Notes

n.1See Gnoli and Orofino 1994, p. 62.

n.2See Orofino 2009, p. 28.

n.3See Gnoli and Orofino 1994, pp. 60–63.

n.4Orofino 1994.

n.5The Tibetan translation of the Amṛtakānikāṭippanī is in the Tengyur, Toh 1395.

n.6The Tibetan translation of the Sekoddeśaṭīkā is also in the Tengyur, Toh 1351.

n.7Gnoli and Orofino 1994.

n.8Lecso 2009.

n.9Orofino 2009.

n.10Prajñā here refers to a tantric consort.

n.11At the end of his commentary on verses 11d–14, Nāropa says: “Within the previously mentioned eleven empowerments, which are like the steps to the palace of worldly and nonworldly accomplishments, I have thoroughly explained the lower [steps], the seven empowerments with form [that belong to] relative [truth]. [These are] what let the yogin achieve the worldly accomplishments, belonging to the relative. [Now,] the three empowerments that are in accord with the absolute are taught with [the verse that] begins with ‘[Then] there is the vase [empowerment].’ ” (sngar mdor bstan pa’i dbang bcu gcig po rnams kyi nang nas ’jig rten pa dang ’jig rten las ’das pa’i dngos grub kyi khang bzangs kyi them skas su gyur pa ’og ma kun rdzob kyi gzugs can dbang bdun po rnams rnam par bshad nas gang zhig rnal ’byor pa la kun rdzob du gyur pa ’jig rten pa’i dngos grub sgrub par byed cing don dam pa’i rjes su mthun pa’i dbang gsum po rnams bum pa zhes pa la sogs pas mdor bstan to). See Sferra and Merzagora 2006, p. 258.

n.12See v. 8.

n.13See Sferra 1999.

n.14It should be noted that the usual group of five psycho-physical aggregates, which in Nāropa’s commentary on v. 12 are related to the five buddha families, is extended to include wisdom in v. 170. From Nāropa’s commentary it becomes clear that this is necessary in order for the extended group to be related to the six channels, cakras, and deities.

n.15dbang bskur bdun po ’di rnams rdul tshon gyi dkyil ’khor rnam par spangs nas gzhan ras bris la sogs pa’i dkyil ’khor du sbyin par bya ba ma yin no // bum pa la sogs pa’i dbang rnams ni dkyil ’khor bzhengs pa las gzhan gyis kyang sbyin par bya’o. See Sferra and Merzagora 2006, p. 258.

n.16“The great prajñā is the mahāmudrā , which is without conceptual thoughts (Skt. vikalpita, Tib. rnam rtog). It will be discussed below.” (shes rab chen po zhes pa rnam par rtog pa kun tu ma brtags pa ’chad par ’gyur pa’i phyag rgya chen mo’o). See Sferra and Merzagora 2006, p. 270.

n.17rnam par rtog pa thams cad nye bar zhi ba’i phyir bsam gyis mi khyab pa’o // de kho na’i ’bras bu’i snga ltas su gyur pa’i phyir mtshan ma’o. Sferra and Merzagora, 2006, 313.

n.18See Sferra and Merzagora 2006, 294–95.

n.19de bzhin du dkyil krung byas nas thig ler te dpral bar gnas pa’i padma ’dab ma bcu drug pa dkar po’i dbus su srog rtsol sngon du ’gro bas sems gzhug par bya’o // srog ni thig ler gzhug par bya // zhes pa gtso bor ’dzin pa’i mtshan nyid do. See Sferra and Merzagora 2006, S. 345.

n.20See Gnoli and Orofino 1994, 69; and 35–76.

n.21See Sferra and Merzagora 2006, S. 343.

n.22See Sferra and Merzagora 2006, S. 338–44, 422.

n.23Cf. Gnoli and Orofino 1994, 71–72; and verses 79–81 along with Nāropa’s commentary.

n.24According to the interpretation of Nāropa, sahaja (lit. “born together”) here means “born together with the prajñā ” (cf. Gnoli and Orofino 1994, 72).

n.25mahāmudreti gaganodbhavabimbam / tasyāḥ svarasavāhibhāvanākhyānu-rāgāj jātaṃ niḥspandata iti niruddho vajramaṇer bāhyaspandaḥ srāvaḥ. See Sferra and Merzagora 2006, 106.

n.26See Sferra and Merzagora 2006, 353–54.

n.27According to Gnoli and Orofino, most of the epithets are identical with those mentioned in the Mañjuśrīnāmasaṃgīti , Toh 360 (for a detailed list see Gnoli and Orofino 1994, 366).

n.28“Kālacakra” is according to the Sanskrit, which accords with the Tibetan translation of Ra Chörap and Samantaśrī. The translation by Dro Sherap Drakpa and Somanātha reads “Vajrasattva” (Tib. rdo rje sems dpa’). See Orofino 1994, 54.

n.29The Tibetan translation has “inconceivable” (bsam gyis mi khyab pa) for acintita, and links it as a genitive attribute to “smoke” in the third line. However, see verse 27, where the reflection (i.e., smoke and the other signs is seen without conceptualizing it).

n.30The Sanskrit has bimbe, and the Tibetan stong par. However, from the context the reading śūnyatābimba is required.

n.31See Nāropa’s commentary (Sferra and Merzagora 2006, 1465): “She sees neither with other/superior eyes, i.e., those appearing on the forehead” (anyacakṣurbhyāṃ lalāṭādibhavābhyāṃ na paśyati).

n.32One daṇḍa or ghaṭikā is equivalent to 24 minutes. See Gnoli and Orofino 1994, 277 fn. 1.

n.33One nāḍikā is equivalent to 24 minutes. See Gnoli and Orofino 1994, 279 fn. 1.

n.34When there are two days left, the wind flows in the left channel , and when there is only one day left, it flows in the middle channel. See Gnoli and Orofino 1994, 290.

n.35Nāropa’s Sekoddeśaṭīkā gives the following commentary on this verse: “The semen of bliss, which, due to the lack of passion (the absence of passion) abides at the crown of the head, is abiding. Emitted from the jewel of the vajra, it is nirvāṇa. This king of bliss is someone whose nirvāṇa is nonabiding, because of pervading the space between the crown of the head and the jewel of the vajra” (virāgād rāgavigamād uṣṇīṣasthaṃ yat saukhyaṃ śukram tat pratiṣṭhitam / yat tu vajramaṇeś cyutaṃ tan nirvāṇam / ayaṃ tu sukharāja uṣṇīṣavajramaṇyantarālavyāpitvād apratiṣṭithanirvāṇaḥ. See Sferra and Merzagora 2006, 165, l. 16–18).

n.36Skt. mānavarjitam; Tib. nga rgyal spangs. In their edition of the Tibetan of Nāropa’s commentary, Sferra and Merzagora (2006, footnote p. 373) explain that the Tibetan translation of the Sekoddeśaṭikā translates the Sanskrit māna° as nga rgyal, but a more correct interpretation (tshad) can be found in Vijayendra’s *Sekoddeśaṭippaṇī (dbang mdor bstan pa’i brjed byang).

n.37The reading of this verse according to the Sekoddeśa as quoted in Sahajavajra’s Sthitisamāsa (gnas pa bsdus pa, Toh 2227, Degé 97.a.6–7, Peking 104.b.5–6) makes better sense than the corresponding verse from the versions of the Sekoddeśa itself in the Kangyur. The Sthitisamāsa reads chags bral ’dod ldan ma yin te / / ’dod pa’i sbyor thabs mi (Degé: ’di) ’dod na / / nga yis bstan pa’i (Degé, Peking: pa) rgyud du (Peking: rgyun du) yang / / ci ste rnal ’byor sdug bsngal bskyed. Even in the worldly art of love one avoids fast emission. All the more should a tantric yogin avoid emission, thus not creating suffering in accordance with tantras. To be sure, the Kālacakra prescribes the avoidance of emission.

n.38The support is here the seminal drop, and the supported the yogin.

n.39I.e., taking prajñājñāna as a dvandva compound. See Vimalaprabhā (Dwivedi and Bahulkar 1994) on v. 5.114 (vol. 3, 5320-22): “Here, insight and wisdom are the perceiving mind and the perceived object of this perceiving mind, respectively. The ten [signs] starting with smoke, like a magical reflection in a mirror, are wisdom. The idea is that this is the mind insofar as it is the perceived object.” (iha prajñā ca jñānaṃ ca yathāsaṃkhyaṃ grāhakacittam, tasya ca grāhakacittasya yo daśavidho dhūmādiko grāhya ādarśābhāsaḥ pratisenāvat, sa eva jñānaṃ grāhyacittam ity arthaḥ |). The alternative would be taking prajñājñāna as “wisdom from a prajñā ” and translate: “Therefore, the unsurpassable wisdom is not the wisdom from a prajñā , which has arisen from a cause.”

n.40The alternative would be taking prajñājñāna as “wisdom from a prajñā ” and translate: “Therefore, the unsurpassable wisdom is not the wisdom from a prajñā, which has arisen from a cause.”

n.41DEITY FAMILIES Verses: 161–63; Aspect: cakras Vajrasattva: secret Mahāsattva: navel Bodhisattva: heart Samayasattva: throat Vajrayoga: forehead Kālacakra: crown Verses: 164–69; Aspect: purifies* Vajrasattva: threefold existence Mahāsattva: passion Bodhisattva: hatred Samayasattva: delusion Vajrayoga: anger Kālacakra: attachment Verses: 170; Aspect: aggregates [**] Vajrasattva: wisdom Mahāsattva: sensation [feeling] Bodhisattva: consciousness Samayasattva: matter [form] Vajrayoga: karmic formations Kālacakra: discrimination [perception] Verses: 171ab; Aspect: elements Vajrasattva: wisdom Mahāsattva: fire Bodhisattva: space Samayasattva: earth Vajrayoga: wind Kālacakra: water Verses: 171cd; Aspect: faculties Vajrasattva: mind Mahāsattva: eyes Bodhisattva: ears Samayasattva: body Vajrayoga: nose Kālacakra: tongue Verses: 172ab; Aspect: objects Vajrasattva: sounds Mahāsattva: tastes Bodhisattva: mental objects Samayasattva: odors Vajrayoga: tangible objects Kālacakra: visible objects Verses: 172ab***; Aspect: objects reordered Vajrasattva: mental objects Mahāsattva: visible objects Bodhisattva: sounds Samayasattva: tangible objects Vajrayoga: odors Kālacakra: tastes