Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This extensive commentary provides a systematic exegesis of a tantric text centered on the chanting of the names of Mañjuśrī. The author argues against conceptual fabrications and fragmented interpretations, proposing instead a comprehensive understanding of the deity's nature and manifestations. The work functions as a guide to translating symbolic language into ontological and soteriological realities, mapping the attributes of Mañjuśrī and other deities—such as Vajrapāṇi and various wrathful forms—onto the three bodies (trikāya) and the five wisdoms. By analyzing specific phrases, the text commits the reader to a path of realization that integrates philosophical views on emptiness and non-duality with practical tantric applications, including the use of yantras and the manipulation of subtle body energies (channels and winds). The ultimate goal is to lead the practitioner beyond conceptual elaboration toward the indivisible svabhāvakāya, ensuring that the recitation of names is not a mere verbal exercise but a realization of the primordial wisdom inherent in the nature of reality.
Provenance
About this text
A great commentary on the chanting of the names of the Noble Mañjuśrī, the Āryamañjuśrīnāmasaṃgītināmamahāṭīkā belongs to the classical Tibetan tradition. The work is attributed to the Indian author Candragomin. It was translated into Tibetan by shes rab brtson ’grus and zhu chen gyi lo tsa ba ’gos lhas btsas, and is preserved in the Tengyur, volume ཙི, within the collection of Other Skillful Means Tantras. Spanning 55 pages in this edition, the commentary provides a systematic exegesis of a tantric text, arguing against conceptual fabrications and fragmented interpretations of scriptural traditions. It seeks to explain the summarized meaning of the introductory setting, the actual tantra, and the expression of rejoicing, while detailing the generation of the deity through instantaneous recollection and the three rituals. A scholar or serious reader consults this work today to understand how symbolic language is translated into ontological and soteriological realities, mapping the attributes of Mañjuśrī and other deities onto the three bodies and five wisdoms. By integrating philosophical views on emptiness and non-duality with practical tantric applications—including the use of yantras and the manipulation of subtle body energies—the text guides the practitioner toward a path of realization.
Sanskrit title
Āryamañjuśrīnāmasaṃgītināmamahāṭīkā
Indian author
Candragomin
Tibetan translators
shes rab brtson ’grus, zhu chen gyi lo tsa ba ’gos lhas btsas
Cite thisAnuvāda, “An Extensive Commentary on “Reciting the Names of Mañjuśrī”” (Toh 2090), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh2090
Summary & commentary
Significance
The work is significant for its integration of high-level Buddhist philosophy with specific tantric ritual and somatic practices. It demonstrates how the tradition bridges the gap between the abstract concept of emptiness and the concrete visualization of deities. For the modern reader, it serves as a primary example of how Tibetan commentaries decode the 'twilight language' of tantra into a structured system of meaning.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1-5
Introduction and General Meaning
Initial homage, critique of conceptual fabrications, and a summary of the deity's instantaneous generation and various mandalas.
6-13
Exegesis of Attributes and Figures
Detailed analysis of the physical and symbolic characteristics of Vajrapāṇi and the roles of the teacher and the various bodies.
20-51
Philosophical and Ontological Definitions
Discussion of the trikāya, the nature of truth, the non-arising of phenomena, and the essence of the fivefold wisdom.
57-65
Realization and Afflictions
Examination of the sixteen aspects of reality, the twenty secondary afflictions, and the realization of the three bodies.
66-69
Ritual and Somatic Practice
Instructions on the use of yantras, the movement of winds through channels, and the nature of tantric meditation.
70-73
Ultimate Nature and Superknowledges
Analysis of the svabhāvakāya, the armor of compassion, and the definition of the six superknowledges.
Themes
Trikāya (The Three Bodies) (5, 11, 20, 26, 65)
Non-duality and Emptiness (26, 32, 69, 72)
Deity Mandalas and Manifestations (4, 6, 7)
Subtle Body and Ritual Technology (66, 68)
Overcoming Afflictions (63)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
AnuvādaAn Extensive Commentary on “Reciting the Names of Mañjuśrī”·
In the language of India: Āryamañjuśrīnāmasaṃgītimahāṭīkā. In the language of Tibet: ’Phags pa ’jam dpal gyi mtshan yang dag par brjod pa’i rgya cher ’grel pa (The Great Commentary on the Chanting of the Names of the Noble Mañjuśrī). Homage to the Blessed One, the Wisdom Being Mañjuśrī.
Having prostrated to the Youthful One, who is empty of superimposition and denial, whose very nature is great bliss, and who holds a blue lotus and a sword, I shall here analyze the chapters of the profound song from the extensive tantras. In this regard, I shall write here exactly as I heard it from the Protector Lokeśvara.
Now, since individuals who possess discernment will not engage [in a work] if there is no purpose, one might ask: what is the subject matter of this tantra? What is the purpose? What is the ultimate purpose? And what is the connection? The subject matter is exclusively the Wisdom Being Mañjuśrī. The purpose is the realization of the meaning of the various vehicles. The ultimate purpose is the attainment of the three bodies and the five wisdoms. The connection exists through the characteristic of the relationship between the means and that which arises from the means.
In this regard, this tantra is a tantra equal to space; it is the explanatory tantra for all tantras—Action, Performance, Both, Yoga, and Unsurpassed Yoga—as it is clear from the statement: "The supreme lord of all tantras." It is the key to all vehicles, as it is clear from the statement: "By means of the methods of the various vehicles."
Many who hold differing scriptural traditions speak from the perspective of their own personal preferences, yet they have only understood a mere fraction of this tantra, for they grasp their own conceptual fabrications as being true. Regarding this, I shall first explain the summarized meaning: the excellence of the introductory setting, the actual tantra, and the expression of rejoicing.
The introductory setting has three parts: the excellence of the retinue, the teacher, and the teaching. The actual tantra is the "Tantra of the Single Syllable," as the syllable A is its primary focus.
The lines "The deer of the non-Buddhists" and "The self of the three qualities of universal meaning" teach the views of the non-Buddhists. "The realizer of the two truths," "the non-returner and the non-regressor," teach the views of the Śrāvakas. "The guides, the rhinoceros-like Pratyekabuddhas," and "arisen from various forms of renunciation" teach the path and result of the Pratyekabuddhas. "Possessing the objects of various cognitions," "endowed with the continua of various consciousnesses," and "born from the mind, possessing various forms" teach the views of the Yogācāra. "Teaching non-duality as non-dual" teaches the essence of union, which is like an illusion. "Abiding in the manner of the two truths" and "perfectly abiding in the ultimate reality" teach the meaning of being firmly established. "The ultimate reality is the letterless" teaches the ultimate meaning of the Unsurpassed Secret Mantra. "The gatherer of the two accumulations" teaches the gathering of the accumulations of merit and wisdom.
"Perfectly awakened in a single instant" indicates that the deity is generated through instantaneous recollection. "Vajra Hūṃ, proclaiming Hūṃ," "holding the vajra arrow as a weapon," "cutting everything without exception with the vajra sword," and "the Vajra-holder who possesses the vajra body" indicate generation through the three rituals. "Possessing the entire Vajra Seat" indicates the generation of the seat. "Possessing the wisdom empowerment and the crown" indicates the ritual of empowerment along with its branches. "Completely purifying all lower realms" indicates the ritual of cremation. "The blazing light of the wisdom flames" indicates the ritual of fire offering. "Knowing all branches of meditative concentration" indicates the meditation of each of those respective philosophical systems. "Beyond the calculations of the limbless" and "the pinnacle of the four meditative concentrations" indicate the signless completion stage. "Possessing the bindu of half of sixteen," "possessing all aspects yet aspectless" indicate the completion stage with signs. Now, the maṇḍala will be explained. Regarding that, "the great maṇḍala is vast" indicates that the meaning of all maṇḍalas should be understood here. As for the explanation of the specific maṇḍala: "The great Buddha Vairocana" indicates the maṇḍala of the five families, as he is the lord of the families. "The holy Gautama of the pure abodes" indicates the maṇḍala of Śākyamuni. "Vajrabhairava, the terrifier" [indicates the maṇḍala of Vajrabhairava].
With these words, the maṇḍala of Vajrabhairava is shown. "The terrifying six-faced king of wrathful deities" shows the maṇḍala of the youthful Ṣaṇmukha. "Halahala, the hundred-faced one" shows the maṇḍala of Mañjuśrī Śatamukha. "Yamāntaka, king of obstructors" shows the maṇḍala of Yamāntaka. "The five-faced one endowed with five topknots" shows the maṇḍala of Mañjuśrī Samantamukha. "The glorious one possessing the maṇḍala of the constellations" shows the maṇḍala of Śrī Nakṣatrarāja. "Lord of the gods" shows the maṇḍala of Viṣṇu. "Priest of the gods" shows the maṇḍala of Brahmā. "Master of the gods" shows the maṇḍala of Śakra. "Lord of the asuras" shows the maṇḍala of Rāhula. "Priest of the gods" shows the maṇḍala of Jupiter (Bṛhaspati). "The Destroyer" shows the maṇḍala of the planet Tvaṣṭṛ. The latter "Destroyer" shows the maṇḍala of the rākṣasa king, the ten-necked Laṅkā. "The powerful lord" shows the maṇḍala of Mahādeva. "Holding the sword of insight and the bow and arrow" shows the maṇḍala of Mañjuśrī Jñānasattva himself. Through these, those who have accumulated the collections are shown to offer praise to Mañjuśrī Jñānasattva by way of the grounds, the paths, and the doors of liberation. "The embodiment of meditative concentration, the supreme body, the sovereign of all sambhogakāyas."
"The nirmāṇakāya, the supreme of bodies," thus the result is shown. One should understand the praise of these and the five types of wisdom through this concise and extensive [explanation]. Having thus thoroughly realized the summarized meaning, in order to easily realize the meaning of the words, [the text says] "Then," and so forth. "Then" refers to the point after the fifteen thousand, nine hundred, and ninety-nine chapters of the sixteen-thousand-verse Māyājāla have been explained. Regarding "Glorious Vajradhara": this is the explanation of the perfect retinue, Vajrapāṇi. "Glorious" refers to the two form bodies (rūpakāya). "Vajra" is emptiness, the dharmakāya. "Holder" refers to the inseparability of the three bodies, the svabhāvikakāya. "Difficult to subdue" refers to the objects to be subdued, the three poisons. "Those who subdue" refers to the subduers, the three types of bodies. "Supreme" refers to Vajrapāṇi. "Hero who has conquered the three worlds" means he is called a "hero" because he completely suppresses all malevolent beings. "Conquered the three worlds" means he has triumphed over the three realms: the subterranean, the terrestrial, and the celestial. "Vajra Lord, King of Secrets": "Vajra" is emptiness. One who has realized the meaning of that emptiness is called a "Lord." Because that meaning is not shared with śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas, he is the "King of Secrets." Alternatively, "Secret" refers to the Secret Mantra Vehicle (Vajrayāna), and its "King" is Vajrapāṇi. If one asks, "What is the appearance of that Vajrapāṇi?"
"His eyes are like the full bloom of a white lotus," it is said. A white lotus is white in color, with a fine root, a sweet fragrance, nectar, and five petals. Likewise, Vajrapāṇi is unstained by the afflictions, accomplished through the two accumulations, taming others, endowed with compassion, and performing the welfare of beings through the five families. Alternatively, "His eyes are like the full bloom of a white lotus" means that, just as a lotus is unstained by the defects of mud, he possesses the five stainless eyes.
"He sits upon a seat of a full-blown lotus" means that he sits upon a seat of a full-blown lotus; the meaning is that although he dwells in saṃsāra, he is unstained by its faults. "In his own hand, the supreme vajra" means that he holds a vajra at his heart as a sign of having realized non-dual wisdom. As a sign of performing the welfare of others, he brandishes it again and again. This indicates his uncommon retinue.
Now, the common retinue of one thousand five hundred wrathful deities will be explained. To show the appearance of those wrathful deities, it says: "With successive rows of frowns, and so forth." "Frowns" refers to the frowning expression. "With successive rows, and so forth" refers to having yellow, bristling hair and beard; red eyes; a curled tongue and the upper teeth pressing against the lower lip; being short and hunched; a large belly; limbs that are wide-spread; minor limbs like the points of a vajra; being adorned with charnel ground ornaments and fierce decorations; and blazing, radiating weapons.
The necklace on the head and the abode of blazing fire are arranged in successive order, and so forth. If one asks who possesses such [qualities], it is the infinite Vajrapāṇi. Because he subdues those who are difficult to tame, he is a hero. Because he possesses the attire of a wrathful deity, he is terrifying. Because he wears a tiger-skin skirt, he has the appearance of a warrior. The radiating tips of vajras from the pores of his skin are for the benefit of others. Because he brandishes [the vajra] with his own hand, it is for his own benefit. Because he acts for the benefit of others through great compassion and realizes his own benefit through great wisdom, he is the supreme one who benefits beings through skillful means. All those in the retinue also have minds that are joyful, delighted, and thrilled by the meaning of Mañjuśrī-jñānasattva. The description of his possessing a wrathful physical form has already been explained. "Sang" (awakened) refers to the perfection of abandonment; "gye" (expanded) refers to the perfection of wisdom. "Phrin las" (enlightened activity) refers to the four activities: pacifying, enriching, magnetizing, and subjugating. "The protector who acts" is a term for acting as a protector of beings through these four activities. "Together with those who have bowed their bodies" means dwelling together with Vajrapāṇi. From that abode, [he addresses] the Tathāgata, the Blessed One, the Perfect Buddha—this refers to the Teacher, Śākyamuni. Because he has realized non-dual suchness and proceeds for the benefit of beings, he is a Tathāgata. "Bcom" (conquered) refers to the four māras. "Ldan" (endowed) refers to being endowed with the five wisdoms. "Das" (transcended) refers to having transcended the two extremes of eternalism and nihilism.
"Perfected" refers to the inconceivable, sublime qualities such as the powers and the fearlessnesses. "Buddha" refers to the three bodies. "Having prostrated" and so forth means with physical respect, verbal clarity, and mental devotion. "With palms joined" is the physical action. "Sitting in the presence" refers to the excellence of the teacher, sitting in the presence of Śākyamuni. "Thus I pray" is the connecting phrase, spoken verbally. "Pervasive Lord" means he is the Pervasive Lord because he pervades migratory beings with great compassion. "For my benefit" refers to Vajrapāṇi. "Out of compassion for me for my own sake" means for the sake of attaining non-dual wisdom. "Please explain this tantra so that I may, by means of the special method of the Net of Magical Illusion, attain manifest, perfect enlightenment" is the request. This concludes the teaching on the request for one's own benefit.
Now, to show the request for the benefit of others: "Afflictions" refers to the five or three poisons. "Agitated minds" means they are made to suffer intensely by those afflictions. "Ignorance" is the lack of primordial wisdom. "Sunk in the mud" means sunk in the mud of saṃsāra. "All sentient beings" refers to the six classes of migratory beings. "For their benefit" means for the sake of attaining the bliss of nirvāṇa. "For the sake of attaining the unsurpassed fruit" refers to the dharmakāya; it is a request to explain [the tantra] so that this may be attained. If one wonders to whom the request is addressed: it is to the Blessed One, the Perfect Buddha.
"Beings" refers to the six classes of beings. "Supreme" refers to the enlightened intent of the Buddha. "Mother" refers to that which teaches, brings forth, or gives birth to that [intent]. "Teacher" refers to one who turns others away from non-realization, wrong realization, and doubt. "Great Samaya" refers to not transgressing that [intent]. "Knower of Suchness" refers to the wisdom that knows the way things are (yathābhūta-jñāna), which is the realization of suchness (tattva). "By the supreme knower of the faculties and intentions" refers to the wisdom that knows the full extent of phenomena (yāvadbhāva-jñāna); the meaning is the wisdom that knows all the faculties and intentions of those to be trained. Such a teacher as you is the object of my supplication.
"The wisdom body of the Blessed One" refers to Mañjuśrī Jñānasattva, the Dharmakāya, which is the enlightened mind (citta). "Great Uṣṇīṣa, Lord of Words" refers to the nature of the body (kāya); it is invisible to those from the level of Bodhisattvas downward, a sign of being peerless and unsurpassed. "Lord of Words" refers to the excellence of speech; one who possesses such inexhaustible speech is called "Lord." Since such a one is not produced by causes and conditions, it is said: "The wisdom body, self-arisen." The name of Mañjuśrī Jñānasattva, who possesses such a body, is the "Supreme Perfect Expression." The words "Please explain its meaning" are the request. "Gentle" (mañju) means unstained by the thorns of dualistic conceptualization, which is the Dharmakāya. "Glorious" (śrī) means having become the glory of wandering beings, which is the Rūpakāya.
Because it knows the meaning of primordial wisdom (jñāna) as being primordially present, it is called "primordial wisdom." A "sattva" is one who is courageous in acting for the benefit of beings. "By name" refers to the title. "Perfectly expressed" means without error. "Supreme" means without rival. "Profound meaning" refers to the view, as it is not an object of the ordinary intellect. Because there is nothing that is not pervaded by such a meaning, it is called "vast meaning." Regarding "great and peerless meaning": because the perfect fulfillment of one's own welfare and the welfare of others arises from familiarizing oneself with such a meaning, it is called "great meaning." "Peerless" means it is not similar to the fruits of the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas. "Utterly peaceful" refers to the body (kāya) free from the two obscurations.
"Virtuous in the beginning, middle, and end" means that because this King of Tantras was spoken by the Buddhas of the past, it is "virtuous in the beginning." Because it is spoken by the Buddhas of the present, it is "virtuous in the middle." Because the Buddhas of the future will also speak it, it is "virtuous in the end." Alternatively, "virtuous in the beginning" is the view; "virtuous in the middle" is meditation; and "virtuous in the end" is the result. "That which was spoken again and again" means it was spoken with great emphasis. "Great Tantra" means it is superior to the four classes of tantra. "Māyājāla" is the name of the tantra. "From the [tantra] of sixteen thousand chapters" means: "Please explain the chapter on the Nāgas for this occasion." "Vajra" is emptiness. "Holder" means one who has realized its meaning in the heart.
"Great" refers to the peerless saṃbhogakāya. "Holder of Secret Mantra" refers to the realization of the essence of union, which is the dharmakāya. "Immeasurable" refers to the infinite nirmāṇakāyas. "With joy" means: "Please explain the song that expresses the meaning of Mañjuśrī, the Wisdom Being, as those Buddhas joyfully sing it."
"Because they act as protectors of beings, all the Protector Perfect Buddhas" refers to the three kāyas. "Holder of the Secret" refers to the indivisibility of the three kāyas. "In order that I may become [that] in every way" refers to the meaning of indivisibility; it means, "Please grant that I may attain it."
"Until I have definitely emerged" means until I have attained non-abiding nirvāṇa. "Hold this with a firm intention" is the meaning.
To show the request made for the sake of others: "To clear away all afflictions without exception" refers to the obscuration of afflictions (kleśāvaraṇa). "To clear away" means for the purpose of purifying those afflictions. "Ignorance" refers to the obscuration of the knowable (jñeyāvaraṇa). "In order to abandon them without exception" means for the sake of purifying all afflictions and obscurations of the knowable.
"According to the specific inclinations" means please explain in accordance with how the various faculties are understood. "To sentient beings" refers to individuals who are afflicted. "I wish to explain" means please explain the meaning of the various vehicles in the Nāga Chapter. "Lord of Secrets" refers to one who has mastery over Secret Mantra.
That is Vajrapāṇi. Regarding the phrase "to the Tathāgata, thus," a "Tathāgata" is one who has gone to the unerring meaning. "Having requested thus" means having requested an explanation of the meaning of the various vehicles. "With palms joined and body bowed, he sat before him" means he sat before Śākyamuni in a manner of reverence. Now, the preparation for explaining the tantra is shown. "Then" refers to the immediate past, specifically the moment immediately following his sitting before him. "Bhagavān" refers to the four Māras: the Māra of the Son of the Gods, the Māra of the Lord of Death, the Māra of the Afflictions, and the Māra of the Aggregates. "Endowed with" refers to the five wisdoms: the mirror-like wisdom, the wisdom of equality, the wisdom of individual discernment, the all-accomplishing wisdom, and the wisdom of the expanse of phenomena. "Śākya" refers to the royal lineage of the Śākyas. "Muni" means one whose speech is restrained among the Śākyas; alternatively, he is a "Muni" because he has subdued the four Māras through the ten powers. "The Perfect Buddha, supreme among bipeds" means that "bipeds" are gods and humans, and the supreme among them is Śākyamuni. "His own" refers to Śākyamuni. "From his mouth, the excellent tongue" refers to its perfect color and shape. "Long" refers to its length. "Broad" refers to its width. "Extended it" means that light issued from the tongue, illuminating the three worlds, such as the desire realm, and thereby subduing the enemies, the four Māras. Immediately following that, he displayed a smile.
It is called "purifying the three lower realms of sentient beings," which is a term for making them pure. The speech of Brahmā consists of sixty branches. "Melodious" refers to speech that is pleasing to the mind. Having filled all the three worlds, such as the desire realm and so forth, the powerful Vajrapāṇi spoke again to the Lord of Secrets; this refers to the response to the request. If one asks what was said: having addressed Vajrapāṇi as "one endowed with great compassion," for the sake of benefiting wandering beings, Vajrapāṇi, by the mere recitation of the names of Mañjuśrī, which is a body that appears yet lacks inherent existence, great purpose arises; it "purifies obscurations" and "clears away sins," meaning it frees one from all stains. "You who are diligent in listening to me" refers to Śākyamuni. "Diligent" means without interruption. "Excellent, glorious Vajradhara!"—this is excellent for having requested it for your own sake. "Vajrapāṇi, you are excellent!"—this is excellent for having requested it for the sake of others. "Therefore, I shall explain"—because of that request for the sake of the natural state, the meaning is that I, Śākyamuni, have taught Vajrapāṇi the path together with its result. "Listen with a one-pointed mind" means without distraction. "The Blessed One replied, 'Excellent!'"—this is a transitional phrase. The Blessed One Śākyamuni, perceiving that all those in the assembly belonged to different lineages, perceived some as belonging to the lineage of the Secret Mantra, the union of deities.
Some are seen as belonging to the "great family," meaning those fortunate enough for the completion stage. Some are seen as individuals for whom the generation and completion stages are common, meaning "all." Some are seen as individuals who delight in the solitary deity, as indicated by the phrase, "the family of mantra-holders and vidyā-holders." Alternatively, "the three families are clearly seen" refers to the families of body, speech, and mind. "Worldly" refers to that which is imputed by distorted cognition. "Supramundane family" refers to nirvāṇa, in which delusion has been exhausted. "Illuminator of the world" refers to the family of the non-Buddhists, who are characterized by the investigation of a continuous stream of reasoning that illuminates the world. "And the great family" refers to those who have turned away from the non-Buddhists, seen as individuals of the Pāramitāyāna. "The supreme family of Mahāmudrā" means that "mudrā" is emptiness, which transcends the intellect; "seal" means that there is nothing not pervaded by that emptiness; and "great" means that because an individual who realizes such a state is without rival, it is called the "supreme family." "Having clearly seen the great family of the Uṣṇīṣa" refers to seeing the individual who cannot be overwhelmed, the most distinguished and unsurpassed individual. "Lord of speech" refers to Śākyamuni. "Verses" means the contraction of the prose, the meaning of which is the summary of the "Nāga Chapter" of the Māyājāla. What did he speak? "Endowed with the six kings of secret mantra," which refers to the words that follow. "Secret mantra" refers to the union.
"King" refers to the uncommon path. "Six" refers to the vowel group. "Endowed" means together with the method syllable A. "Arising non-dually" means that, conventionally, the consonants and vowels are non-dual; ultimately, awareness and emptiness are non-dual. "Unarisen" refers to the ultimate truth. "Phenomena" refers to the conventional truth. "Spoke this" means he taught it to the retinue in an indivisible manner. These demonstrate the excellence of the introductory setting along with the application for explaining the tantra.
Now, the actual tantra will be shown: "By means of the methods of various vehicles." This means it shall be explained in the manner of the various vehicles. In general, although the gateways of the vehicles are diverse and inconceivable, they are subsumed into two: the Vehicle of Perfections and the Vehicle of Secret Mantra. For the time being, it shall be explained by way of the Vehicle of Perfections: A Ā is the perfection of generosity; I Ī is the perfection of ethical discipline; U Ū is the perfection of patience; E AI is the perfection of diligence; O AU is the perfection of meditative concentration; and Aṃ Aḥ is the perfection of wisdom. These should be understood as mundane and supramundane through the distinction of long and short vowels.
In that regard, mundane generosity is practiced by perceiving the three spheres: the giver, the recipient, and the object to be given. Supramundane generosity is the complete purity of the three spheres. The same should be understood for ethical discipline and the other perfections.
Explaining this in terms of Secret Mantra: A Ā is clarity without conceptualization, the mirror-like wisdom (ādarśa-jñāna). I Ī is freedom from all partiality, the wisdom of equality (samatā-jñāna). U Ū is the wisdom that realizes the non-duality of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, the discerning wisdom (pratyavekṣaṇā-jñāna). E Ai is the all-accomplishing wisdom (kṛtyānuṣṭhāna-jñāna), in which the welfare of beings arises without effort. O Au is the indivisibility of those wisdoms, the wisdom of the expanse of phenomena (dharmadhātu-jñāna). Aṃ means that those wisdoms are endowed with emptiness (śūnyatā). Aḥ means that I shall meditate upon the meaning of the indivisibility of wisdom and emptiness.
If one asks where the meaning of the non-duality of insight (prajñā) and wisdom (jñāna) is to be meditated upon: Sthito means "established," referring to the excellence of the place, which is auspicious and delightful. Hṛdi means "in the heart." What is the heart? It is jñāna, the five wisdoms. Mūrti means "continuity," signifying that one should meditate on those wisdoms continuously. Ahaṃ means "I," signifying that the yogi meditates. Buddho means "Buddha," the result. Buddhānāṃ refers to the two bodies (kāya).
Tryadhvavartīnām means the inseparability of the three bodies (kāya). Because that meaning of inseparability is endowed with the five wisdoms (jñāna), it is called Oṃ. Because that wisdom cuts through all conceptualizations of duality, it is called Vajratīkṣṇa, the "Vajra Sharpness." Duḥkhaccheda means cutting through the afflictions (kleśa). Prajñājñāna is the wisdom of insight (prajñā-jñāna), which is the Mind. Because such wisdom is uninterrupted, it is called Mūrtaye, the "Continuum." Jñānakāya is the Body of Wisdom, which is the Body. Vāgīśvara is the Lord of Speech, which is the Speech. Such Body, Speech, and Mind arise from realizing the view of non-arising, which is A. Because one practices through the cultivation of great bliss, it is Ra. Because that view and meditation are unstained by any faults, it is the Lotus, Pa. Because such a state is liberated through the common conduct of the generation and completion stages, it is Ca. Nāya means that through knowledge (vidyā), all phenomena (dharma) should be known as non-arising. Te means free from bestowing a result. Namaḥ means the unerring meaning. By these, the meaning of the tantra is shown as condensed into mantra. "Thus, the Buddha, the Blessed One" refers to the three bodies explained above. "The perfect Buddha arises from A" means that he arises from the realization of A as non-arising. A is non-arising, the ultimate truth (paramārtha). "All syllables" refers to all conventional phenomena (saṃvṛti-dharma). "Supreme" means inseparable.
Through practicing in such a manner, "great purpose" refers to the arising of one's own welfare and the welfare of others. "The supreme syllable" refers to the unerring path. "Arising from within, it is unborn" means that all phenomena are pervaded by the unborn nature of reality (dharmatā). To demonstrate the nature of that non-arising: "It is free from verbal expression" means it is not an object of the intellect. "The supreme cause of all expressions" means that from non-arising, everything arises in the manner of manifestation. It is the manifestation of various forms that make all words clearly intelligible. Such a state is praised by way of being the nature of Mañjuśrī, the Wisdom Being (jñānasattva). "The great offering" means that since this Wisdom Being is the object of worship, it is the "great offering." "Great passion" refers to attachment to the welfare of beings. "Bringing joy to all sentient beings" means satisfying the mental continuums of all those to be trained. "The great offering, great hatred" refers to the fact that all phenomena are empty and selfless. Because they are empty and selfless, it is called "the great enemy of all afflictions," meaning it destroys all afflictions (kleśa). The "great offering" has already been explained. "Great delusion" refers to insight (prajñā). "The intellect of delusion" means that because this great insight dispels ignorance, it is called "dispelling delusion." "Great wrath" refers to Mañjuśrī, the Wisdom Being. "Great wrath" means being free from all conceptualizations of duality.
"Great enemy" means the term for that which dispels all conceptualizations of duality. "Great wrath, the great enemy" means that "great wrath" is Mañjuśrī, the Wisdom Being (jñānasattva), and "great enemy" refers to Mañjuśrī’s subduing [of adversaries]. "Great attachment" refers to the Wisdom Being. "Dispelling all attachment" means cutting through all forms of clinging. "Great desire" is the source from which clarity arises. "Great bliss" refers to the dharmakāya. "Great joy, great delight" means that which brings satisfaction to all sentient beings, namely the two rūpakāyas. "Great form, and a great body" means performing the welfare of beings by way of a great form and a great body. "Great color" means performing the welfare of beings by way of various colors such as white and so forth. "Great body" refers to its breadth. "Great in volume" refers to its length. It is called "great" because it is renowned everywhere. It is called "vast" because it pervades all beings. "The great maṇḍala is expansive" means performing the welfare of beings by way of the entire maṇḍala. "Insight" (prajñā) is emptiness (śūnyatā). It is symbolized because it cuts through conceptualizations of duality. "Wielding" means that Mañjuśrī possesses [it]. It is called the "great hook" because it draws [beings] out from the mire of the afflictions (kleśa). It is called "greatly renowned" because it is famous among all those to be trained. It is called "great fame" because it is perfected in all qualities without exception.
Great appearance is the saṃbhogakāya. Great clarity is the dharmakāya. "The wise one who holds the great māyā" means that "wise" refers to being skilled in the welfare of beings, which is the nirmāṇakāya. "Great māyā" refers to various methods. "Holds" is the fifth [case]. The accomplishment of the purpose of the great māyā is accomplished by way of the deities of the generation stage. "Delighting in the joy of the great māyā" is by way of the completion stage. "The great māyā who possesses the magical display" means performing the welfare of beings by way of the common generation and completion stages.
Now, the praise by way of the ten perfections is shown. Regarding generosity, there are four: material, fearlessness, Dharma, and loving-kindness. These, when not perceived in terms of the three spheres, are supramundane generosity. Its master is Mañjuśrī Jñānasattva, who is called the "Principal." Ethics are threefold: the ethics of restraint, the ethics of acting for the welfare of sentient beings, and the ethics of gathering virtuous qualities. "Great" means not perceiving the three spheres, thus being supramundane. The supreme holder is the Jñānasattva. Patience is threefold: the patience of being unperturbed by harm, the patience of accepting suffering, and the patience of certain reflection on the Dharma. "Great" means not perceiving the three spheres, thus being supramundane. The holder is the Jñānasattva. "The steadfast one" means the unchanging.
There are three types of diligence: the diligence of armor, the diligence of application, and the diligence of not being content. "One who is disciplined" means one who is disciplined from cyclic existence through the power of diligence. There are two types of meditative concentration: calm abiding and special insight. Calm abiding is one-pointedness of focus. Special insight is the emptiness of the self of persons and the self of phenomena. "Great" means the non-apprehension of the three spheres, which is supramundane. "Abiding in samādhi" means possessing the wisdom-being. There are two types of insight: causal insight and resultant insight. Causal insight consists of the three—hearing, reflection, and meditation. Resultant insight is the unerring realization of the meaning. "Great" means the non-apprehension of the three spheres, which is supramundane. "Bearing the body" refers to the wisdom-being. "Power" refers to the ten powers that cannot be overcome by others. "Great" means the non-apprehension of the three spheres, which is supramundane. "Method and insight" means possessing the inconceivable gateways of the vehicles. "Great" means the non-apprehension of the three spheres. "Aspiration" means the arising of the welfare of migratory beings. "Wisdom" means possessing the wisdom that knows the nature of reality as it is and the wisdom that knows the full extent of phenomena; "ocean" means possessing inexhaustible wisdom. Now follows the praise by way of love, compassion, enlightened activity, and miraculous power. "Great love" means immeasurable love that is without partiality.
One who possesses great compassion, the supreme intellect, is the wisdom-being (jñānasattva). One who possesses great wisdom and a great mind is also that very same one. "Greatly learned" means being skilled in the welfare of beings. "Possessing great skillful means" means by way of the various vehicles. "Endowed with the power of great miraculous abilities" means possessing inconceivable miraculous powers, such as passing through walls and enclosures, traveling everywhere with an unimpeded body, and emitting smoke and blazing fire. "Great force" means overcoming the strength of others. "Great speed" means being swift in the welfare of beings. "Great miraculous ability" is the wisdom-being. "Greatly renowned" means being without rival. "Great power that subdues the opponent" means subduing those to be trained. "The mountain of existence" refers to the three realms of existence. "Crushing the great" refers to ignorance. "Hard" refers to the inseparability of awareness and emptiness. "Wielding the great vajra" means having realized the meaning of inseparability in the mind. "Greatly fierce" is the wisdom-being. "Greatly violent" means subduing through wrathful activities. "Great terror" refers to the grasping at a self. "Causing terror" means teaching the wisdom that is free from extremes. "Protector" means one who provides protection. "Family" refers to the five. "Supreme" is the wisdom-being. "La" is the intention of the Buddha. "Ma" is that which brings it forth. If one asks what the intention of the Buddha is: it is the supreme great secret mantra, which is free from extremes.
"Abiding in the way of the Great Vehicle" refers to the path of the bodhisattvas together with its result. Because it teaches such a path to wandering beings, it is the supreme way of the Great Vehicle.
"The great Buddha Vairocana" indicates the maṇḍala of the five families. "Buddha" refers to the dharmakāya, which is the perfection of abandonment and the perfection of wisdom. "Vairocana" refers to the saṃbhogakāya, adorned with the major and minor marks. "The Great Maker" refers to the nirmāṇakāya, which acts for the benefit of beings through the twelve deeds.
"The Great Sage" is Śākyamuni. "Possessing the Great Sage" means that the qualities and wisdom of Śākyamuni are also possessed by the wisdom being (jñānasattva).
"The great way of Secret Mantra" refers to the generation stage and the completion stage. Regarding those, the generation stage consists of the outer generation stage, the inner generation stage, and the profound generation stage. The outer generation stage is the meditation on a single deity, whether many or few. The inner generation stage is the meditation on the union of deities. The profound generation stage is the meditation on the channels and winds. Knowing all of these to be without intrinsic nature is the completion stage.
"Arisen from activity" refers to the three bodies (kāyas). "Possessing the nature of the great way of Secret Mantra" means that you, the wisdom being, possess the nature common to both the generation and completion stages.
Now, the perfections, the ten grounds, and...
The praise by way of inconceivable qualities has been shown, and the ten perfections have been explained. The meaning of "You have attained the wisdom-being" is that you have attained [them]. "Abiding in the ten perfections" is a term meaning that, having abided [there], one acts for the benefit of beings. "Pure" means the realization that all perfections are indivisible. "Method" means teaching the ten perfections to beings. "Protector" refers to the wisdom-being. "Sovereign of the ten grounds" means having attained mastery over the ten grounds. "Dweller" means acting for the benefit of beings while dwelling on the tenth ground. "Ten knowledges" refers to the knowledge of phenomena, the knowledge of subsequent realization, the knowledge of others' minds, conventional knowledge, the knowledge of suffering, the knowledge of origin, the knowledge of cessation, the knowledge of the path, the knowledge of exhaustion, and the knowledge of non-arising. "Utterly pure" means knowing that the ten knowledges of the śrāvakas are without intrinsic nature. "Possessing the nature" refers to the wisdom-being. "The ten aspects" refers to grasping at [the self] as a single entity, grasping at it as a cause, grasping at it as an enjoyer, grasping at it as an agent, grasping at it as independent, grasping at it as permanent, grasping at it as afflicted, grasping at it as purified, grasping at it as a yogi, and grasping at the unliberated as liberated. The "meaning of the ten meanings" means that the wisdom-being has fully realized those ten points of the non-Buddhists.
The Lord of Sages is the sovereign of sages, having conquered the four māras. The ten powers are: the power of knowing what is possible and what is impossible; the power of knowing the various inclinations; the power of knowing meditative concentrations and absorptions; the power of knowing the liberations and meditative attainments; the power of knowing affliction and purification; the power of knowing karma and the ripening of karma; the power of knowing the paths leading everywhere; the power of recollecting former abodes; the power of knowing death, transition, and rebirth; and the power of knowing the exhaustion of the outflows. Because he benefits beings through these ten powers, he is the "Pervasive Lord," as it is said: "He accomplishes the welfare of all without exception."
If one asks, "Is he untainted by faults while performing the welfare of beings?" it is said: "The Great One possessing the ten masteries." The ten masteries are: mastery over life, mastery over karma, mastery over requisites, mastery over inclination, mastery over aspiration, mastery over miraculous powers, mastery over birth, mastery over phenomena, mastery over the mind, and mastery over wisdom. Possessing these ten masteries, he is untainted by faults.
Now, he is praised by way of the three bodies. First, he is praised by way of the dharmakāya: "Beginningless" means empty of causes. "Non-conceptual self" means free from defects. "The self of suchness, the pure self" means empty of its own essence.
"Speaking the truth" refers to the saṃbhogakāya; "speaking the truth" means the Mahāyāna. "Words that do not change" means the meaning of "perfect truth." "Acting exactly as one speaks" refers to the excellence of the retinue, namely the bodhisattvas of the ten grounds. "Non-dual" means the indivisibility of the ultimate truth and the relative truth. Having realized that, one teaches non-duality to wandering beings. "Abiding in the limit of reality" is a phrase that teaches the view of this tantra; the "limit of reality" is the unerring ultimate meaning. Its knowledge does not abide in an object, does not abide as the object of any tantra or treatise, and transcends the intellect. "Possessing the lion’s roar of selflessness" refers to the nirmāṇakāya; it is the sound of the selflessness of persons and the selflessness of phenomena, which is like a lion. For example, just as the lion, the king of beasts, overpowers and terrifies all wild animals without exception by the mere sound of its roar, likewise, the sound of the selflessness of the wisdom-being (jñānasattva) terrifies the non-Buddhists, who are like inferior wild animals. "All-pervading" means going to all directions and times. "Meaningful" means going for the sake of wandering beings. "Power" means performing the welfare of others through the ten powers. "As swift as the mind of a Tathāgata" means being rapid in the welfare of wandering beings. "Victors" refers to the śrāvakas. "Complete Victors" refers to the bodhisattvas.
"Victorious over enemies" refers to the Buddha, who has exhausted all obscurations. The manner in which that nirmāṇakāya benefits beings is like that of a universal monarch (cakravartin); "possessing great power" is a term for benefiting beings through various means. "Assembly" refers to the śrāvakas. "Master" refers to the nirmāṇakāya, Śākyamuni. "Assembly" refers to the pratyekabuddhas. "Supreme" refers to the masters of the pratyekabuddhas, such as the Lords of the Three Families. "Assembly" refers to the saṅgha of bodhisattvas. "Lord" refers to the saṃbhogakāya, such as Vairocana. "Assembly" and "self" refer to the wisdom (jñāna) free from extremes, the dharmakāya. "Endowed with mastery" means that all of these are possessed by the wisdom being (jñānasattva). "Great might" refers to the wisdom being. "Cherished" refers to those to be trained (vineya). "Holding" means not abandoning them through compassion. "Great method" refers to the Mahāyāna. "Not dependent on others" means not relying on other conditioned factors. "Words" refers to words of provisional meaning. "Lord" refers to the nirmāṇakāya. "Words" refers to the words of the Mahāyāna. "Self" refers to the saṃbhogakāya. "Skilled in speech" means having attained mastery over words. "Mastery over words, infinite words" means that, having realized one's own welfare, one speaks true words to others.
Regarding the phrase "the four truths," the path of the Śrāvakas is to be explained. The four truths are the truth of suffering, the truth of the origin, the truth of cessation, and the truth of the path. "The Teacher" refers to the Wisdom Being (jñānasattva). "Non-returners and those who do not return" refers to the four pairs of persons and the eight types of individuals, which are the fruits of the Śrāvakas. "The Guide" refers to the one who leads all beings, the Wisdom Being. "Pratyekabuddhas" refers to individuals who meditate on the twelve links of dependent origination in reverse order; they possess great insight and are persons who do not delight in acting as teachers or for the sake of wandering beings. Furthermore, they belong to the class of those possessing pride, who, having analyzed through their own insight, meditate on calm abiding (śamatha) and special insight (vipaśyanā). "In the manner of a rhinoceros" refers to the fruit, being solitary like a rhinoceros with a single horn. "Various renunciations" refers to the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment. "Arising from activity" refers to soaring in a flock like a small bird. "The great elements" refers to the "great elements" because they have never arisen for the sake of wandering beings and have no interest in them. "The single cause" refers to the essence, the mind of enlightenment (bodhicitta). "Monks, Arhats, whose contaminants are exhausted" refers to those such as Kāśyapa and others, who manifest as inconceivable numbers of Arhats to act for the benefit of wandering beings. "Free from attachment" means the pacification of internal grasping. "With senses subdued" means the taming of the external. "Attaining bliss" is nirvāṇa.
Attaining fearlessness is the destruction of the four māras. Becoming cool is being free from the torment of attachment. Being untroubled is being free from obscurations. "Knowledge" refers to the training in higher meditative concentration. "Feet" is a term indicating two things: the trainings in ethical discipline and insight. The Sugata is the wisdom-being (jñānasattva). The supreme knower of the world is one who knows the mental continuums of those to be trained. "Not grasping at 'mine' and not grasping at 'I'" means being free from the grasping and conceptualization of one's own continuum. The two truths are the ultimate and the conventional. Abiding in the way is realizing them as inseparable. The far shore of saṃsāra is the path of seeing. Reaching the end is the eleventh ground. Having done what was to be done is the completion of the two accumulations. Abiding on dry land is the attainment of nirvāṇa. "Arisen solely from wisdom" means benefiting beings by way of knowing the nature of reality as it is and knowing the full extent of phenomena. The great weapon of insight is emptiness. That which utterly destroys is all phenomena of substantial existence. The Dharma King of the sublime Dharma is the unerring view. Being endowed with clarity is the meditation of non-grasping cognition. The supreme illuminator of the world is appearing in various ways without attachment, which is conduct. "Dharma" refers to saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. "Sovereign" is one who has gained mastery over them. The "Dharma King" is the wisdom-being. The definitive path is the non-duality of the two truths. The "Teacher" is for the sake of wandering beings. "Po" is a term of address meaning "you yourself."
"Accomplishing the aim" refers to one's own welfare. "Accomplishing the intention" refers to the welfare of others. "Abandoning all conceptualization" means being free from subject and object. "The inexhaustible expanse of non-conceptuality" means the sense of being without increase or decrease. "The supreme, inexhaustible expanse of phenomena" means possessing inexhaustible qualities. "The locus of all delusion" means it arises from the accumulation of the collection of merit. "Wisdom" refers to the collection of wisdom. "Supreme wisdom" means being unsurpassed. "Possessing wisdom" means knowing the nature of reality as it is and knowing the full extent of phenomena. "Existence and non-existence" means being liberated from all extremes. The "two collections" are merit and wisdom. The "accumulator" is the wisdom-being (jñānasattva). "Permanent" refers to the dharmakāya. "Victorious over all" means being victorious over saṃsāra. "Yoga" refers to the nature of phenomena (dharmatā). "Union" refers to the union with the intellect. "Possessing" is a word of endowment. "Meditative concentration" refers to calm abiding and special insight. Because one should contemplate in such a way, it is "that which is to be contemplated." "Intellect" refers to insight (prajñā). "Possessing" refers to the wisdom-being. "Supreme" means being superior to the ninth bhūmi and below. "Individual" refers to saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. "Self-awareness" refers to the mind. "Immovable" means that all of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are not moved from the mind. "The supreme first" is self-awareness. "Holder of the three bodies" refers to the dharmakāya, sambhogakāya, and nirmāṇakāya. "Holder" means possessing them as wisdom. "The nature of the five Buddha bodies" refers to the dharmakāya and...
[He is] the enjoyment body, the emanation body, the essence body, and the body of great bliss. Because he pervades the welfare of beings, he is the "Pervasive Lord." The "Lord of the five wisdoms" refers to the mirror-like wisdom and so forth. The "Lord of the five buddhas" refers to Vairocana. The "one with a crown" means that the wisdom being is used as an ornament upon his head. The "five eyes" are the flesh eye, the divine eye, the dharma eye, the buddha eye, and the insight eye. "Holding to non-attachment" means being without clinging. "The progenitor of all buddhas" is a praise in the sense that you, the wisdom being, have become the father and mother of all buddhas of the three times. "The supreme, holy son of the buddhas" is a praise in the sense that you are also the son of all the Sugatas.
Here, an objection might be raised: "The nature of the wisdom being is free from all causes and conditions, yet here, by the term 'son,' there is the impurity of birth." This is not so; it means that apart from the wisdom being itself arising as the nature of the three realms of existence, there is no birth, and thus there is no impurity of birth. Furthermore, if the unborn nature of the three realms is the nature of the wisdom being, then it has become an object of the intellect, and thus there is the impurity of a functional entity. This is not so; "phenomena" refers to all of samsara and nirvana. "Arising from karma" means that because everything arises from dependent origination, its essence is unborn. Therefore, [there is no impurity].
Regarding the phrase "dispelling existence," there is no turbidity of functional entities. Furthermore, if it is asked: "If all phenomena are unborn, then since each individual phenomenon possesses its own non-arising, does there not exist the turbidity of multiplicity?" It is not so; for although the phenomena are many and distinct, their essence is one in its non-arising. Thus, it is said: "The singular, solid vajra self." There is no turbidity of multiplicity. "Solid" means indivisible. "Vajra" is emptiness. "Self" means: "Emptiness pervades all." If it is asked: "Since one takes as the path that which is free from multiplicity, does there not exist the turbidity of the path or of mental engagement?" It is not so; for it is said: "The self of beings, present as soon as they are born." This means that at the very moment of conceptualization, the realization of the Buddhas is reached from the perspective of the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas; thus, there is no turbidity of the path. If it is asked: "Since it is said to be 'present as soon as born,' does that wisdom-being (jñānasattva) not become conditioned or artificial, having been produced from causes and conditions?" It is not so; for it is said: "Arising from space, self-arisen." Because it is not produced by causes and conditions, it is like space. Being self-arisen, there is no turbidity of artificiality. If it is asked: "If it is like space, space lacks mind; since it remains in a state of non-recollection, does there not exist the turbidity of the view of nihilism?" It is not so; for "insight" (prajñā) is emptiness, and "wisdom" (jñāna) is awareness. Since awareness and emptiness are indivisible, there is no turbidity of the view of nihilism. "Great fire" means that by means of that indivisibility, the conceptualizations of duality are incinerated. If it is asked: "Since 'great fire' implies that things are incinerated by fire and thereby rendered non-existent," [it is not so].
If it is argued that there is the turbidity of non-existence, it is not so; for it is said, "The great light makes all appear," and thus, because it appears in every way as inseparable, there is no turbidity of non-existence. If it is argued that when it appears in every way, the duality of the object of appearance and the subject that appears arises, and thus there is the turbidity of ignorance, it is not so; for it is said, "Wisdom is the shining star." For example, just as a star not obscured by clouds is vivid, radiant, and clear everywhere, so too, because that wisdom does not fail to know anything, there is no turbidity of ignorance. If it is argued that because it is "shining," there is the turbidity of partiality, it is not so; for that lamp of wisdom, which is like a lamp for all beings, is without direction or bias, and thus there is no turbidity of partiality. Such a wisdom-being is described as: "The great majesty, the clear light."
Regarding "the supreme mantra," it is A, the unborn. "The Sovereign" means the realization of the unborn. "The King of Vidyā-mantras" means having attained mastery over all mantras. "The King of Secret Mantra, performing the great purpose" means performing the purpose of the union of the deities. "The Great Uṣṇīṣa, the marvelous crown" refers to the body that cannot be overwhelmed. "Space" is emptiness. "The Lord" is the wisdom-being. "The manifold purpose" refers to sentient beings. "All Buddhas" refers to the Sugatas of the three times. "The supreme body" refers to the wisdom-being.
If one possesses the eye of wisdom that delights all beings, one performs the welfare of beings through various forms. "Sage" (ṛṣi) refers to the Buddha, who is faultless. "Great ones" refers to those endowed with qualities. They also make offerings to you and express praise with their speech. The "three families" are body, speech, and mind. "Possessing secret mantra" means possessing method and insight. "Holding secret mantra" means causing others to hold it. "Lord" means being without rival. "The Three Jewels" means carrying them upon the crown of the head. The "three vehicles" means performing the welfare of beings by way of the vehicles of the śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas. "Amogha" (Meaningful) means performing the welfare of beings. "Lasso" refers to the lasso of compassion. "Victorious" means victorious over saṃsāra. "Great Holder" means holding beings. "Vajra" is emptiness. "Lasso" is compassion. "Vajra Hook and Lasso" symbolizes that very gatekeeper. "Great" symbolizes the chain and the bell. "Vajra Bhairava" means performing the welfare of beings by way of the thirteen-deity maṇḍala of Bhairava. "Terrifying" means transforming the five poisons into the five wisdoms. "King of the Wrathful, Six-Faced and Terrifying, Six-Eyed, Six-Armed, and Powerful, Baring the Fangs of Skeletons"—this means performing the welfare of beings by way of the thirteen-deity maṇḍala of the Youthful Six-Faced One. "Hala hala" means "pierce, pierce!"
The "Hundred-Faced One" acts for the benefit of beings by means of the maṇḍala of the Hundred-Faced One. "Yama" refers to a corpse. "Lord" (rje) refers to the Lord of Life (the vital principle). "Slayer" (gshed) refers to the wrathful deity who is its antidote. Alternatively, "Yama" refers to the sentient beings of the three realms. "Lord" refers to the ego. "Slayer" refers to the two stages of generation and completion. "King of Obstructors" refers to the clearing away of the four māras. In general, he acts for the benefit of beings by means of the Yamāntaka maṇḍala. Knowing all those maṇḍalas to be without intrinsic nature is "Great Power." "Terrifier" refers to saṃsāra. "Vajra Renown" refers to the arising of the manifold from emptiness. "Vajra Essence" refers to the inseparability of the manifold and emptiness. "Vajra Illusion" means that "illusion" is the illusion of emptiness, and "manifestation" is the arising as the manifold. "Vajra" means inseparability. "Great-Bellied One" is the body of the wrathful deity. "Vajra-Born, Vajra-Self" is the play of emptiness within emptiness. "Vajra Essence Like Space" refers to the example and the meaning. "Immovable" means stable. "Proud with a Single Lock of Hair" refers to the hair. "Wearing an Elephant's Raw Hide as Clothing" refers to the upper garment. "Proclaiming the Great Renown 'Ha Ha'" is teaching method and insight to others. "Proclaiming 'Hi Hi' to Terrify" is familiarizing oneself within one's own continuum. "Great Laughter" is joy. "Possessing a Roaring Laughter" is supreme joy. "Proclaiming the Great Vajra Laughter."
This teaches emptiness. "Vajra" refers to emptiness. "Mind" refers to awareness. "Hero" refers to their indivisibility. "Great Being" refers to the welfare of others. "Vajra King, Great Bliss" refers to the Sambhogakāya. "Vajra Wrathful One, Great Joy" refers to the wrathful form. "Vajra Hūṃ, Proclaiming Hūṃ" refers to the gateway of the syllable of speech. "Holding the vajra arrow as a weapon, cutting everything without exception with the vajra sword" refers to the gateway of the hand implements of the mind. "Vajra-Body Holder, the Vajra-Holder" refers to the gateway of the body. "The solitary Vajra, Dispeller of Battle" refers to the reversal of saṃsāra through emptiness. "Blazing Vajra, Unbearable Eye" refers to possessing the eye of primordial wisdom. "The hair is also blazing vajra" refers to the hair of the head. "Vajra Descent, the Great Descent" refers to the consecration. "Hundred-eyed, the Vajra Eye" refers to possessing inconceivable eyes. "The body has vajra body-hairs" refers to all the body hairs abiding as subtle vajras. "The body is a single vajra-hair" refers to the entire body being pervaded by vajras. "The nails are the tips of vajras" refers to all the limbs and digits being like the tips of vajras. "Vajra Essence, Hard Skin" refers to possessing vajra skin. "Wearing a vajra garland, Glorious One, adorned with vajra ornaments."
This means he is adorned with vajra ornaments. "He resounds with the laughter of 'Ha Ha'" refers to his speech that cannot be overwhelmed. "The six-syllable vajra sound" refers to arapacana. "The great Mañjughoṣa of great sound" refers to the wisdom being (jñānasattva). "The single sound throughout the three worlds" means there is nothing unheard within the three realms of existence. "Proclaiming sound throughout the expanse of space" means that wherever space pervades, he proclaims the profound and vast sound to sentient beings. "The supreme among those possessing sound" means he has become the supreme among all conditioned phenomena (saṃskāra). "Perfect selflessness, suchness" means empty of the self of persons and the self of phenomena. "The ultimate reality, without syllables" means transcending words and conventions; it is the loss of views, the subsiding of conventions, and the dissolution of all philosophical tenets. "The bull among speakers of emptiness" refers to the wisdom being, who is the most supreme among all teachers. "Profound" refers to the vehicle of Secret Mantra. "Vast" refers to the vehicle of the Perfections (pāramitā). "Proclaiming sound" refers to [teaching] those to be trained. "The conch of Dharma, possessing great sound" means teaching the profound. "The great-sounding gong of Dharma" means teaching the vast. If one asks what the nature of that wisdom being who teaches in such a way is, it is called "non-abiding nirvāṇa," which is a term for being free from extremes. "The great drum of Dharma in the ten directions" means teaching so as to pervade all.
"Formless" refers to the dharmakāya. "Supreme excellent form" refers to the saṃbhogakāya. "Possessing various forms, born of the mind, the glory in which all forms appear, the bearer of all reflections without exception"—this refers to the nirmāṇakāya. Alternatively, "born of the mind" refers to the view of the Yogācāra school. "Peerless and renowned as great" means being without equal and all-pervasive. The "three realms" are the desire realm and so forth. "Sovereign" means having attained mastery over them. The "noble path" consists of the eight branches. "Abiding on high" refers to the eleventh ground. "Greatly flourishing" means expanded, endowed with all qualities. "Dharma" refers to all of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. "Pinnacle" means having become the summit of those. The "three worlds" are the desire realm and so forth. "Single youthful body" refers to Mañjuśrī in the form of a youth. "Elder, ancient, lord of beings" means performing the welfare of migratory beings by way of being a noble arhat. "Thirty-two" refers to being adorned with the thirty-two major marks: the seven very high [parts], long fingers, broad heels, a body large and straight, body hairs curling to the right, the face adorned with the ūrṇā hair-tuft, and so forth. "Handsome, beautiful in the three worlds" means possessing the eighty minor marks, such as nails red like the color of copper. "World" means knowing that saṃsāra is without intrinsic nature.
"Excellent" (legs) refers to the knowledge that nirvāṇa is without intrinsic nature. "Master" (slob dpon) refers to the wisdom-being (jñānasattva). "The fearless master of the world" means he has become the foremost of all beings. "Protector and savior" refers to nirvāṇa. "The world" refers to saṃsāra. "Beloved" means he is beautiful to all beings. "Refuge" refers to all those to be trained without exception. "Savior" refers to the one who tames. "Unsurpassed" means being without equal; it is the wisdom-being.
If one asks, "To what extent does he act for the benefit of those to be trained?" it is said: "He enjoys the limits of space." This is a term for acting for the benefit of those to be trained wherever space pervades. The "ocean of omniscient wisdom" is the wisdom that knows the full extent of phenomena (ji snyed pa). His acting for the benefit of beings is expressed as: "He breaks the shell of the egg of ignorance." Ignorance is the failure to know the existence of the causality of actions, the Three Jewels, and the truths; because it obscures liberation and nirvāṇa, it is like the shell of an egg. "Breaking" is a term for clearing away the cataracts of ignorance.
"Existence" refers to the three realms. "Net" refers to ignorance. "Crushing" means to destroy. Not only does he destroy ignorance alone, but he also pacifies all afflictions without exception. "Cyclic existence" refers to the four: birth, aging, sickness, and death. "Ocean" means difficult to cross. "Reached the far shore" refers to nirvāṇa. "Wisdom" is the knowledge of the meaning that has been present from the very beginning. "Empowerment" is the attainment of mastery over that.
The crown is the wearing of the perfectly complete Buddha as an ornament; it is Vairocana borne upon the head. Regarding the "three sufferings," these are the suffering of conditioning, the suffering of change, and the suffering of suffering. "Suffering" refers to the eight [types of suffering]. "Pacified" means liberated from those. "Dispelling the three" refers to the purity of the three—body, speech, and mind. "Infinite" means without exception. "Attaining the three liberations" refers to the three bodies (kāyas). "All obscurations" refers to the afflictive obscurations and the obscurations to knowledge. "Definitively liberated" means pure.
"Abiding in equanimity like space, transcending all stains of affliction" refers to meditative equipoise. "Realizing the three times as timeless" refers to the post-meditative state. "All sentient beings" refers to the six classes of migrators. "The Chief" refers to the Buddha. "The crown of those who wear the crown of qualities" refers to the bodhisattvas of the ten grounds. "Crown" refers to the wisdom being (jñānasattva) who has become the crown of those [bodhisattvas]. "Body" refers to form. "All" refers to sound, smell, and so forth. "Liberated from activity" means transcending all of those, as it is said:
"Whoever sees me as form,
Whoever knows me as sound,
Has entered into a mistaken conception;
Such a person does not see me."
"Abiding on the path of space" means not wavering from the meaning of emptiness. Thus, the example of how that wisdom being acts for the benefit of others is as follows:
Because he benefits beings in a manner similar to a precious wish-fulfilling jewel, a wish-granting tree, and an excellent vase, he is called the "Supreme Greatness." Because he prioritizes solely the welfare of others, it is said: "The agent who acts for the benefit of all sentient beings." "Benefiting" refers to sentient beings. "Affectionate" refers to compassion. "Knowing good and bad" refers to knowing the specific capacities of the disciples. "Knowing the time" refers to knowing the sequence of the teachings. Because there is nothing he does not encompass with compassion, he is the "Pervasive Lord." "Knowing the samaya and possessing the samaya" means not transgressing the commitment to act for the benefit of beings. "Knowing the time" means knowing the time for disciplining and the time for not disciplining. "Knowing the faculties of sentient beings" means knowing the distinctions between sharp and dull faculties of those to be trained. "The three liberations" refers to the Śrāvaka vehicle, the Pratyekabuddha vehicle, and the Bodhisattva vehicle. "The Wise One" is the Wisdom Being (jñānasattva). "Possessing qualities" refers to the perfection of one's own welfare. "Qualities" refers to the perfection of the welfare of others. "Dharma" refers to saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. "Knowing" refers to knowing them to be without intrinsic nature. "Auspicious" refers to the view, which is the absence of obstacles. "Source of auspiciousness" refers to the result. "Of all auspiciousness" refers to meditation. "Auspicious" refers to conduct. "Renowned" refers to being renowned among beings; this is the Wisdom Being. If one asks how, it is because that which is renowned as "fame" is virtue. Because he provides relief from the conceptualization of diversity, he is the "Great Relief."
Because it generates joy and happiness for all those to be trained, it is called the "Great Festival." "The great joy, the great music" refers to the enticement through various skillful means. "Perfect in honor and service" means having become an object of veneration for all wandering beings. "Supreme Joy" refers to the vajra-like samādhi, the eleventh ground. "Renowned" means throughout all the lineages of the Word. "I" refers to the wisdom being (jñānasattva). "Glorious" refers to the glory of purified conceptualization through the realization of one's own welfare. Because it acts for the benefit of wandering beings, it is the glory of others' compassion. "Possessing the supreme" means possessing the thirty-two major marks and the eighty minor marks. "Supreme" refers to the Mahāyāna. "Bestower" refers to the teaching of the bodhisattvas of the ten grounds. "Lord" means having become the leader of the bodhisattvas of the ten grounds. "The supreme refuge, worthy of refuge" means that this wisdom being protects from the enemy of the world—samsāra—and is thus the supreme refuge and the most excellent. "Dispelling all fears without exception" refers to the phenomena of samsāra. "Topknot" refers to the locks of hair bound upon the crown of the head. "Tuft" refers to the hair being fastened with a precious pin. "With hanging locks" refers to the remaining hair hanging downward. "Munja-locks" refers to the ends of the bound locks being loosened. "Wearing a crown" means bearing the Lord of the Family upon the crown of the head.
"Possessing five faces and five topknots" refers to the five-faced maṇḍala of Mañjuśrī performing the welfare of migratory beings. "Five topknots" refers to the specific hair-styles of the five faces. "Flower crown" refers to it being bound as an ornament. "Shaven-headed" refers to having the hair and beard shaved, the attire of a monk, and should be connected with the term "pure conduct" (brahmacarya). "Vow" refers to the asceticism of the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas. "Supreme vow" refers to the conduct of the Vidyādharas. "Perfected asceticism, great asceticism" refers to the twelve [ascetic practices].
If one wonders who the person practicing in such a way is, it says "Gautama," which is Śākyamuni. The "excellent place" is called the "holy abode of purity," such as Rājagṛha and Vulture Peak Mountain. "Brahmin" refers to the form of Sujāta. "Brahmā" refers to the chief queen. "Great Brahmā" refers to the gods of the first dhyāna, who are "pure" (brahma) of sinful, non-virtuous phenomena. "Attained the nirvāṇa of Brahmā" refers to the second vajra-like samādhi. "Liberated" means from saṃsāra. "Release" is nirvāṇa. "The body of complete liberation" is the body of the Sugata. "Completely" means liberated from the conceptualization of diversity. "Peace" refers to the obscuration of the afflictions. "Tranquility itself" refers to the obscuration of the knowable. "Peaceful nirvāṇa" refers to the Bodhisattva. "Nirvāṇa" refers to the Buddha. "Well-nigh to perfect nirvāṇa."
This refers to the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas. "Dispelling pleasure and pain" means transcending the extremes of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. "The ultimate" means that which is not an object of the intellect. "Free from attachment" means being free from desire. "One who has transcended the body" means not possessing the contaminated aggregates. "The invincible" means possessing the four fearlessnesses. "The peerless" refers to the dharmakāya, which is free from extremes. Such a reality is not manifest as an object of cognitive awareness, does not appear as an object of the intellect, and cannot be clearly expressed even by scripture. "Unchanging" means permanent in its continuity. "All-pervading" means arising in manifold ways. "The pervasive one" is the wisdom-being (jñānasattva). "Subtle" means difficult to realize. "Untainted" means free from the afflictions. "Free from seeds" means free from ignorance. "Dustless" refers to the dharmakāya. "Free from dust" refers to the saṃbhogakāya. "Stainless" refers to the nirmāṇakāya. "Faultless, having abandoned defects" refers to the wisdom-being. "Utterly awakened" means the power of aspiration has awakened. "The awakened self" means engaging in the welfare of beings. If one asks how they engage: "All-knowing" means knowing the full extent of phenomena (ji snyed pa). "All-seeing" means knowing the nature of phenomena (ji lta ba). "Sublime" means indivisible. "Consciousness transcends the nature of phenomena" means being free from conceptual analysis. "Holding the manner of non-dual wisdom" means the indivisibility of awareness and emptiness. "Non-conceptual and spontaneously present."
This describes the actual mode of existence of things. "Buddhas of the three times" refers to the past, the future, and the present. "Performing activities" means performing the enlightened activities of all buddhas. "The Buddha without beginning or end" means empty of a beginning through birth and empty of an end through cessation. "The primordial Buddha" refers to the dharmakāya; "without cause" means being free from all causes and conditions. "The single stainless eye of wisdom" refers to the saṃbhogakāya endowed with the eye of wisdom; "stainless" means teaching the Mahāyāna. "The Tathāgata with a body of wisdom" refers to the nirmāṇakāya; "Lord of Speech, the Great Speaker" means being skilled in words of provisional meaning. "Supreme among speakers, King of Speakers" means being skilled in words of definitive meaning. "Holy among speakers, Abode of the Supreme" means being skilled in both provisional and definitive meanings. "Lion of Speakers" means one who cannot be overwhelmed even by any individual. "Peerless" means having no rival. "Everywhere" refers to sentient beings. "Supremely joyful" means generating bliss. "Mass of majesty, beautiful to behold" means being charming. "Blazing with excellent light, the glorious knot" refers to the non-conceptual mind. "Holding blazing light in hand, the Illuminator" means displaying the physical form to sentient beings. Like the supreme great physician, one removes the thorns of suffering for beings and is thus unsurpassed. "The tree of all medicines without exception,"
This refers to the eighty-four thousand aggregates of Dharma. "Every disease" refers to the eighty-four thousand afflictions. "The great enemy" is that which destroys them. "Beautiful, the supreme of the three worlds" means having become the subduer of the three worlds. "Glorious maṇḍala of the constellations" means performing the welfare of beings by way of the glorious maṇḍala of the constellations. "In the ten directions" refers to the location. "Of space" refers to the extent. "Ultimate" refers to the time. "As far as that extent, he firmly plants the victory banner of Dharma" means establishing disciples in virtue. "When beings" refers to migratory beings. "A single parasol" means protecting from the heat of diverse torments. "Single" means without rival. "Vast" means pervading all. "Loving-kindness" means the desire for all sentient beings to possess happiness. "Compassion" means the desire for all migratory beings to be free from suffering. "Possessing the maṇḍala" means never being separated from those two. "Glorious" refers to the two form bodies. "Lotus" means unstained by defects. "Lord of the dance" means that just as the body does not differ from the dance no matter how it is performed, likewise the wisdom being does not transcend the welfare of beings no matter what activities are performed. "Great Pervasive Lord" has already been explained. "Jewel" means the source of all that is desired. "Parasol" means protecting from torment. "The great majesty of all Buddhas."
This means he appears to all. "Bearing the bodies of all buddhas" means he possesses the three bodies. "The great yoga of all buddhas" means the inseparability of the two truths. "The single teaching of all buddhas" means they are one in the essence of non-arising. "Vajra Jewel" means he possesses a precious crown and a vajra skull-cup, and is thus called "the glorious empowerment." "Lord of all jewels" means he has attained mastery over the arising of all that is desired. "Lord of the world" means he appears in the form of Avalokiteśvara. "Lord of all" means he acts for the benefit of those to be trained. "Vajra Holder" refers to Vajrapāṇi. "Lord of all" refers to Mañjuśrī. "The great mind of all buddhas" and "abiding in the minds of all buddhas" explain the essence of Vajrapāṇi. "The great body of all buddhas" explains the essence of Mañjuśrī. "He is also the speech of all buddhas" explains the essence of Avalokiteśvara. "Vajra Sun, Great Illumination" and "Vajra Moon, Stainless Light" refer to the method of recitation, which explains the essence of method and insight. There are two ways to recite: in the manner of a maṇḍala wheel and in the manner of individual deities. Regarding the recitation in the manner of a maṇḍala: one generates [the deities] just as they arise from the maṇḍala of the wisdom beings; then, the upper palate is generated as a moon maṇḍala, the nature of method.
Visualize the upper palate as a sun maṇḍala, the nature of insight, and the tongue as a vajra, the nature of the uncontaminated; then recite from between the vowels and consonants. The other [the lower palate] is likewise. "Free from attachment" refers to the Vehicle of Characteristics (Lakṣaṇayāna). "Great attachment" refers to the Mantra Vehicle (Mantrayāna). The meaning of "and so forth" is the synthesis of both. "Various colors" means performing the welfare of beings through various vehicles. "Vajra" means the meaning of emptiness (śūnyatā). "Cross-legged posture" means being in meditative equipoise within emptiness. "Perfect Buddha" means attaining nirvāṇa by means of that. "The Buddha who upholds the Dharma of beings" means the manifestation of the two form bodies (rūpakāya) for the sake of beings. "Glorious Lotus-born Buddha" means remaining in saṃsāra yet unstained by its defects. "Omniscient" refers to the wisdom that knows the full extent of phenomena (jñeyāvaraṇa). "Holder of the Treasury" refers to the wisdom that knows the nature of phenomena (jñeyāvaraṇa). "King" means having become the sovereign of both saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. "Various magical displays" means possessing manifold skillful means (upāya). "Dharma" means possessing the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha, the powers, the fearlessnesses, and so forth. If one asks who possesses such qualities, it is stated: "The Buddha, the Vidyādhara." This means it is possessed by the Wisdom Being (jñānasattva) who possesses the perfection of abandonment and the perfection of wisdom. "Sharp vajra, great sword" refers to both the sign and the meaning.
The symbol is the sword in the right hand. The meaning is the vajra, which is emptiness. "Sharp" means cutting through all conceptual thoughts without exception. Because the meaning of emptiness is like a sword, it is called a "sword." "Wields" means to hold. "Supreme syllable, utterly pure" also refers to both the symbol and the meaning. The symbol is holding the volume of the Prajñāpāramitā. The meaning is the "supreme syllable," which is the letter A. "Utterly pure" means unborn. "Mahāyāna" refers to the path and fruit of the bodhisattvas. "Cuts suffering" means liberating from saṃsāra. "Great weapon" refers to the sword. "Vajradharma" refers to the volume. "Profound Vajra" refers to the mind. "Jina" refers to the speech. "Jik" refers to the body. "Vajramati" refers to the insight that realizes emptiness. "Knowing the meaning as it is" means knowing everything. "All perfections" refers to the ten grounds. "Complete" means the meaning of having realized it in the mind. "The grounds" refers to the first through the eleventh ground. "All" refers to the grounds of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas. "Endowed with ornaments" means that all of these are possessed by the wisdom-being (jñānasattva). "Utterly pure" refers to the ultimate truth. "Dharma of selflessness" means being free from the self of the person and the self of phenomena. "Perfect wisdom" refers to the wisdom of the dharmadhātu. "Excellent Moonlight" refers to the saṃbhogakāya.
"Great Diligence" refers to the nirmāṇakāya, which is endowed with diligence. "Māyā" is emptiness. "Kāra" is the arising in manifold ways. "Jāla" is the meaning of non-duality. Regarding the phrase "of all tantras," there are two types: the tantra of words, the tantra of meaning, the tantra of both, the yoga tantra, and the unsurpassed yoga tantra. Since this is the root of all those, it is called "the supreme lord of all tantras." Regarding the tantra of meaning, there are six aspects: the essence of tantra, its etymology, its divisions, its characteristics, its synonyms, and its function. He who has attained mastery over all of these is the wisdom being (jñānasattva), who is called the "supreme lord." Regarding the phrase "Vajra Seat," this teaches the ritual for generating the deity's seat along with its branches. "Vajra" is emptiness. "Possessing all without exception" means being endowed with the lotus, sun, and moon seats. "Holding all the wisdom bodies without exception" means the five types of wisdom. "Bodies" refers to the five families. "Supreme without exception" means together with their retinues. Thus, the meaning is that the wisdom being performs the benefit of beings by way of the five families and their retinues. Now, to show how the benefit of beings is performed by way of the bodhisattvas of the ten grounds: through the forms of Samantabhadra, Sumati, Mañjuśrī, Kṣitigarbha, and Avalokiteśvara who sustains beings, he also performs the benefit of beings.
The essence of all buddhas is the indivisible fivefold wisdom, which is the wisdom of the expanse of phenomena (dharmadhātu). "Great" means being without rival. From such wisdom, it is said that "he holds the various wheels of emanation," which means that he appears in the various forms of both concise and extensive deities to act for the benefit of beings. "All things" refers to everything within saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. "Nature" refers to emptiness. "Supreme" means indivisible. "Holding the nature of all things" refers to the meaning of emptiness, which is held through meditative equipoise. "Unborn phenomena" means that although nothing is established as anything whatsoever in meditative equipoise, because everything arises in various ways during the post-meditative state, it is said to "act for various purposes." "The essence of all phenomena" refers to the essence of union, which is like an illusion. "Holding" means having realized it in one's mind. "Great wisdom" refers to the wisdom being (jñānasattva). "Comprehending all phenomena in a single instant" means realizing in an instant that all phenomena lack inherent existence. "All phenomena" refers to everything within saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. "Manifest realization" means being liberated even from the grasping at the unborn. "Invincible" refers to the four māras. "Supreme intellect" refers to the wisdom that knows suchness. "Dispelling the elements" means liberating one from saṃsāra. "Immovable" means not wavering from the benefit of beings. "The self of supreme clarity" means being pleasing to the minds of all beings.
"Holding the enlightenment of a perfect Buddha" refers to the excellence of the welfare of others. "Manifest to all Buddhas" means that the meaning of the nature of phenomena (dharmatā) has been directly realized in the heart, just as, for example, a fresh myrobalan fruit is held in the palm of the hand. "The flame of wisdom, brilliantly clear" means that the remedial wisdom, being like fire, burns away all conceptualizations of duality. "Accomplishing the desired aim" means that the welfare of oneself and others has been achieved. "The sublime one" refers to the culmination of the eleventh ground. "Completely purifying all lower realms" means that the mental continuums of all wandering beings are purified. Here, one should also understand the stages of practice: the casting of the relics, the cremation of the corpse, the consecration, and the fire offering (homa) are also to be understood here; therefore, it is called "completely purifying all lower realms." Because he acts as the protector of all sentient beings, he is called "supreme." "Liberating all sentient beings" is easy to understand. "Afflictions" refers to the eighty-four thousand. "Battle" refers to the field of combat. "The sole hero" is the wisdom-being (jñānasattva). "Ignorance" is lack of awareness (avidyā). "Enemies" are attachment and aversion. "Arrogance" is pride. "Subduing" means to eliminate. "Glorious" refers to the two form bodies (rūpakāya). "Intellect" refers to awareness, which is the truth body (dharmakāya). "Possessing grace" means having transcended cyclic existence (saṃsāra). "The steadfast one who assumes an unattractive form" —
This means that with these wrathful forms, one should move all one hundred arms and perform various dances through the power of the steps. "Possessing glorious hundred arms" refers to the distinction of the limbs. "Dancing to pervade the sky" refers to the distinction of the activity. "The extent of the four mandalas of the earth" refers to the distinction of the location. "Pressing down with the sole of one foot" refers to the distinction of the posture. "Even with the extent of the toenails, pressing down from the peak of Brahmā’s realm" refers to the distinction of greatness. Thus, the meaning is that the wisdom being (jñānasattva), endowed with those specific wrathful forms, acts for the benefit of migratory beings.
Practitioners should understand this as the ritual for pacifying obstacles. One should maintain the divine pride of the hundred-faced wrathful deity and perform the praises of the wrathful ones. One should also perform the ālīḍha (right-leg-extended), pratyālīḍha (left-leg-extended), maṇḍala (circular), and saṃgha (earth-touching) stances; thereafter, one should engage in the ritual as is convenient.
Regarding "The single meaning, the non-dual meaning of the dharma": the meaning of the dharma is the meaning free from the four extremes. "Ultimate meaning" refers to the ultimate truth free from conceptual enumerations. "Fearless" means unstained by the defects of saṃsāra. "Various cognitions" means knowing the mental continuums of all those to be trained. "Form-objects" means manifesting in whatever form is necessary to train whoever is to be trained. "Possessing the continuum of various consciousnesses."
This means that he not only knows the mental continuums of individual sentient beings, but does not stop at mere knowledge. "Delighting in all things as they truly are" means that he teaches exclusively the meaning of emptiness. "Delighting in emptiness" refers to a person who delights in emptiness; it means possessing a mind of desire, which is to say, being endowed with great compassion. If one asks, "In that case, because of compassion, one is not free from desire and will thus remain in saṃsāra," the text says, "Transcending the desire for existence and so forth," which means having abandoned ordinary, autonomous desire. "The three realms of existence" refers to the existence of the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm. "The one of great joy" means the one who brings them satisfaction.
"White like a pure cloud," "with excellent light like the light of the autumn moon," and "as beautiful as the orb of the rising sun" are examples showing that he is unstained by faults. "The light of his nails is intensely red," "the peak of his excellent crown is sapphire-blue," and "he has the finest hair, great sapphire-blue" are praises by way of the major and minor marks. "The splendor of the great, radiant jewel" is a praise by way of analogy. "Possessing the ornaments of the Buddha's emanations" means manifesting as the nirmāṇakāya in a billion sets of four continents. "Shaking all a hundred world systems" is a term meaning he causes them to be moved from saṃsāra. "Possessing the great power of the bases of miraculous ability," [and so forth].
This refers to performing the welfare of beings by means of the four bases of miraculous power, such as the samādhi of aspiration. "That very one" refers to the wisdom being (jñānasattva). "Holding great mindfulness" means possessing the five types of wisdom. "The four applications of mindfulness" are the application of mindfulness to the body, the application of mindfulness to the mind, the application of mindfulness to feelings, and the application of mindfulness to phenomena. "King of samādhis" refers to the vajra-like samādhi. "Limbs of enlightenment" refers to the seven limbs of enlightenment, such as the limb of enlightenment of correct mindfulness. "Flower" is used in the sense of being beautiful. "Incense" means that which satisfies the mind. "Ocean of the Tathāgata’s qualities" means possessing the powers, the fearlessnesses, and the unshared qualities of a Buddha. "Knowing the way of the eightfold path" refers to the eightfold noble path: correct view, correct intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and samādhi. "Knowing" means having realized in one's heart. "Knowing the path of the perfect Buddha" means having realized the meaning without error in one's own heart. "Greatly attached to all sentient beings" means teaching them. "Unattached like space" means that although one performs the welfare of beings, one is unsullied by faults. "Entering the minds of all sentient beings" means manifesting a body in accordance with the beings. "As swift as the minds of all sentient beings" means...
This means he is swift in acting for the benefit of beings. "He knows the faculties and purposes of all sentient beings" means he understands the specific mental continuums and faculties of those to be trained. "He captivates the minds of all sentient beings" means he charms the minds of those to be trained. "The five aggregates" refers to the five: the aggregates of form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. "He knows their reality" means he realizes them as impermanent, suffering, and selfless. "He possesses the five pure aggregates" means he is endowed with the five uncontaminated aggregates. "He abides at the limit of all renunciations" means he has attained the vajra-like samādhi. "He is skilled in all renunciations" means he knows the entire path. "He abides in the path of all renunciations" means he has practiced it himself. "He teaches all renunciations" means he shows that path to others. "The twelve branches" refers to the twelve links of dependent origination. "He has uprooted the root of existence" means he has purified ignorance. "He possesses the twelve aspects of purity" means the twelve links of dependent origination are pure. "He has the aspect of the way of the four truths" means he has realized the truth of suffering, the truth of origin, the truth of cessation, and the truth of the path. "He possesses the realization of the eight cognitions" means the eight collections of consciousness are pure. "He possesses the twelve aspects of the meaning of truth" means he knows the four truths in their twelve aspects.
"Knowing the sixteen aspects of reality" means having realized the meaning of the sixteen emptinesses in one's heart. "Awakening through twenty aspects" means that for each of the five aggregates, there are four aspects—impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and selflessness—making twenty in total. "The supreme knower of all aspects of the buddhas" means having comprehended all phenomena of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. "The emanation body of all buddhas, who radiates immeasurable tens of millions" means manifesting the bodies of individual deities, maṇḍala circles, and inconceivable wrathful and peaceful forms, appearing in whatever form accords with the inclinations of beings. "Realizing all in a single instant" means realizing the meaning of the nature of phenomena (dharmatā) in a single moment of time. "Knowing the meaning of all in a single moment of mind" means comprehending the entire mental continuum of all sentient beings in a single instant. "Through the methods of various vehicles, the knower of the welfare of beings" means that "various vehicles" refers to the inconceivable gateways of the vehicles. To elaborate, if divided extensively, there are eighty-four thousand; if divided moderately, there are the twelve branches of the scriptures; if condensed, there are the three baskets (piṭaka), the three vehicles, and specifically the unsurpassed vehicle, including even the vehicles of the non-Buddhists (tīrthika). Regarding the views of the non-Buddhists, there are two: the view of nihilism and the view of eternalism. In this context, the master follows the Sūtra of the Great Nirvāṇa.
The self is to be refuted by way of its intrinsic nature. The teachers, the Vaiśeṣikas, assert that the self is a functional entity in the ultimate sense. If one asks whether it is conditioned or unconditioned: if it were conditioned, it would be impermanent; if it were unconditioned, it would lose its status as a functional entity. Furthermore, I shall analyze another additional reason: is the eternal self of the teacher Kapila a functional entity or a non-entity? If it is a non-entity, then the eternal self is undermined. If, on the other hand, it is a functional entity, then does that eternal self perform a function or not? If it does not perform a function, then whatever is incapable of performing a function is like a flower in the sky. Furthermore, if it does perform a function, does it perform it sequentially or simultaneously? If it performs a function sequentially, it would be impermanent. If it performs a function simultaneously, then even those with minor capacities would perform the deeds of heroes. The view of nihilism is also not logical, because [the self] would arise after having been annihilated, and because there would be no non-deceptive relationship between the prior and the subsequent; thus, it would not be of a nihilistic nature. Therefore, the outsiders are not logical.
As for the insiders, there are three types: the Śrāvaka vehicle, the Pratyekabuddha vehicle, and the Bodhisattva vehicle. Regarding the Śrāvaka vehicle, they assert that the self of the person is abandoned, while the self of phenomena—the duality of subject and object—is ultimate. In that regard, they assert that these external objects are formed from the aggregation of many partless, spherical atoms into coarse masses.
These should also be understood as having the nature of the foolish. Whether those atoms are joined, surrounded, or exist without any intervening space, if they are analyzed according to the six directions, not even a single atom is established. Since the one is not established, the many will also not be established. If the one and the many are thus not established, external objects will also be non-existent.
As for the Pratyekabuddhas: because external objects are refuted by the arguments of being neither one nor many, they are held to be non-existent altogether; however, they assert that the internal apprehending awareness is ultimately real. These too do not become true, for a consciousness that apprehends an object when the object is not established is never logical. For example, a consciousness apprehending white cannot possibly arise if white is not established. Just as it is logical to designate a person like Devadatta as "the one with a staff" if he possesses a staff, but it is illogical to call Devadatta "the one with a staff" if he has no staff.
In the Bodhisattva Vehicle, there are two: the Yogācāra and the Madhyamaka. The Yogācāra has two: the True Aspectarians and the False Aspectarians. Regarding them, according to the system of the True Aspectarians, these various aspects of white and red are asserted to be the true aspects of consciousness. They assert that consciousness, which is free from the self of persons and phenomena, is ultimately real. If that itself is further divided, there are two: those who assert that although it appears as a variety, it is true as the essence of a single consciousness, and those who assert that although it appears, it appears as many, and although it is true, it is true as many. The first is also illogical. If the object and the consciousness...
Are they one or are they different? If they were one, then because there are multiple aspects, it would follow that consciousness also becomes multiple. If the object and consciousness were different, why would you not be a Śrāvaka? The second [position] is also illogical; just as the object is subverted by valid cognition, why would awareness not be subverted as well? Furthermore, is this wheel of aspects apprehended by a mistaken consciousness, or is it apprehended by one that is non-mistaken? If it were apprehended by a mistaken [consciousness], the thesis of the Proponents of True Aspects (Sākāravāda) would be undermined. If it were apprehended by a non-mistaken [consciousness], then everyone would see the truth. The position of the Proponents of False Aspects (Alīkākāravāda) should also be understood in two ways: the awareness of ordinary beings and the primordial wisdom (jñāna) of nirvāṇa. Regarding the primordial wisdom of nirvāṇa, it should be understood in two ways: the pure self-awareness (svasaṃvedana) and that which is with stains. According to the system of that which is with stains, this various wheel of aspects does not appear to the face of meditative equipoise, but is asserted to appear during the subsequent attainment. According to the system of pure self-awareness, it is asserted that the wheel of aspects does not exist immediately after the Path of Seeing has arisen. That awareness which is mere experience is not tenable in any way. Furthermore, for the Proponents of Cognition (Vijñānavādin), does that ultimate consciousness of yours exist having been produced, or without being produced? If it exists having been produced, does it arise from itself or from another? If you say it arises from itself, is it from that which is already established or from that which is not established? It does not need to arise from that which is already established, and it is impossible for that which is not established to arise. If you say it arises from another, is it from something permanent or impermanent?
If you ask, "Does it arise from the permanent?" Since they are unchanging, they cannot serve as causes. If you ask, "Does it arise from the impermanent?" Since the impermanent is comprised of time, one must ask from which of the three—past, future, or present—it arises. The past and future, being of two kinds, are unsuitable as causes because they do not exist. If you ask, "Does it arise from the present?" Since cause and effect would be simultaneous, the relationship of producer and produced is illogical; the thesis that [the effect] exists after having been produced is undermined. If you say, "It exists without having been produced," an unproduced existence is impossible, like a flower in the sky. Therefore, for those who, like those possessed by demons, assert that awareness is a functional entity, even the name "liberation" is impossible; they do nothing but bring about their own ruin.
There are two types of Madhyamaka: those who assert that phenomena are like illusions and those who assert the "thoroughly non-abiding." The philosophical system of illusion is not logical, because illusion is not established by valid cognition, and because being an illusion, it is not true; thus, the [thesis of] illusion itself is undermined. The system asserting the thoroughly non-abiding should be understood in two aspects: the ultimate truth of the natural state and the conventional truth. The ultimate truth is of two types: the nominal and the non-nominal. The conventional truth is of two types: the correct and the false. These are the supreme philosophical systems, for even the Unsurpassed Secret Mantra Vehicle is not separate from them. If one wonders, "In that case, is there no difference between the Perfection Vehicle and the Secret Mantra Vehicle?" for a person who thinks thus, in reality there is not even a grain of difference. However, regarding the distinctions of method and path—
The distinctions are inconceivable. As it is said: "Though the goal is the same, the Mantra Vehicle is superior because it is free from confusion, possesses many methods, is without hardships, and is intended for those with sharp faculties." You, the Wisdom Being (jñānasattva), are the one who acts for the benefit of beings through such various vehicles. Regarding the "three vehicles," these are the vehicles of the Śrāvakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Bodhisattvas. Regarding "in the renunciations," it is said that the mere truth of the first bhūmi is attained by all three vehicles; however, because the ultimate wisdom of the eleventh bhūmi is attained only by the unsurpassed vehicle, it is said: "Abiding in the fruit of the single vehicle." "The self that purifies the elements of affliction" means purifying the results of saṃsāra. "Exhausting the elements of karma" means purifying the causes of saṃsāra. "Crossed over all rivers and oceans": the river of desire, the river of existence, the river of ignorance, and the river of the view of self—these are called "oceans" because they are like oceans and are difficult to cross. "Crossed over all" means liberated from all of them. By what means is one crossed? By what is called the "wilderness of application," which is the union of the two accumulations of merit and wisdom. "Wilderness" (araṇya) means solitude, seclusion, or emptiness; thus, it is said to arise from meditating on the two accumulations and emptiness (śūnyatā). "Afflictions" (kleśa) refers to attachment, aversion, ignorance, pride, and...
Envy and wrong view. "The secondary" refers to the twenty secondary afflictions, such as anger, resentment, concealment, spite, avarice, guile, deceit, arrogance, lack of shame, and lack of embarrassment. "The thoroughly afflicted" refers to the afflicted mind. "Together with the habitual tendencies" refers to the foundational consciousness (ālayavijñāna). "Permanently abandoned" means being liberated from those. Having thus realized his own welfare, he acts for the sake of beings through great compassion and insight; that is, he meaningfully accomplishes the welfare of beings by way of compassion and insight. "Having abandoned the objects of all perceptions" means being liberated from grasping at signs. "Consciousness" refers to the apprehending cognition. "Objects" refers to external objects. Because he is liberated from the cognition that takes those as objects, it is called "cessation." "Possessing the mental objects of all sentient beings" means appearing in the form of a deity to the cognition of those to be trained. "The realization of the mind of all Buddhas" means having internalized the meaning of non-conceptual wisdom. "Abiding in the minds of all sentient beings" means that non-conceptual wisdom abides within the mental continua of all wandering beings. "They engage in accordance with their minds" means teaching the Dharma according to the specific capacities of those beings. "Satisfying the minds of all sentient beings," "Delighting the minds of all sentient beings," and "Accomplished, perfected, and without error" mean having brought the welfare of beings to its ultimate conclusion.
"Completely abandoning all errors" means abandoning misconceptions. "A mind without doubt regarding the three points" means possessing a mind free from hesitation concerning the three times. "The welfare of all" means acting for the benefit of all wandering beings; the meaning is that one acts for the benefit of everyone from those whose minds have been transformed by philosophical tenets, down to the bodhisattvas, and up to the non-Buddhists. If one asks how one acts for the benefit of non-Buddhists, it is said: "The self of the three qualities," meaning one acts for their benefit through the three qualities of lucidity, motility, and darkness. Furthermore, because one also acts for the benefit of those whose minds have been transformed by philosophical tenets, it is called "the welfare of all." "The five aggregates" refers to the aggregates of form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. Having established those aggregates as distinct phenomena, if one analyzes them through the divisions of the three times, nothing is observed; they become devoid of intrinsic nature. Here, an objection might be raised: "If they are analyzed through the divisions of the three times, then moments must exist." To this it is said: "All moments are distinguished." Even moments, if analyzed through the divisions of the three times, become non-existent. This is, for example, like the fault of spatial directionality in the case of a subtle particle. "Complete buddhahood in a single moment" means that from the tenth ground to the eleventh ground, realization is attained in the final moment of time. Alternatively, it should be understood as generating the deity through the "single-moment recollection." "Holding the nature of all buddhas" refers to the vajra-like samādhi.
"Bodyless" refers to being free from the body of conceptual thought; it is the dharmakāya. "The body" refers to the saṃbhogakāya. "The supreme body" refers to the nirmāṇakāya. "The limit" is called the "realizer," meaning one who is skilled in all the kāyas. "Displaying all various forms" means appearing in whatever form is necessary to discipline whoever needs to be disciplined. "The great jewel, the crest of precious gems" is an illustration of the source of all needs and desires. "To be realized by all Buddhas" means that which is to be known or understood; "the unsurpassed awakening of the Buddhas" refers to non-abiding nirvāṇa. If one asks what its characteristic is, it is said: "Arising from secret mantra, without syllables," meaning it is free from all objects of the intellect. Since various miraculous displays of birth arise from such a meaning of non-arising, it is said: "The great secret mantra of the three families," which means the appearance of the various body, speech, and mind. "The producer of all secret mantra meanings" refers to all purposes: pacifying, enriching, magnetizing, and subjugating. Regarding these, the activity of pacifying is that all adverse conditions are pacified merely by writing, holding, wearing, or reading this tantra. The activity of enriching is that resources and so forth increase, and the mass of merit is fully expanded. The activity of magnetizing is that whatever is desired is immobilized or summoned. The activity of subjugation is killing, cutting, suppressing, and...
One performs the activity of suppression; these activities should also be understood through the application of yantras. The sequence of the yantra is as follows: on a cloth from a corpse or the skin of a field, using a pen made from the quill of a black bird and mixed with the blood of one who died by the sword, poison, and so forth, the mantra practitioner—possessing the divine pride of Yamāntaka—should draw the wheels at midnight, facing south.
Within a nine-square grid formed by four lines, there are thirty-two squares divided into halves; these should be drawn in the belly of a buffalo. Between two of these, the target should be inserted, and the syllable māraya should be written. The wheel for the approach stage is as follows: on a ten-spoked wheel, the ten syllables should be written. The target should be placed in the hub. The mantra to be placed upon those is as follows: yamārajā sadomeya yamedoruṇayodaya yadayonirayakṣeya yakṣeyacchanirāmaya [Name] māraya phaṭ. It is surrounded by oṃ hrīḥ ṣṭrīḥ vikṛtānana hūṃ phaṭ.
The procedure for this is as follows: having clearly visualized the wheel, untainted by one's own faults, within a joined skull-cup, and having performed the aforementioned activity of summoning, one should properly prepare it with excellent incense and so forth. Once the approach is complete, one should perform the appropriate rites of suppression, cutting, fire offerings, and so on. Alternatively, the meaning of generating all those secret mantra points is that you are the Wisdom Being (jñānasattva). "Lines" (thig) means straight, which is the unerring meaning. "Squares" (le) means pervading all. "Empty" (stong pa) means lacking intrinsic nature.
The syllables represent the conventional, which are all sentient beings. "Seal" (rgya) is a term indicating the particular or the manifold. "Endowed with all aspects" refers to the various different aspects, namely all the conventional mandalas of deities. "Aspectless" refers to the completion stage, which is the realization that the mandala of deities lacks inherent existence. Alternatively, "all aspects" refers to the Proponents of True Aspects (Sākāravāda) of the Cittamātra school, and "aspectless" refers to the Proponents of False Aspects (Nirākāravāda). The "sixteen" are the sixteen channel-petals. The "half" is the eight channel-petals of the heart. The "second half" refers to the four wheels. The "drop" (bindu) is the fluid, the bodhicitta. Those channels are like irrigation ditches, serving as the support for the blood, fat, and drops. The light of those drops abides in the form of syllables.
Furthermore, for the time being, the practitioner enters into the divine pride of Yamāntaka with consort. Generating the meditative concentration (samādhi) of the channels consists of the external aspect of the deity and the internal aspect of the channels. The right is the rasanā; the left is the lalanā; and the central is called the avadhūtī. This [central channel] possesses four characteristics: it is white, yellow, red, and oily. As for its location, it rests upon the spinal column and is known as the life-force channel (prāṇa-nāḍī). Its thickness is the measure of a rice straw. Its length extends from the crown of the head, the great bliss, down to the secret place. This great channel is, for example, like a great river, into which all the small streams converge and flow.
Likewise, all the channels are subsumed within this and are oriented toward it. It also abides as the central axis of the four wheels. In that regard, by binding the lower wind and intensely igniting the caṇḍālī, it enters the avadhūtī. By heating all the channels within the emanation wheel, the bindu abiding in the manner of molten butter melts; one should imagine bliss blazing at the secret place. Then, by the great fire of the caṇḍālī blazing intensely, all the channels of the dharma wheel at the heart are thoroughly heated, and all the bindu melt; one should imagine experiencing bliss. Then, by the caṇḍālī blazing intensely, all the channels of the enjoyment wheel at the throat are thoroughly heated, and all the bindu melt; one should imagine experiencing bliss. Then, by the caṇḍālī blazing intensely, all the channels of the great bliss wheel at the crown are thoroughly heated, and all the bindu melt; one should imagine experiencing bliss. In this way, the channels, winds, and bindu are practiced in successive order. The word "possessing" (can) is a term of endowment, meaning that one will come to possess the six superknowledges and inconceivable miraculous powers. This concludes the teaching on the completion stage with signs. Alternatively, the "sixteen" are the sixteen emptinesses, which are the objects. The "eight" are the eight collections of consciousness, which are the subjects. The "four" are e-vaṃ-ma-yā, the syllables that indicate saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. Regarding this, there are some masters who assert it to be the sequence of the lines for the outer maṇḍala. "Beyond the calculation of the limbless."
This refers generally to the meditation of this tantra. It is free from all calculation, not established as any essence whatsoever, and beyond all thought. It transcends all conventionalities and the phenomena of the intellect. Therefore, "branches" refers to the conceptual elaborations, the collection of words. "Beyond calculation" means "delusion," in the sense that imputed entities have subsided. To rest in meditative equipoise upon such a state is "great equipoise." "The fourth dhyāna" refers to the mundane dhyānas: the first, second, third, and fourth. "The Pinnacle" is that which is superior to those, namely the emptiness mentioned above. "Possessing all branches of dhyāna" means being endowed with inconceivable samādhis such as the Śūraṅgama and so forth. "Knowing" means the sense of arising from the realization of the meaning that is free from calculation. "Knowing samādhi" means comprehending all mundane and supramundane samādhis. "Knowing the tantras" is the fruit of familiarizing oneself with samādhi, which is the knowledge of the minds of all beings. Whoever realizes such a samādhi is called "one whose body is samādhi"; the meaning is that they actually possess the wisdom-being (jñānasattva).
The phrases "the supreme body," "the king of all saṃbhogakāyas," and "the nirmāṇakāya, the supreme of bodies" are words that show the fruit of this tantra. Furthermore, since these three bodies are the fruit, they are the relative truth.
The svabhāvakāya is indivisible; it is the ultimate truth. "Emitting various emanations in the ten directions" refers to the specific qualities of the nirmāṇakāya. If one asks what kind of specific qualities it possesses, it says, "Acting for the benefit of beings as they are," which means acting for the benefit of beings in accordance with their needs. "Lord of the gods" refers to Viṣṇu. "Master of the gods" refers to Śakra. "Lord of the asuras" refers to Rāhula. "Preceptor of the gods" refers to Jupiter. "The Destroyer" refers to Vemacitrin, the lord of the asuras. By the latter "Destroyer," the rākṣasa king Daśagrīva of Laṅkā is meant. "Maheśvara" refers to Maheśvara.
Here, an objection is raised: "Well then, since you, Mañjuśrī Jñānasattva, appear in the forms of various worldly beings, it follows that you are stained by the defects of existence." This is not so, for it says, "Having crossed the wilderness of existence." "Existence" refers to the three realms. "Wilderness" means that the phenomena of existence are purposeless and empty. "Having crossed" means the sense of being unstained by the faults of existence. "The sole teacher" means being without rival. "The preceptor of beings" means being unsurpassed. "Renowned throughout the ten directions of the world" means that this Jñānasattva is renowned as being unsurpassed and without rival. "The great patron of the Dharma" means teaching the meaning of the untainted. "Loving" means regarding all beings with the intention of a father toward his only son.
Armor is the protection against obstacles, meaning that one cannot be overcome by hatred. "Compassion" refers to the intention that desires all sentient beings to be free from suffering. "Donning the mail" refers to the upper garment; the meaning is that with such armor of the upper garment, the benefit of beings is uninterrupted. "Wielding the sword and bow of insight" refers to the hand implements, which are easy to understand. "Afflictions" refers to the eighty-four thousand. "Ignorance" refers to lack of awareness. "Dispelling the battlefield" means to conquer those [afflictions]. "Hero" means one who cannot be defeated by others. "Foe of the Māras" refers to the wisdom being (jñānasattva). "Subduing the Māras" means clearing away all obstacles. "Dispelling the fear of the four Māras" means thoroughly clearing away the Māra of the son of the gods, the Māra of the Lord of Death, the Māra of afflictions, and the Māra of the aggregates. "Defeating the hosts of Māra" means destroying the Māra along with his retinue. "Perfect Buddha" refers to the wisdom being. "Guide of the world" means acting to lead all beings. Such a wisdom being is worthy of offerings, worthy of praise, a place of prostration, worthy of constant veneration, worthy of honor, the supreme object of expression, worthy of homage, and the foremost of gurus. "Traversing the three worlds in a single step" means pervading the welfare of beings in an instant. Because one is unstained by the defects of cyclic existence, [one is]...
"Vast as the sky, he is all-pervading." Thus it is said. "The three knowledges" refers to existence, non-existence, and non-duality. "Pure and stainless" means untainted by extremes. "The six superknowledges" are: the superknowledge of the divine eye, the divine ear, the superknowledge of knowing the minds of others, the superknowledge of knowing death and rebirth, the superknowledge of miraculous powers, and the superknowledge of the exhaustion of contaminants. "The six recollections" are: recollection of the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, generosity, the gods, and the guru. "Bodhisattva" refers to the perfection of one's own welfare. "Great Being" refers to the perfection of the welfare of others. "Possessing great miraculous power" means being endowed with the four bases of miraculous power. "Transcending the world" means having been liberated from cyclic existence. "The limit of the perfection of insight" refers to the insight of hearing and the insight of reflection. "Through insight, one attains reality" refers to the insight of meditation. "Attaining reality" means having attained the vajra-like samādhi. The characteristics of that samādhi are: "knowing oneself" refers to the subject; "knowing others" refers to the object. "Abandoning all" means abandoning all cognition of subject and object. "The supreme individual who benefits all" means that through liberation from the vajra-like samādhi, the form body (rūpakāya) arises.
"Beyond all examples" means being without rival. "Knowledge" refers to the reasoning that performs the measurement. "Objects of knowledge" refers to the objects to be measured. "Supreme Lord" means having attained mastery over the objects of knowledge. "Chief Patron of the Dharma" means teaching the meaning of the four unsurpassed seals. "Supreme object of veneration for beings" has already been explained. "Of those who travel the three paths of renunciation" refers to the vehicles of the Śrāvakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Bodhisattvas. "Glorious purity of the ultimate meaning" means having realized all of those. "The three worlds" refers to the desire realm and so forth. "Great Fortunate One" means being unerring and possessing an enriched intellect. "Glorious one who creates all prosperity" means manifesting the bodies that discipline all beings. If one wonders who that is, it is said: "Mañjuśrī, the supreme possessor of glory." Now, he offers praise through twenty verses by way of the five types of wisdom, with each four-line stanza praising one type of wisdom. "Bestower of the supreme" refers to the wisdom of the expanse of phenomena (dharmadhātu-jñāna). "Vajra" refers to the indivisibility of the five types of wisdom. "I bow to you, the supreme" refers to the wisdom-being (jñānasattva). "The limit of reality" is not an object of the conceptual mind. "Arisen from emptiness" means born from the unborn. "Buddha-enlightenment" refers to the perfection of abandonment and the perfection of wisdom.
Attachment is attachment to the welfare of beings. Desire is the longing for the welfare of beings. Joy is delighting in the welfare of beings. Play is the manifestation of various bodies. The smile is the peaceful body. The laugh is the increasing body. The speech is the magnetizing body. The mind is the wrathful body. Non-existence is emptiness. The arising of the Buddha is the dharmakāya. Arising from space is the example. The Net of Magical Illusion is the inseparability of bliss and emptiness. Displaying play is the various wrathful bodies. "All" refers to the entirety of saṃsāra. "The wisdom body itself" is the body that is luminous and non-conceptual. "I bow to you" means to show devotion to you with body, speech, and mind.
Now, the meaning of the mantra will be explained: Oṃ is the five wisdoms. Sarvadharma is all phenomena. Abhāva is non-arising. Svabhāva is naturally pure. Viśuddha is completely pure. A Ā is non-arising. Aṃ Aḥ is that which exists within oneself. Prakṛtipariśuddhaḥ is the nature that is utterly pure. Sarvadharma-ayuta is that all phenomena are unborn. Sarvatathāgata is all the Tathāgatas. Jñānakāya is the wisdom body. If one wonders who possesses that wisdom body, it is called Mañjuśrī, or Mañjuśrī. Pariśuddhitā is complete purity. Upādāyati A A is entering into oneself.
Sarvatathāgata means all the Tathāgatas. Hara hara means "scatter away." Oṃ hūṃ hrīḥ refers to the body, speech, and mind. Bhagavān means the Blessed One. Jñāna means wisdom. Mūrti means the crown of the head. Vāgīśvara means Lord of Speech. Mahāpāca means the great Dharma. Sarvadharma means all phenomena. Gagana means like space. Amala supari means stainless and free from defilement. Śuddhadharmadhātu means the completely pure expanse of phenomena. Jñāna is wisdom. Garbha is the essence. Āḥ is the unborn. In this way, the meaning of the tantra is fully complete. The praise by way of rejoicing is easy to understand and has not been written here.
The supreme lord of all tantras,
Renowned like the sun and the moon,
A jewel from which all desires arise—
From among the sixteen thousand chapters,
This commentary, the "Light,"
Has been composed for the profound Nāga chapter.
May the sentient beings of the three realms of saṃsāra,
Having beheld the face of the Wisdom Being,
Through the methods of the various vehicles,
Accomplish the welfare of beings without exception.
The tantras are vast and the conceptualizations of individuals are many;
Various individual desires have been expressed regarding this.
Not a single word of the meaning of this tantra has been omitted;
By composing this commentary, the "Lamp of Clarity,"
May all misconceptions be swiftly exhausted without exception.
The commentary on the Chanting of the Names composed by the great master Candragomin is complete.
This emerged from the hands of the vidyādhara Paṇḍita. It was translated by the chief editor and translator ’Gos Lhas btsas and Shes rab brtson ’grus. Herein lies the commentary on the Mañjuśrīnāmasaṃgīti entitled Clarifying the Three Modes.
Translation status: Not among 84000's published translations, and not in progress there. Translations published elsewhere have not been searched for, so one may exist. (source: 84000 catalogue + registry; checked 2026-11-10).
Set in Newsreader and EB Garamond; Tibetan in Noto Serif Tibetan; Chinese in Noto Serif SC.