Toh 2060Untitled

Exposition of Toh 2060 — Northern Canon Tradition

Context

This scripture belongs to the Tengyur (Bstan 'gyur), the Tibetan Treatise Collection, a vast collection containing commentaries, explanations, and philosophical works from the great masters of the Buddha Dharma in India and Tibet. Scripture number Toh 2060 is a commentary belonging to the Mahayana tradition, deeply reflecting the thought of the Northern Buddhist Dharma, where the aim of practice is the bodhisattva path: seeking awakening not only for oneself but for the benefit of all beings.

The Tengyur was compiled chiefly in the eighth to ninth centuries under the Tibetan king Khristos btsan (ཀྲི་སྲོང་ལྡེའུ), marking a period when the Buddha Dharma once flourished brilliantly in Tibet. The works in this Treatise Collection underwent a careful process of translation and authentication, ensuring the original character and accuracy of the teachings.

Main Content

Although the title has not been fully released, this scripture, according to the Northern Mahayana tradition, may explain an important aspect of the Dharmakāya, the theory of the two or three bodies of the Buddha (Trikāya), or concepts concerning bodhisattva conduct, central matters in Mahayana.

In the context of the Northern Tibetan tradition, the Buddha Dharma is organized through five principal branches: image making, the turning of scripture, the Treatise Collection (Tengyur), service, and communal life. Commentaries such as Toh 2060 often address matters concerning the nature of the Buddha Dharma, the gradual path of practice, and methods for liberating the mind from ignorance (Avidyā).

At the center of Northern Mahayana is a profound philosophy of Buddha-nature: all beings possess Buddha-nature and have the capacity to become Buddhas in the future. This differs from the Hinayana view, in which only a few can attain nirvana.