Toh 2537Untitled

Exposition of Toh 2537 — Tengyur Śāstra Collection

A Declaration on the Nature of Buddha-Nature

Context

This scripture belongs to the Tengyur, the Śāstra collection of the Northern Tibetan Mahāyāna tradition, compiled within the philosophical foundations of Madhyamaka and Yogācāra in Tibetan Buddhism. These treatises arose from the need to explain deeply the principles of the Mahāyāna, especially concerning the nature of Buddha-nature and the way of complete liberation for all beings.

In the context of the Northern Tibetan tradition, the Tengyur is not merely a set of commentaries, but works that embody theory in practice. Toh 2537 addresses a core Mahāyāna theme: the inalienable presence of Buddha-nature in all beings, regardless of whether we are presently in a state of delusion or awakening.

Main Content

This treatise affirms that all beings possess Buddha-nature (Buddha-dhātu) as an innate quality. This is not a quality that must be created or added, but the nature (svabhāva) of mind, which is originally clear and unobstructed (luminous mind, cittaprakṛti-prabhāsvara).

The scripture also contains the idea that delusion and suffering are not inherent; they are only temporary disturbances, adventitious stains (āgantuka-mala) that cover the clear nature of the mind. Just as clouds obscure the sun but cannot destroy the sun, mental stains cannot destroy the Buddha-nature within.

This treatise also teaches the course of bodhisattva cultivation, the path through which we practice in order to reveal that Buddha-nature. This includes the development of bodhicitta, boundless compassion (mahākaruṇā), and the wisdom of selflessness and emptiness (Śūnyatā-jñāna).

Practical Meaning

The idea of innate Buddha-nature has profound meaning for cultivation. It removes the despair that we are “too bad” or “unworthy” to be liberated.