This passage is from “A Critical Study of the GUHYASAMAJA TANTRA by Francesca Freniantle (1971)

It is a profound articulation of the Vajrayāna Buddhist understanding of enlightenment and the nature of meditation. It highlights the paradoxical and non-conceptual nature of ultimate reality, central to the tantric view.

The Sutra Is:

1. “Vajra way of the clear and complete enlightenment of all Tathāgatas”:
   • The “Vajra way” refers to the tantric path, often symbolized by the vajra (diamond or thunderbolt), representing indestructibility and the ultimate truth. This path is characterized by its swift and direct approach to enlightenment, bypassing gradual methods by directly engaging with the nature of mind and reality.
   • The “clear and complete enlightenment” emphasizes the luminous clarity (prabhāsvara) and omniscient awareness achieved by the Tathāgatas, the fully awakened beings.
2. “Since there is no phenomenal substance there can be no meditation, meditation indeed is not meditation…”:
   • This statement challenges conventional notions of meditation as an activity or process involving dualistic effort. In the Vajrayāna context, meditation transcends effort, becoming a spontaneous recognition of the nature of mind.
   • The phrase “no phenomenal substance” reflects the Madhyamaka view that all phenomena are empty of inherent existence. Because there is no fixed or substantial reality, there is nothing solid to meditate upon. Meditation, in this sense, is not an action but a recognition of the mind’s intrinsic openness and clarity.
3. “Substance being insubstantial, meditation is inconceivable”:
   • This underscores the ultimate inconceivability of reality. Meditation, when rightly understood, is the state of resting in the natural, non-dual awareness that transcends conceptualization.
   • The phrase invites practitioners to let go of intellectual constructs and recognize the immediate, direct experience of the enlightened state, which cannot be grasped or explained through ordinary reasoning.
4. “So said the Blessed Tathatā, the Vajra Body, Speech, and Mind of all Tathāgatas”:
   • “Tathatā” (Suchness) is a term that signifies the ultimate nature of reality—unchanging, beyond concepts, and synonymous with enlightenment itself.
   • The Vajra Body, Speech, and Mind of all Tathāgatas represent the enlightened dimensions of being. Body refers to the nirmāṇakāya (manifest form), speech to the saṃbhogakāya (enjoyment body), and mind to the dharmakāya (truth body). These three together symbolize the totality of an awakened being, embodying the inseparability of appearance and emptiness.

Essence of Tantra and non-duality of Mind

This passage beautifully encapsulates the non-dual essence of Vajrayāna teachings. It deconstructs conventional ideas of meditation as a practice dependent on effort or conceptual focus, pointing instead to the realization of the mind’s inherent luminosity and emptiness. It serves as an invitation to move beyond intellectual understanding and experience the boundless, inconceivable nature of the enlightened state directly.