Toh 1794Untitled

Explanation of Tengyur Scripture Toh 1794

Context

The Tengyur (ཏེང་གི་ཡིག་ཆོས་, "Northern Translation of the Dharma Treasury") is a collection of works by great commentators explaining Buddhist scriptures in the Northern Tibetan tradition (Vajrayana). Toh 1794 is found in the Treatise section (Śāstra section) of the Tengyur, the portion devoted to writings that comment upon and explain the fundamental principles of the Mahayana.

The Northern Tibetan tradition was established from the eighth century onward, when masters from India, such as Padmasambhava and Śāntarakṣita, brought the Buddha Dharma to Tibet. These treatises were composed to protect and clarify the authentic teachings, especially concerning the nature of mind (citta), dharmata, and the path of practice leading to buddhahood.

Although the title is not clearly recorded in the descriptive information, Toh 1794 is a poetic treatise or prose treatise belonging to the class of commentarial works on the essential doctrines of the Mahayana, possibly related to the nature of Buddha-nature or to the general path of practice of the Mahayana schools.

Main Content

The treatises in Tengyur Toh 1794 often explain profound principles concerning the impermanent nature (anicca), selflessness (anattā), or the ultimate nature of reality (paramārtha-satya). In the context of the Northern Tibetan tradition, these treatises emphasize that all beings possess Buddha-nature (tathagatagarbha), the innate seed of awakening.

The scripture teaches that the difference between beings and a Buddha does not lie in their essential nature, but in the veiling by ignorance (avidyā) and the tainted skandhas. Through practice according to the Six Perfections (Ṣaḍ-pāramitā) — discipline (śīla), generosity (dāna), patience (kṣānti), diligence (vīrya), meditation (dhyāna), and wisdom (prajñā) — beings gradually unfold this Buddha-nature.