Text 15.5 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 15.5]

... Then that process of maturation comes to an end and one suffers pangs of hunger and thirst among the tormented spirits. Desirable objects become unpleasant, turn into diverse objects—poisonous and harsh, and they even become non-existant. Utterly emaciated and dry, one is born for six great aeons with body, limbs, and sense-organs which are unsatisfactory. [5] ...

[Tibetan]

de-nas rnam-par smin-pa-de zad-pa-dang / yi-dvgas ltogs-pa-dang / skom-pa'i sdug-bsngal-gyis nyen-pa-dang / 'dod-pa'i dngos-po-rnams yid-du mi-'ong-ba-dang / gdug-cing rtsub-pa'i dngos-po sna-tshogs-su 'gyur-ba-dang yang med-par yang 'gyur-zing / shin-tu ring-cing skam-pa-dang / lus-dang yan-lag-dang dbang-po mi-'tsham-par gyur-par bskal-pa chen-po drug-tu skyes-so / [5]

Commentary:

[The latter section concerns birth among the tormented spirits. (It comments on Ch. 15.5):]

Then (de-nas) that process of maturation (rnam-par smin-pa de) in the hells comes to an end and (zad-pa-dang) one is born among the tormented spirits (yi-dvags).

Now there are two ways in which that (hellish condition) comes to an end: there is the cessation of non-virtue, the object to be renounced, by means of a virtuous antidote, as when the heat and cold are subdued by an antidote and cease; and there is the cessation through the maturation of one's own particular result—as when the results of one's virtue and sin are experienced in the manner of a shoot which is no longer able to grow from its seed. The present case refers to the latter.^[1]

Now, one might ask, why is one who has the karma to be born among tormented spirits not born among them before ending the karma connected with his or her birth in the hells? If one has both kinds of karma, one cannot permit the lesser to take effect until the result of the greater has first taken its effect, just as when the light of the sun is present the light of planets and stars is invisible. Therefore, the process of ripening occurs first for whichever is the most powerful among the respective kinds of karma, and which is most potent in virtue or sin.

It also says in the Treasury of the Abhidharma (T. 4089):

The cycle of deeds includes
Those which are heaviest.
Those which are closest.
Those which are being experienced
And those of the past.
Among them, the first (mentioned) ripen first.

So this (text) indicates that the heaviest (deeds) are the first (to ripen).

Tormented spirits are so-called because they are afflicted by the fires of hunger and thirst. Food is entirely scarce, but desired in their minds. When born as such, there are general obscurations in that one suffers pangs of hunter and thirst (ltogs-pa-dang skom-pa'i sdug-bsngal-gyis nyen-pa-dang); and there are external obscurations in that the sun and moon which are pleasant to all become tormenting and unpleasant. External desirable objects become unpleasant ('dod-pa'i dngos-po-rnams yid-du mi-'ong-ba) and pure water is seen as puss, blood and so forth.

As it says in the Letter to a Friend (T. 4182):

To tormented spirits, the moon is hot in summer.
And even the sun is cool in winter.

Initially one does not find food and drink, and if one does find it, it cannot pass down the throat; but even if it does pass down the throat one's internal organs blaze with fire. Because fire blazes everywhere outside and inside the body, there is a cycle of flames through which the objects of one's enjoyment turn ('gyur-ba-dang) instantly Into (su) diverse objects—poisonous and harsh (gdug-cing rtsub-ba'i dngos-po sna-tshogs).

One desires to enjoy oceans and great rivers when one has thirst, different kinds of food when one is hungry, and pleasant environments and necessities. One actually perceives these (apparitions), but when one approaches them, they turn again into scraps (lhag-rol) or even (yang) their mere traces become nonexistent (med-par 'gyur-zhing), and the suffering increases. Thus one has the obscuration whereby food is scarce. One's bones become merely a cage covered with skin, lacking the complexion of flesh and blood. Utterly emaciated and dry (shin-ru rid-cing skam-pa-dang), one is born (skyes-so) among the tormented spirits, continuing from one world-system to the next, for six great aeons (skal-pa chen-po drug-tu), with body (lus) and limbs which are unsatisfactory, and sense-organs (-danz dbang-po) which are incomplete even to focus on Mount Sumeru. They are (gyur-pa) unsatisfactory (mi-'tshams-par) in nature because they are deformed—with heads as large as Mount Sumeru, mouths as small ao as the eye of a needle, and so forth.

[ii. The second part concerns the result associated with that causal basis which is one harmful to others. (It comments on Ch. 15.6):]

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Footnotes and references:

[1]:

I.e the duration of Rudra's stay in the hells was determined entirely by the exhaustion of his past deeds, and not by the positive application of an antidote, which under the guidance of Yama (the sage of the hells) would have reduced that period.