Text 4.1 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 4.1]

Then all the Tathāgatas became of a single Intention, and, in the expanse of indestructible reality which is a mode of great sameness, without straying from the contemplation that all things are primordial Buddha-hood, the so-called "cyclical garland of syllables", through which all things abide simply as nominal syllables, emerged from the indestructible Buddha-body, speech and mind. [1] ...

[Tibetan]

de-nas de-bzhin gshegs-pa thams-cad dgongs-pa gcig-tu gyur-nas / mnyam-pa chen-po'i tshul-rdo rje'i dbyings-su / chos thams-cad ye-nas sangs-rgyas-pa'i ting-nge-'dzin-las mi-gYo-bar / chos thams-cad ming-tsam-du gnas-pa'i yi-ge 'phreng-ba'i 'khor-lo zhes-bya-ba 'di / sku-dang gsung-dang thugs rdo-rje-las phyung-ngo / [1]

Commentary:

[Interlinear Commentary (176.2-207.2)]

The interlinear commentary (on Ch. 4) has three parts: the background motivation; the exegesis of the meaning of its words, and a synopsis of the chapter.

[The first (comments on Ch. 4.1):]

Once spirituality had been emanated from the disposition of the spontaneously present ground and the establishment of all things had been revealed, then (de-nas) all the Tathāgatas (de-bzhin gshegs-pa thams-cad) of the ten directions and four times became of a single intention (dgongs-pa gcig-tu gyur-nas) with regard to the meaning of primordial Buddha-hood, in whose nature there is a magical display of syllables. And, in the expanse of indestructible reality which is (rdo-rje'i dbyings-su) the nature of great buddha-body, speech, mind, attributes, and activities, or a mode of great sameness (mnyam-pa chen-po'i tshul) where all things are indivisible, the so-called (zhes-bya-ba 'di) natural "cyclical garland of syllables" (yi-ge 'phreng-ba'i 'khor-lo) through which all things (chos thams-cad) originally abide (gnas-pa'i) simply as nominal syllables (ming-tsam-du) without actually existing, emerged from the indestructible buddha-body, speech and mind (sku-dang gsung-dang thugs rdo-rje-las phyung-ngo) of the Tathāgata himself. This occured in order to reveal the meaning of the sameness and Great Perfection of reality, without (mi) straying (gYo-bar) from the contemplation (ting-nge-'dzin-las) that all things (chos thams-cad) of phenomenal existence, saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, are primordial Buddha-hood (ye-nas sangs-rgyas-pa'i) in the essence of the syllables.

[Exegesis of the Meaning of its Words (176.6-206.2):]

The second part, the exegesis of the meaning of its words has three sections, namely: a general teaching on the nature of the wheel of syllables; a detailed and distinct exegesis of them in conjunction with their respective deities; and a summary of these two sections.

The first, the general teaching on the nature of the wheel of syllables (177.1-189.1) is threefold: the meditation on the syllables; the emanation of the cloud-mass of syllables; and an exegesis of the nature of the syllables.

[The Meditation On The Syllables (177.2-179.5)]

This Includes both the actual meditation and a teaching on its beneficial attributes. The former has three parts, namely the meditation of the creation stage, the meditation of the perfection stage, and the meditation of the rites and feast-offerings which are applied in this context.

[1. The first of these (comments on Ch. 4.2):]

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