Toh 1923Untitled

Exposition of the Tengyur Treatise Toh 1923

Context

The Tengyur is a collection of Buddhist Dharma treatises compiled in Tibet, preserving the orthodox teachings of the Mahayana, especially the Northern Tibetan tradition. This collection includes commentaries and treatises by eminent teachers intended to clarify the profound meanings found in the Mahayana scriptures. Toh 1923, although its title has not yet been fully translated into Vietnamese, is one of the precious treatises belonging to the Treatise Collection (Tibetan Abhidharmapiṭaka), an important section within the Tengyur.

Within the context of Northern Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, the treatises in the Tengyur play an indispensable role in explaining complex aspects of the nature of dharmas, especially matters related to the nature of mind, karma, and the path to awakening. This work reflects the efforts of Tibetan noble beings to preserve and perfect the understanding of the Buddhadharma according to the tradition transmitted from India.

Main Content

The treatises in the Tengyur, including Toh 1923, often focus on analyzing and clarifying fundamental natures of dharmas according to the Mahayana view. They explore deeply the nature of reality (tathatā), the relation between mind and object (chit-jñeya), as well as the functioning of karmic result and causality (pratītyasamutpāda).

In the Northern Tibetan tradition, especially according to the Gelug school, these treatises emphasize the importance of precise reasoning (praṇīta-nyāya) in illuminating the path toward the bodhisattva ground. They are not only theoretical teachings but also provide systematic guidance for the practice of meditative concentration (dhyāna) and wisdom (prajñā).

Although the specific content of this scripture has not yet been fully translated, based on the context of the Tengyur it may be understood to address central matters: the nature of consciousness (vijñapti-mātratā, or "consciousness-only"), the nonexistence of self (śūnyatā), and especially the cultivation of mind in order to attain bodhicitta from the initial stage.