Toh 1185Untitled

Exposition of Toh 1185 (Tengyur)

Background

This work belongs to the Tengyur (Bstan 'gyur) — the treatise collection of Northern Tibetan Buddhism. The Tengyur is a collection of commentaries, treatises, and instructional materials composed by ancient Buddhist masters to explain and develop the ideas found in the Sutra Collection (Kangyur).

Toh 1185 stands particularly within the context of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition — where the goal of practice is not only personal liberation, but the attainment of buddhahood in order to liberate immeasurable sentient beings. Treatises in the Tengyur often explore deeply the doctrine of the bodhisattva path (Bodhisattvayana), Buddha-nature (Buddhata), and the skillful means (Upaya) that the Buddha used to teach the Dharma to different kinds of sentient beings.

The preservation of this scripture in the Tibetan canon shows its importance for the philosophical foundation and practical cultivation within the Vajrayana Buddhist system. These treatises are often used as study materials in monasteries, supporting disciples in understanding the teachings of the Buddha Dharma more deeply.

Main Content

Although the exact title of Toh 1185 has not yet been fully translated into Vietnamese, it belongs to the stream of Tengyur treatises intended to clarify important aspects of the Buddha Dharma. Such works often focus on:

First, analysis of the nature of mind (citta) and consciousness (vijnana) from the Buddhist perspective, especially the way the mind is obscured by ignorance (avidya) and how it can be made clear through practice.

Second, teachings on the bodhisattva path — the path of practice for those who aspire to become buddhas in order to save sentient beings. This includes meditation (dhyana), understanding of emptiness (Sunyata), and the cultivation of the paramitas (Paramita), or perfected virtues.

Third, the presentation of the signs of diligence on the bodhisattva path and the corresponding practices for each stage of gradual awakening.