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An Exposition of an Untitled Scripture from the Tengyur (Tibetan Treatises)

Background

This work appears in the Tengyur—the collection of treatises and commentaries on Buddhist scriptures in the Northern Mahayana tradition. The Tengyur contains hundreds of works by Indian and Tibetan masters that elucidate the principal teachings of the Buddhadharma. Although this work presently has no clearly identified title, it is preserved within this precious treasury of Buddhist literature, reflecting the dedication of earlier masters to transmitting and safeguarding the Dharma.

Within the Mahayana tradition—particularly in Tibet, with its three principal schools (Nyingma, Kagyu, Gelug, and Sakya)—these treatises play an exceedingly important role. Inheriting the legacy of great Nālandā scholars such as Nagarjuna, Vasubandhu, and Dharmakirti, they help monastics understand more clearly the Dharmadhātu, consciousness, and the path of practice leading to awakening.

Principal Content

Although this work has not yet been fully translated under a clearly established title, works of a similar kind in the Tengyur generally focus on core Mahayana themes: the bodhisattva path, Buddha-nature, emptiness (Śūnyatā), and theories concerning the realms of rebirth.

In particular, within the Northern Tibetan tradition, the treatises commonly affirm that all sentient beings possess innate Buddha-nature. This view differs from those of other schools because it regards Buddha-nature not as something to be “attained,” but as the essential nature obscured by defiled mental activities (kleśa). The purpose of practice is precisely to remove these obscurations through wisdom (prajñā) and compassion (karuṇā), thereby becoming a bodhisattva—a practitioner who vows to guide all sentient beings.

The treatises also emphasize the importance of refuge—complete trust in the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. This is not merely a formal vow, but also a firm psychological foundation for the entire course of practice.

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