Toh 1988Untitled

Commentary on Toh 1988 - Northern Tibetan Mahayana Tradition

Background

The scripture Toh 1988 belongs to the Tengyur (སྟེན་འགྱུར་), the Treatise Collection of the Northern Tibetan Transmission. This is a vast collection of treatises explaining and developing Mahayana Dharma methods, composed after the Buddha's time by bodhisattvas and venerable masters of high virtue. The Tengyur comprises 213 volumes with more than 3,600 works, and is the most profound and diverse treasury of Buddhist knowledge in the Northern Tibetan Transmission.

The position of this work within the Treatise Collection shows that it belongs among the important works recognized and translated into Tibetan by Tibetan scholars during the golden age of Buddhism, from the eighth to the twelfth centuries. Its inclusion in the Tengyur reflects the value and orthodoxy of this work within the Mahayana tradition. The scriptures and treatises in the Tengyur often explain aspects of doctrine such as Madhyamaka, Yogacara, the theory of Buddha-nature, and the bodhisattva path.

Main Content

Although the specific title has not been provided, based on the position and historical context of Toh 1988 in the Treatise Collection, this scripture is very likely a treatise explaining one of the important themes of the Northern Tibetan Mahayana: the doctrine of the bodhisattva path (bodhisattva-marga), the nature of the Buddha body (Dharmakaya), or the principle of emptiness (sunyata) and Buddha-nature.

In the Northern Tibetan Mahayana tradition, treatises often deeply develop teachings from major scriptures such as the Avatamsaka Sutra, the Nirvana Sutra, and the Lotus Sutra. They emphasize that the ultimate goal is to attain buddhahood for the benefit of all beings (bodhicitta), not for oneself alone. This work may also examine complex logical and metaphysical issues concerning how to understand mind, Buddha-nature, and the path of practice of bodhisattvas through the different stages (bhumi).