Toh 1711Untitled

Exposition of the Tengyur Scripture, the Treatise Collection (Toh 1711)

Background

This text is preserved in the Tengyur (sungbum, “one hundred and fifty thousand works”), a collection of treatises and commentaries by great Dharma masters, translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan approximately between the eighth and thirteenth centuries. The Tengyur constitutes the commentarial portion of the Northern Buddhist Tripitaka, supplementing and elucidating the contents of the Kangyur (the original scriptures).

In the Northern Mahayana tradition (Vajrayāna), the treatises of the Tengyur are not merely theoretical explanations but also enduring practical instructions inherited from Indian saints and scholars. The study of the Tengyur is regarded as an indispensable part of Buddhist training because it directly connects scriptural theory with practical application on the Mahayana path.

Toh 1711, listed in the Treatise Collection of the Tengyur, is one of thousands of commentarial works composed by bodhisattvas and Lokadhātu-pārthivas (masters specializing in the Dharma). Although the title of this scripture has not yet been fully translated into Vietnamese, it remains part of the most precious treasury of Dharma in the Tibetan tradition.

Main Content

The treatises in the Tengyur, particularly those in the Toh 1711 group, generally focus on profound expositions of the principal Mahayana sutras, especially those concerning the nature of Mind (bodhicitta), emptiness (śūnyatā), and the bodhisattva path (Bodhisattvayāna). They discuss the correct understanding of such central concepts as:

Bodhisattva Buddha-Nature: The mind’s limitless capacity to give rise to bodhicitta—the wholesome aspiration to liberate all sentient beings from suffering.

Dependent Origination and Emptiness: The functioning of dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda) and the capacity to realize the emptiness of all dharmas, not as abstract knowledge but through direct experience.

Mahayana Practices: Detailed guidance on the stages of the bodhisattva, from the initial aspiration through the attainment of Buddhahood, including what are called “