Toh 1138Untitled

An Exposition of Scripture Toh 1138 — Tengyur Commentarial Canon

Background

Toh 1138 in the Tengyur (Northern canon) is a treatise from the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, compiled and preserved by Tibetan scholars through the process of translation from Sanskrit and Chinese originals. The Tengyur, or "Bstan 'gyur" (སྦུ་དན་, "Translated Treatises"), is the second part of the Tibetan Buddhist canon, containing treatises, works that explain and develop the teachings from the main canon of scriptures (Kangyur).

In the context of Tibetan Mahayana, these treatises play an extremely important role. They are not only scholarly commentaries but also systematic instruments of practice, helping practitioners to understand deeply and apply the teachings on the bodhisattva path. This tradition emphasizes the union of theory (pariniṣpanna, rnam par brtags pa) and practice (upaya, thabs).

Main Content

Although the title of Toh 1138 has not been fully identified in the existing descriptive information, treatises in the Tengyur often revolve around central Mahayana themes such as the nature of buddha-nature (Buddha-dhātu), the bodhisattva path, the wisdom of selflessness (prajñapti-nairātmya), or methods of meditation (dhyāna, bsam gtan).

Tengyur treatises were composed by eminent bodhisattvas and accomplished masters such as Vasubandhu, Dignaga, Candrakīrti, Asaṅga, and other important figures in the Yogācāra, Madhyamaka, and Mahayana Abhidharma traditions. They provide a sharp philosophical foundation for understanding that all phenomena are empty of intrinsic nature (śūnyatā), while also affirming that buddha-nature lies latent in all beings.

Specifically, such treatises often analyze concepts such as mind (chitta, sems), matter (rūpa, gzugs), and the relationship between them; the stages of practice from the beginner (parikalpita, kun tu rtog pa) to the realization of buddhahood; and how the subtle qualities of the mind can be transformed through practice.