Toh 1939Untitled

Explanation of Text Toh 1939 — Tengyur Treatise Collection

Background

Toh 1939 is a treatise belonging to the Tengyur — the Treatise Collection of the Tibetan Buddhist Canon (Kanjur-Tengyur). This is a collection of explanations, commentaries, and works by great bodhisattvas and sages in the Northern Tibetan Mahayana tradition, translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan around the eighth to thirteenth centuries.

The Tengyur contains more than 3,600 works and is a precious source for deeply understanding the teachings of the Kangyur. These treatises were composed by great masters such as Nguyên Chủng, Tây Minh Tuệ, Bodhisattva Bạc Ngoạn, and many other figures, with the aim of clarifying the profound meaning of the teachings.

Treatise Toh 1939 belongs to the category of works explaining Mahayana Buddhadharma from the aspects of theory and practical cultivation, in accord with the foundation of Northern Tibetan Mahayana, especially the Pure Land and Tibetan Vajrayana traditions.

Main Content

Although the title of this scripture has not yet been fully translated into Vietnamese, according to the context of the Tengyur Treatise Collection, treatises in this position usually focus on one of the principal lines of Mahayana explanation:

First, a profound explanation of the theory of bodhisattva conduct — the process of bodhisattva practice through the stages (bhūmi) from the initial mind to Buddhahood, with emphasis on the Six Pāramitās: generosity, moral discipline, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom.

Second, it may be an argument concerning the nature of Mind — tathāgatagarbha (Buddha-nature) and the mechanism of rebirth within saṃsāra from the Mahayana standpoint. This treatise may make clear that all sentient beings possess Buddha-nature, and that the path of practice is the process of bringing these inherent potentials into manifestation.