Toh 1359Untitled

EXPOSITION OF A SCRIPTURE FROM THE TENGYUR (TOH 1359)

Background

Toh 1359 is a scripture from the Tengyur, also called the Tibetan Treatise Collection (Tibetan Buddhist Canon), a collection of commentaries and teachings developed from the Mahāyāna tradition of the Northern Tibetan Transmission. The Tengyur contains the commentaries and explanations of eminent teachers on the scriptures taught directly by the Buddha (Kangyur), as well as independent works of Buddhist philosophy.

The Northern Tibetan Transmission developed from the combination of ancient Mahāyāna scriptures and profound Vajrayāna teachings. The Tengyur, compiled from the eighth century onward, is a treasury of Buddhist knowledge preserved and developed by Tibetan masters over many centuries. The works in this collection are all directed toward helping disciples deeply understand the great vows and the path of practice of the Mahāyāna.

Main Content

Because the descriptive information of Toh 1359 does not yet provide a specific title or detailed contents, we cannot interpret the content of this scripture precisely. However, the scriptures in the Tengyur generally focus on several core themes of the Northern Tibetan Mahāyāna Transmission.

Often these scriptures discuss Buddha-dhātu - the innate capacity of all sentient beings to become Buddhas. They also commonly teach the bodhisattva path (Bodhisattvayāna), the path of practice of bodhisattvas who dedicate all their capacities to liberating immeasurable sentient beings. These scriptures also deeply explore the theories of the Svātantrika-Mādhyamika or Prāsaṅgika-Mādhyamika approaches to the selfless nature of phenomena.

In addition, the Tengyur also includes commentaries on Dependent Origination (Pratītyasamutpāda), the Four Noble Truths, and especially practical instructions on concentration (dhyāna), wisdom (prajñā), and advanced meditative skills.