Toh 2545aUntitled

Explanation of Tengyur Toh 2545a

Background

The Tengyur (Bstan 'gyur) is a collection of explanations and commentaries on the Buddha Dharma, compiled and translated into Tibetan from the eighth to thirteenth centuries. It is an essential part of the Northern Canon (Tibetan Buddhist Canon), comprising more than 200 volumes with works from the great masters of Mahayana. Toh 2545a belongs to the Treatise Basket (Śāstra, the section of commentarial treatises), where bodhisattva scholars and great masters such as Asaṅga, Vasubandhu, Candrakīrti, and Nāgārjuna profoundly transmitted teachings on the nature of mind, selflessness (śūnyatā), and the path to awakening.

Although there is no clear title in the descriptive information, this scripture lies within the theoretical foundation of Northern Mahayana, where bodhisattva practice and the salvation of immeasurable sentient beings are emphasized. This work reflects the highly developed tradition of logical and philosophical Buddhist thought that Tibet inherited from India.

Main Content

In the Tengyur, commentarial treatises often explain the fundamental principles of Mahayana: that the nature of mind is pure and its substance is light (buddha-nature), that all sentient beings have the capacity to become Buddhas, and that the Buddha’s teachings are transmitted through the three turnings of the Dharma Wheel. Toh 2545a, as part of the Treatise Basket, may address one of the following essential themes:

First, the nature of mind (citta): the mind has no form and no color, yet is the source of all experience. Second, selflessness (nairātmya): the understanding that there is no independent and permanent “self,” but only a continuous stream of mental and material constituents. Third, the path of bodhisattva practice (Bodhisattva-yāna), where the goal is not merely liberation from personal suffering but the salvation of all sentient beings.

The commentarial treatises in the Tengyur often employ a rigorous logical method, using arguments and refutations to clarify the profound meaning of the scriptures.