Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
Revealing the Secret Suchness is a tantric treatise that outlines a path to awakening accessible to practitioners regardless of social caste or origin. The text argues that the realization of the unchanging essence and the nature of phenomena allows for the attainment of the unsurpassed heart of awakening while remaining in the household. It employs a symbolic and somatic framework, utilizing seed syllables such as E and Baṃ to map the body as a mandala of the five buddhas and the nature of space. The work commits the reader to a rigorous synthesis of insight and method, integrating the study of Yoga and Yoginī Tantras with meditative practices focused on the wind mandala and the nature of bliss. By redefining traditional concepts—such as the bhaga and the ḍākinī—as expressions of the buddha-element and the expanse of space, the text seeks to dissolve the distinction between the practitioner's physical existence and the ultimate reality of suchness.
Provenance
About this text
Offering an explanation of the illumination of the secret suchness, the Guhyatattvaprakāśa is a work of classical Tibetan Buddhism. It is attributed to the Indian author Kāṇha, also known as Kāṇhapā. The text was translated into Tibetan by Gayādhara and ’gos lhas btsas, and it is preserved in the Tengyur (vol. ཝ), where it comprises 14 pages within the collection of the Śaṃvara and Related Tantras. The work argues that by means of the unchanging essence, a practitioner may swiftly proceed to the unsurpassed heart of awakening while remaining in the household, regardless of whether they were born into the families of brahmins, kṣatriyas, or lower castes such as bamboo-weavers. It encourages the reader to examine the supreme jewel of wisdom and firmly grasp the coemergent through four modes of conviction, comparing this process to the way a wise person tests gold by burning, cutting, and rubbing. A scholar or serious reader consults this text today to understand how the author addresses the accessibility of awakening across different social origins and the role of the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and ḍākinīs within this explicit expression of wisdom.
The work is significant for its integration of somatic mapping and seed-syllable meditation to achieve non-dual realization. It reflects a tradition that democratizes spiritual attainment by asserting that the 'heart of awakening' is accessible outside of monastic settings. For the modern reader, it provides an example of how tantric systems conceptualize the human body as a microcosm of cosmic and enlightened structures.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1-4
Introduction and Guru Pleasing
Initial homages and the establishment of the path to awakening, including the first chapter on pleasing the Guru.
5-12
The Nature of Vajrasattva and Seed Syllables
An analysis of Vajrasattva, the symbolic function of syllables E and Baṃ, and the definition of samaya and the bhaga.
13-16
The Nature of Phenomena and Space
Discussion on the Three Jewels, dependent origination, and the meditation on the moon mandala within the expanse of space.
17-19
Tantric Practice and the Buddha-element
Descriptions of Heruka, the wind mandala, the role of the ḍākinī as a space-farer, and the union of insight and method.
Themes
Somatic Symbolism and Seed Syllables (6, 9, 14, 15)
The Non-duality of Insight and Method (7, 11, 19)
The Nature of Space and Suchness (12, 14, 15, 18)
Universal Accessibility of Awakening (2)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
In the language of India: Guhyatattvaprakāśanāma. In the language of Tibet: Gsang ba'i de kho na nyid rab tu gsal ba (The Illumination of the Secret Suchness). Homage to the Blessed One, the Great Compassionate One, the Noble Avalokiteśvara.
Having bowed to the three bodies of the Victorious One, the Bull among Men, I shall explain the Illumination of the Secret Suchness so that the aggregates of sentient beings may clearly and correctly realize it through the conceptualization of the Vajra of Conduct.
It abides everywhere as the cause, and is taught in the Sūtra Piṭaka and so forth, as well as in the Vedas and the speech of Brahmā and others. There is no treatise whatsoever in which this is not found, for it is spoken of in the eighty-four thousand heaps of Dharma.
Likewise, recitation, meditative concentration, fire offerings, the drawing of maṇḍalas, various types of conduct, the binding of mudrās, various ascetic observances and rituals, the wearing of religious robes and so forth, the activities of stūpas and the like, and the fixed performance of striking—all these, through the entities of agent and action, depend upon the self in all things. Whatever sentient beings are to be tamed, the Vajra Holder assumes their forms; whatever he has spoken according to the particular inclinations of sentient beings, those embodied beings who understand it [attain liberation].
By means of the unchanging essence, one swiftly proceeds to the unsurpassed heart of awakening while remaining in the household. Whether born from the families of brahmins, kṣatriyas, and so forth, or from the birthplaces of gods and the like, or at any time of formation and destruction—whether through birth, abiding, or destruction; or those of low caste such as bamboo-weavers and others who engage in base activities; those who take the lives of the wicked, those who are intent on falsehood, those who constantly consort with the wives of others, those who speak harsh words, those who wander in lowly states as beggars, those who enjoy the wealth of others, and those bound in the wilderness of saṃsāra by the net of afflictions such as attachment—even they, wherever they may be, shall attain the supreme stage as they desire. I shall now teach that which is the nature of the three bodies: the Dharma, Enjoyment, and Emanation, which are the nature of phenomena, and which are certain in their qualities and faults.
From the essence of both stages of the path of the glorious Guhyasamāja, the glorious Guhyasamāja is the most excellent and delightful, the primary of all tantras. Through the division of the four times, the tantras become fourfold: laughing, gazing, likewise holding hands, and the fourth, the union of the two; these are the four types of tantra. The Guhyasamāja is also said to be twofold: the stages of generation and completion. Yoga is taught as the generation stage, while completion is expressed as yoginī. The meditative union of the two organs is described as "union" (samāja).
The buddhas and bodhisattvas, as well as the ḍākinīs, and those endowed with the vowels and consonants—where do they enter through this explicit expression? In that very place, one should examine the supreme jewel of wisdom. Just as the wise test gold by burning, cutting, and rubbing, one should firmly grasp the coemergent through the four modes of conviction. Of all the convictions of ordinary beings and others, the guru alone acts as the means of realization. Two types of gurus are taught: those who bring about the attainment of cause and effect. The essence of the cause is taught in brief, while the result is taught in detail. The brief teaching concerns body and speech, while the detailed teaching concerns the nature of mind itself. By the essence of the maṇḍala ācārya, he dwells within and without. This is described as the two sublime gurus of all sentient beings. If one worships them with diligence, they will grant the supreme fruit of conduct and liberation. Among letters, he is the oṃ within; among cattle, he is like the king of beasts; among the Vedas, he is the Ṛgveda; and among flowers, he is like the pārijāta. Through his kindness, the wise obtain manifold accomplishments (siddhi). Apart from the gurus, not even a grain of accomplishment will be achieved. All goals of the higher realms, the earth, and the underworld are accomplished by the guru alone. Even a person who has committed the five crimes of immediate retribution will achieve accomplishment through him. However, for those who lack respect for him, accomplishment will not be achieved for countless eons.
From the Secret Suchness Illuminated: Entering into the mastery of the nature of phenomena of oneself and others, and teaching the tantras, mantras, secret wisdom, and the scriptures of the Tathāgatas—this is the first [chapter], on pleasing the Guru.
Now, the most excellent explanation shall be given:
In brief, it is an emanation from the mind,
Liberated from the six sense faculties.
The bodhicitta is unstained,
Abandoning both existence and non-existence.
It follows the Primordial Buddha,
The stable and the moving,
That which emanates and reabsorbs.
This is taught as the assembly and the gathering,
The nature of the completion stage.
Nirvāṇa is not an object of perception,
Yet it is the great bliss of saṃsāra.
Through great compassion and great skillful means,
It engages in the welfare of sentient beings.
By way of the body, speech, and mind,
Within the three maṇḍalas,
Through the essence of the generation stage,
This is the supreme perfection.
Such great wisdom,
I shall describe in brief.
The words "Thus have I" are spoken,
And immediately after, "heard."
Furthermore, the word "time,"
And "at one time" is taught.
Likewise, "all the Tathāgatas,"
And subsequently, "body, speech, mind, and vajra,"
"Here, in the bhagas of the consorts,"
"The Blessed One resides"—
Thus it is renowned in the Yoga Tantras.
In the supreme secret joy,
He dwells eternally as the identity of all.
The Sattva who is the embodiment of all ḍākinīs,
Is Vajrasattva, the supreme bliss.
Thus it is taught elsewhere,
Abiding in the words of the beginning and the end.
Regarding the explanation of this,
Which is the most luminous of the Yoga and Yoginī Tantras,
I shall first relate how it is taught
In the Yoga Tantras.
The syllable E is to be known as earth;
She is the Action Mudrā, Locanā.
With great compassion and great skillful means,
Her nature is the sphere of diverse activities.
At the navel, upon the various-petaled lotus,
She resides in the Emanation Cakra.
The syllable Vaṃ is to be known as water;
She is the Dharma Mudrā, Māmakī.
Her essence is loving-kindness and aspiration;
The goddess who follows the Vajra family.
At the heart, upon the eight-petaled lotus,
She perfectly resides in the Dharma Cakra.
The syllable Ma is taught as fire;
She is the Great Mudrā, Pāṇḍaravāsinī.
Through the union of joy and power,
The goddess who arises from the Lotus family.
At the throat, upon the sixteen-petaled lotus,
She resides in the Enjoyment Cakra.
The syllable A has the form of wind;
She utterly destroys all afflictions.
She is the Samaya Mudrā,
Tārā, who liberates from saṃsāra.
Through the union of equanimity and wisdom,
The goddess who arises from the Action family.
Upon the thirty-two-petaled lotus,
She is in the Great Cakra of Great Bliss.
The syllables E and Vaṃ themselves
Are expressed as a pair.
Through the meditative union of below and above,
They are the nature of wisdom and method.
The syllable E is expressed as wisdom,
And the syllable Vaṃ is method.
Here, the syllable E is made beautiful by being adorned with Baṃ. Baṃ is the heart and the throat; in the center, it is the supreme ornament. E is the head and the navel; the ornament is perfectly situated on the outside. The body is the nature of the five buddhas; the syllable Baṃ is said to be the vajra. The body is the nature of the five goddesses; the syllable E is said to be the lotus. Whatever divine substance is in the form of E is adorned in the center by Baṃ. It is the basis of all bliss, the jewel casket of the buddhas. The three realms without exception are spoken of in this way in the tantra. At the end of that, the word "I" (mama) is spoken; it is renowned as the saṃbhogakāya. That is the bliss of the three realms, which becomes the cause for experiencing everything. The sign adorned with the three qualities is perfectly situated above the expanse of space. That very thing is the accomplished entity; it is said to be at the tip of the human nose. The mind abiding in its center, conceptual and like the moon, is called the conventional bodhicitta. The form of the buddha is exceedingly beautiful. That which is the nature of joy is explicitly expressed as "passion." That saṃbhogakāya is renowned as "mine" (mama). Furthermore, what is spoken of as "hearing" (śruta) is expressed as the nirmāṇakāya. When the great mind, which is like the moon, has set and reached the center of the bhaga, that is asserted to be "white mustard" (sarṣapa). That nature of freedom from passion is the light like the sun.
That should be known as blood, radiating the clear light above. Abiding at the tip of the nose of awareness, it clarifies the four lotuses. It is the nirmāṇakāya of the Victorious Ones, renowned as "that which is heard." The union of the nature of insight and method is here described by me as "heard." It is renowned as "by me" through insight, while "heard" is the characteristic of method. Insight is said to be twofold: with reference and without reference. That which is without reference is to be known by me, while that which is with reference is intended as "heard." That which is with reference is saṃsāra; that which is without reference is nirvāṇa. The Vajra Holder is the great relief, which the Victorious One has taught as nirvāṇa. Likewise, the great relief of the Tathāgata is also saṃsāra. The forms of union and separation are what is called "heard by me." What need is there to speak of many things here? To express it in brief: semen and likewise blood, the moon and the sun, setting and rising, night and day, withdrawal and emanation, likewise above and below, self and other, unity and multiplicity, woman and man, water and fire—these are explained as "known by me." Pleasure and suffering are likewise. Thus, the two beautiful words spoken by the Victorious One are cessation and engagement; the engagement of qualities and faults. The phrase "at one time" is...
Other than that very [time], there is another,
Which is called "time" and follows after.
Others have taught it in two ways;
I shall explain it exactly as it appears in those two passages.
Samaya refers to the three times;
Time is asserted to be of three types:
The auspicious time, the inauspicious time,
And the inconceivable time itself.
That which comes from the two nostril gates
Is called the auspicious time;
That which goes out is the inauspicious time.
When these are expressed as one,
Becoming solitary and without a second,
Time becomes inconceivable.
It is free from vital breath and effort,
Having completely abandoned inhalation and exhalation.
Liberated from going and coming,
It is called "at one time."
It is neither desire nor free from desire,
Nor is it apprehended in the middle.
Desire and the absence of desire—
These two are not apprehended as mixed.
Just as when butter is poured into butter,
They become mixed and are without turbidity;
Likewise, desire and the absence of desire
Are of one equal taste at that time.
It is asserted as cessation itself,
And is also taught as the "springtime."
Through the union of the three times equally,
Time is called "one."
This is the sun and the moon,
Their rising and their setting,
The reversal of sattva and rajas,
And the nature of tamas, fire, and earth.
When the bodhicitta has become stable,
It is called "at one time."
In that very "one time,"
The Blessed One resides.
As many as there are through the accomplishment of non-duality,
The four māras themselves...
The net of afflictions such as attachment is destroyed; thus, he is called "the Destroyer" (Bhagavān). The aspect of the abiding expanse of space is also called the syllable E and the bhaga. He who possesses that is "Eternal," because he arises without beginning or end. Because birth and destruction arise from that, one should prostrate to him as the "Sower." As for the precious bodhicitta, no other abode is seen apart from the expanse of space; therefore, it is described here in such a way. Whatever is the very nature of body, speech, and mind, unelaborated by conceptual elaborations, is the progenitor of all Buddhas; he is explained as the Blessed One. What is called "abiding" is described as having become the state of residence. When the Buddhas and bodhisattvas become one in a single moment, Vajrasattva, by his very nature, fulfills the hopes of the worlds. Sentient beings and the environment are taught as the two aspects of the world. Those who are mobile are sentient beings, and those who remain stable are the environment. Each of the two—fortunate and unfortunate—is further divided into two. Earth, water, fire, and wind are described as the fourfold nature. By his very nature, Vajrasattva fulfills the hopes of these. He is taught as Vajrasattva, and "Sattva" is said to mean "joy." Because he arises from the four moments, he is shown to have four types of joy: joy, supreme joy, the joy of the absence of joy, and the nature of coemergent joy.
From the four moments, the action perfectly arises. It is manifold, ripening, formless, and devoid of characteristics. Whatever birth arises from those, it relies upon the four sublime joys. The mind that has become coemergent with joy is described here as Vajrasattva.
Free from desire and free from passion, it is naturally pure and stainless. Having reached the far shore of the ocean of saṃsāra, it is renowned as "Abiding." It is expressed as the sound of "all." The forms and other objective entities of the six classes of beings, such as the gods, abide perfectly as the nature of desire. Whatever has arisen in the three worlds is taught to be "all without exception."
The expression "Tathāgata" refers to the entry into those six [realms], as well as the sense faculties, the great elements, and the entities of the aggregates. If one asks how they come from where they come, and since they go in that same way, they are thus the Tathāgatas. Coming from one to another in that very way, the natures of the beings such as the gods and all the objects have a taste for their objects; therefore, the sense faculties are the Tathāgatas.
Regarding beings and objects, just as they actually go, by that very nature they return to that very reality. Thus, they possess the nature of the Tathāgatas. All of them are thus body, speech, and mind. The three—rajas, sattva, and tamas; pleasure, suffering, and likewise delusion—those are the very vajra reality.
Bodhicitta is a precious jewel; because it is indivisible, it is called "vajra." By its nature of being without exhaustion or birth, it is renowned as indivisible. Because they are bound by the net of afflictions, the senses and the buddhas perish. Through union and separation, Vajrasattva is not destroyed. That is itself the state of non-birth; it does not abide anywhere. Its consort is the abiding of insight; she becomes the daughter of the gods and so forth. She is the mother who gives birth to all buddhas and the source of virtue for all sentient beings. Through the particular intentions of sentient beings, she is correctly relied upon in various ways. Insight is called the consort of the vajra; she abides in both the stable and the moving. The Vajra Consort Locanā, the Vajra Consort Māmakī, the Vajra Consort Pāṇḍaravāsinī, and the Vajra Consort Tārā—because they uphold and increase [the practice], they are called Vajra Consorts. Because they are to be upheld and increased, they are themselves the vajra. By the nature of the vajra of desire, those Vajra Consorts abide. What is called its "bhaga" has the very form of the letter E. It is the nature of the five families and the speech of the buddhas, the four seats. Possessing the thirty-two major marks and likewise the eighty minor signs, Vajrasattva is the glorious hero of bliss. Abiding at the far shore of saṃsāra, his prosperity is born of his own nature. Through the view of the net, he is the pervasive lord liberated from bondage.
The one who steals the lower garment, the one who emits, the one who holds, and the one who moves the mind—the bhaga itself is the locus; therein this [Buddha] always dwells. The word "pa" here is fully expressed as the element of space. By the words of the Blessed One, it is also fully expressed as bodhicitta. It is taught as the maṇḍala of the body, the maṇḍala of the bhaga, and the maṇḍala of bodhicitta; these three are without distinction. By such words as these, its own essential nature is thoroughly shown. All beings are connected with the three aspects: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha. By way of the essence of body, speech, and mind, these are the three supreme Jewels. From that, there are the five jewels themselves; the body, which is the nature of the five jewels, is called the "abode of the Buddhas." The Jewels of body, speech, and mind are explained by such words as "Thus have I heard" and so forth. Having thus known the secret suchness clearly, the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Victors become terrified and afraid. This is the supreme, delightful Jewel; because it is indivisible, it dwells eternally. It pervades and abides in various ways throughout the desire, form, and formless realms. By way of the essence of such words as "Thus have I heard," it is supremely beautiful and pure. The wheel of saṃsāra is to be reversed, and one relies upon the expanse of nirvāṇa. From the Secret Suchness Clearly Illuminated, the characteristics of body, speech, and mind are the enjoyment and emanation [bodies].
This is the second [section], which teaches the explanation beginning with "Thus have I [heard]" (evam mayā śrutam), preceded by the illustration of the nature of phenomena as the Three Jewels. Furthermore, that which is to be explained is as follows:
Just as the conventional [is], so too is it [the ultimate]. Alternatively, the syllable E is the bindu (drop), and the syllable Vaṃ is expressed as the sound. It is taught that "hearing" is indicated by my mind of passion. "At one time" is the brief indication; likewise, it is explained in detail. The characteristic of the brief indication is fully described as "method" (upāya). That characteristic of the detailed explanation is also proclaimed as "insight" (prajñā). Thus, the brief indication and the detailed explanation are expressed as two. The "to-be-churned" and the "churning" of the detailed explanation are the respective seats of the brief indication. The Bhagavān is the Vajra of Mind; "residing" (viharati) refers to his abiding. That is the essence of the source; the four elements are the objects. All the Buddhas, the aggregates, and so forth, together with the Sons and the Indras, are the Body, Speech, Moon, and Sun. The Vajra of Mind is indivisible; it abides as the essence of the supported. The support is described as the bhaga of the woman. By way of the essence of the support and the supported, through the two pairs of words, they are mutually connected and understood through the successive lineage. These are the essence of self-arising. Through the thorough distinction between the knower and the known, it is not from self, nor from another, nor from both, nor without cause. It is the essence of the produced entity.
It is not of a non-existent nature; it is neither permanent nor impermanent. This is neither this nor another; it is the essence of dependent origination. It abides pervading the various—the stable and the immovable, the low and the high, the land and the water. The syllable E and the syllable Vaṃ, the words "I" and "heard," as well as all the Tathāgatas, the Body and Speech, and likewise the Mind-Vajra Consort’s bhagas—these are the others. "The Blessed One abides" is the abandonment of sound and the loss of sound; it is definitively liberated from all speech. Because it is the nature of the present, it is renowned as being like the objects of knowledge known to the mute and the like. Ungraspable and inexpressible, it is just as it is conventionally. It is like the form of a city of gandharvas, like an illusion, a mirage, and like the city of Siṃhacandra; it appears like a dream or a play. Such is the nature of the three realms without exception. For that very reason, how is it that the Buddha does not even know it through the nature of self-awareness, as the certainty of "I heard"? The meeting of the mind in the assembly is like waking from a dream; it is like the meeting of the two organs in the nature of a youth. Having placed the linga in the bhaga, one meditates on the recollection of the Buddha. What kind of wisdom, stainless in the beginning, middle, and end, will arise? That wisdom is self-aware; it cannot be expressed by another.
Abiding in the center of the expanse of space,
One should meditate on the maṇḍala of the moon.
Through such [teachings], that very reality is proclaimed,
The locus of the sixteen recollections.
Abiding in the expanse of space of great bliss,
It is explicitly called Sukhāvatī.
From it arise all the aggregates,
Elements, and sense bases.
All the world-protectors,
The birthplaces of gods such as Brahmā,
And all that exists within the three realms,
Have definitely emerged from that very reality.
The buddhas, bodhisattvas,
And likewise the kings of the wrathful ones,
Having emerged from that very reality,
Pass into nirvāṇa within that very reality.
In all the Vedas and philosophical systems,
It is renowned as the sole heart mantra.
That Sukhāvatī is the supreme divine substance,
The sublime abode of the buddhas.
The entire nature of the five buddhas,
And the hosts of deities dwelling in the six realms,
Have emerged from that very reality;
It is the dancer of all buddhas without exception.
In this Yoga Tantra,
As the indestructible essence of reality,
It was spoken at one time
By as many as ten million buddhas.
Equal to the atoms of Mount Meru,
Or like the sands of the Gaṅgā,
Appearing here as the expanse of space,
Like a mass of sesame seeds in every way.
By this reasoning, all the Tathāgatas,
As numerous as the sands of the Gaṅgā,
Have spoken thus in their entirety:
"For example, a wick submerged in sesame oil
Causes the stream of the lamp’s flame to enter."
When the wick and the oil of that lamp are exhausted, it becomes extinguished; consciousness is just like that. One should thoroughly understand the wick, the oil, the flame, the body of the lamp, the substance of the fire, the nature of the light, or the darkness, and so forth. For example, when fire is produced by the effort of hands rubbing a fire-drill and a base-block, the tip of the fire is perceived; yet if one examines it, it does not exist within those parts of the fire-drill. Likewise, all beings, such as those who move and so forth, are merely individual appearances. Their nature as pleasure and so on is delightful only when unexamined. The phrase "Thus have I heard" and so forth is likewise inconceivable. These are the third [section], the explanation of consciousness, from the Secret Suchness Clearly Illuminated, showing how the conventional nature of consciousness arises dependently and appears individually as an inconceivable essence of consciousness, beginning with "Thus have I heard."
Next, I shall explain another sequence of the Yoginī Tantras. In the Yoga Tantras, that which is spoken of as "Thus [have I heard]" and so forth is the same in the Yoginī Tantras. Know that the fire is like the other [parts], such as the straw; there is no distinction in their nature. Thus spoke Vajragarbha. Śrī abides as non-dual; He is free from causes; Ru is because the essence is exhausted; Ka is not abiding anywhere. Śrī is said to be the bhaga; the mind called Heruka is that very thing abiding in the expanse of space.
He is called the glorious Heruka; the creator of the tantra is wisdom, which is also called "birth." The yoginīs are perfectly assembled in the glorious abode of Jālandhara. At the soles of the feet, the wind maṇḍala is perfectly situated in the shape of a bow. In this region of the navel, fire itself blazes in the form of a triangle. In the belly, what is known as water is a maṇḍala in the shape of a circle. At the heart is earth itself, which is completely square. Above that, in the region of the throat, is Mount Meru, the king of mountains, with its eight surrounding ranges in seven tiers, endowed with precious jewels. Its peak is said to be at the head, where there are thirty-two petals of a lotus. In its center is the syllable Haṃ, emanated from the vowels and consonants. The indestructible state, the delightful, is called "Great Bliss." The great wheel of great bliss is that which has abandoned the name of the final class. In the great tantra of the glorious Heruka, it is explicitly called "fire," because it consumes the channels with the net of afflictions such as passion. The yoginīs of the three wheels are also called "fire." The thirty-six yoginī channels are said to be born from the head. The wisdom aroused by them is the essence of supreme joy; this is declared to be the Bhagavān. This is the single self-arisen one, explained as "all." The aggregates of the Buddha are likewise those ḍākinīs of bliss; the channels are indeed thirty-six.
The ḍākinī is called "space-farer" (ḍākinī); because the buddha-element and conceptual thoughts are established as wandering throughout space, she is described as the "space-farer." The aggregates of the buddha and so forth, and their elemental origins, are designated as such. Through the conceptualization of women and so on, conceptual thought is said to be twofold. The ḍākinī is all things, for she is the reality of their very nature. That which is called "sattva" is saṃsāra, the essence of supreme joy. Because the bodhicitta is indivisible, it is here called Vajrasattva. For that reason, it is subsequently taught in the tantra as "supreme bliss." Because it abides in the space-element, it is also called supreme bliss. The secret is the earth-element; likewise, the supreme is water. "Joy" is fire; wind abides as the self of all. Space is that which always dwells here, the nature of great bliss. Excrement is said to be the secret; urine is called the supreme. "Joy" is said to be the seminal fluid; blood becomes the self of all. Flesh is that which always dwells; its essence abides eternally. This "always dwelling" is taught to be the nature of the ḍākinīs, the supreme wisdom of great bliss, which becomes the indestructible syllable Haṃ. This itself is the supreme reality, described as great bliss. In the Yoga Tantra, the Tathāgata spoke thus: "Thus have I [heard]." In the Yoginī Tantra, that very reality is described as supreme bliss.
This is also known as the Yoga Tantra and the Yoginī Tantra. The supreme wisdom of great bliss is explicitly designated as "fire." Through the nature of insight and method, the two accumulations are gathered. These very accumulations are the supreme wisdom, abiding within and without. Including the three realms of the moving and the non-moving, there is nothing else apart from this. By the nature of all things, it exists in the manner of the practitioner.
This concludes the fourth chapter, the teaching on the nature of the completion stage as taught in the Yoginī Tantras, from the Secret Suchness: A Thorough Clarification.
Relying upon the oral instructions of the Guru, this Secret Suchness: A Thorough Clarification, well-spoken by the learned, was composed by the disciplined Kṛṣṇa. By whatever merit has been accomplished through the composition of this Secret Suchness: A Thorough Clarification, may beings who have practiced correctly proceed to the realm of the Buddhas.
The Explanation of the Completion Stage of the Yoginī Tantras: Secret Suchness: A Thorough Clarification, composed by the great master Kṛṣṇācārya, is hereby complete. It was translated by the Indian abbot Gayadhara and the Tibetan Lo-tsā-ba 'Gos Lhas-btsas, and later finalized by the glorious Sumatikīrti and Marpa Chos-kyi dBang-phyug.