Toh 1742Untitled

Exposition of the Tengyur Work Toh 1742

Context

This work is recorded in the Tengyur — the Treatise Collection of the Northern Canon (Tenjur) — representing the Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in Tibet. The Tengyur is a collection of commentaries (sastra) by supreme masters, citing and developing practices from the original Mahayana scriptures. Toh 1742 lies within the context of the Tu-mi (Tsongkhapa) tradition and its successors, where such works are used to guide practice toward realization.

Although the title has not been clearly identified, this work reflects central themes of the Tibetan Northern Mahayana: realization of non-inherent existence, bodhisattva conduct, and the interaction between wisdom and compassion. It is part of the process of standardizing the Buddha Dharma in Tibet, when scholars translated and interpreted Buddhist materials from India to suit the local spiritual context.

Main Content

The specific content of this work in the Tengyur focuses on fundamental matters of the Mahayana: the existence of the four collections of the Abhidharma, the nature of the Buddha-body (Buddhakaya), and the bodhisattva path (Bodhisattvayana). The commentaries in the Tengyur often deeply explore the meaning of practices concerning Supreme Awakening (Anuttara Samyaksambodhi), especially for practitioners following the Tibetan Vajrayana tradition.

This work may explain aspects of the Buddha Dharma related to the development of bodhisattva mind — that is, the process of practice for attaining bodhicitta, from the bodhisattva’s compassionate mind through to the realization of buddhahood. Through its commentaries, it provides guidance on methods of practice, correct understanding of the Nature of Reality (Paramarthasatya), and the bodhisattva activities of the ten levels (dasabhumi).