Toh 2474Untitled

Exposition of Scripture Toh 2474 — The Tengyur Treatise Collection

Background

This scripture belongs to the Treatise Collection (Śāstrapiṭaka) in the Tengyur, the treasury of commentarial literature of the Tibetan Mahayana Buddhist tradition. The Tengyur is a collection of commentaries and treatises by Buddhist masters and sages, compiled to clarify the profound meaning of the Sūtrapiṭaka. The works in the Tengyur are all directed toward helping scholars and monastics master the Buddha’s Dharma, overcome doubts, and practice the path of liberation.

The history of the Tengyur records the contributions of many great Tibetan and Indian translators from the eighth to the thirteenth centuries. These works were translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan with extraordinary care, preserving intact the spirit of the original Dharma methods. Scripture Toh 2474 is one of the important commentaries, reflecting this tradition’s effort to transmit the Buddhist path in a profound and comprehensive way.

Main Content

Although the title has not yet been specifically translated, Scripture Toh 2474 belongs to the stream of treatises developed from the major Mahayana schools, especially the thought of Mind-Only (Cittamātra) or the Middle Way (Mādhyamika), the two philosophical pillars of Tibetan Buddhism.

If according to the Cittamātra tradition, this scripture may explain the nature of mind: how mind (citta) and mental factors (cetasika) give rise to the phenomenal world, and how to understand correctly the emptiness (śūnyatā) of subject and object. If according to Mādhyamika, it may explore the path of the Middle Way, avoiding the extremes of existence and nonexistence and turning toward bodhicitta.

Treatises in the Tengyur often combine presentations of: (1) philosophical theory concerning the nature of phenomena, (2) methods of practice for attaining the fruition, and (3) ways to apply this knowledge in yogic practice. This reflects the character of Tibetan Mahayana: not separating reasoning from practice.