /
btsal-kyang rgyal-bas mi-brnyes-so / [20]

Commentary:

[The third section (of its superiority over other teachings) teaches that there are no other paths superior to this one. (It comments on Ch. 13.20):]

For (la) all the maṇḍalas of (-'i dkyil-'khor) the conquerors (rgyal-ba) of the ten directions and four times, who have passed away in ancient and recent times, and who are currently present, along with their sons, without exception (ma-lus). there is apart from this ('di-las) vehicle of Atiyoga where primordial liberation is spontaneously perfect, no (med) other shortcut of secret definitive meaning (gsang-ba'i nges-don) at all; for there are no other doctrines better than this one. If there were, it is correct that they would be found by the buddhas who seek them. But though sought (btsal-kyang) elsewhere, none (mi) better than this doctrine is ever found (brnyes-so) by the conquerors (rgyal-bas). This means that no such (superior doctrine) is to be found; and it also means that the result of the secret mantras is here made into the path. It is so-called because when the minds. sense-organs and so forth of living beings obtain the conclusive result of primordial Buddha-hood, the goal is directly reached. There is no (final result) other than that.

It says in the Oceanic Magical Net (NGB. Vol. 15):

Like the wish-granting tree and gemstones.
All things abide in the essential causal basis.
In the actual appearance of the container world.
And its mobile (creatures) there is
No inherent existence.
This itself is the great Buddha-body of reality.
Which abides as such through its natural disposition.
Other than it, there is nothing to be obtained.
Once all things have indeed been matured.
There is no progress (anywhere).
This is the essence of the path.

However, one might ask, if (the path) is the result, why should one practice it from the beginning according to the creation and perfection stages and so forth? The result is established to abide as such from the standpoint of the conclusive (path) which is to be traversed, but its essence is obscured by Ignorance. Nonetheless, when the erroneous perception which resembles the (mistaken) apprehension of a conch shell as yellow, has been refined, the ground of one's own original essence is directly reached, and those bewildering suddenly arisen appearances are reversed. Apart from that, there is no extraneous result which newly emerges and was not present before.[1]

It says in the Sūtra of All-Gathering Awareness (T. 831):

Having been sought, it is not obtained.
The supreme result is present
At the time of the cause itself.

[The Worthy Recipients to Whom It Should Be Given (481.2-483.1)]

[The third subdivision (of the detailed exegesis of the meaning of the natural Great Perfection—see p. 999) indicates the worthy recipients to whom this instruction should be given.]

[It has two sections, of which the first, concerning the fortunate recipient to whom it is given, (comments on Ch. 13.21):]

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Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Cf. the argument in support of the atemporal result in NSTB, Book 1, Pt. 4. pp. 131bff.

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