Toh 1591Untitled

Explanation of the Treatise Collection (Tengyur, Toh 1591) — Northern Tibetan Mahayana Tradition

Context

Toh 1591 is a text belonging to the Treatise Collection (Tengyur) of Northern Tibetan Buddhism, a collection containing commentaries, annotations, and works by Indian saints and sages on the teachings of the Buddha. Although the specific title has not been fully translated, this scripture lies within the fundamental theoretical foundation of the Mahayana, the tradition that emphasizes the bodhisattva practice with the aspiration to liberate countless sentient beings.

In the Northern Tibetan context, the Treatise Collection is regarded as an indispensable foundation, supplementing the Scriptural Collection (Kangyur) and the Kanjur. These commentaries were composed by eminent teachers such as Nagarjuna, Asanga, Vasubandhu, and Tibetan masters of the eighth to thirteenth centuries, in order to clarify subtle points in the Buddha Dharma that our limited capacities can hardly grasp directly from the scriptures.

Main Content

The specific content of this treatise has not been fully translated in the available materials. However, based on its position and function within the Tengyur, it may be understood that this treatise approaches one or more important themes of Northern Tibetan Mahayana:

Concerning Pure Lands or Buddha realms: It may discuss the nature of pure Buddha realms (sukhavati), and how sentient beings may be born into these realms through faith, compassionate vows, and action.

Concerning the bodhisattva path: It discusses the stages of practice, the ten grounds of the bodhisattva (das-bhūmi), or the Pāramitās (the Six Perfections: generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom).

Concerning buddhahood: It explains the three bodies of the Buddha (trikāya): the Dharma Body (Dharmakāya), the Enjoyment Body (Sambhogakāya), and the Emanation Body (Nirmānakāya), so as to understand clearly how the Buddha appears in countless forms to guide sentient beings.