Toh 2622Untitled

An Explanation of Tengyur Scripture Toh 2622

Context

This work appears in the Tengyur (bstan 'gyur), the treatise collection of the Tibetan tradition and an inseparable part of the Northern Buddhist canon. The Tengyur is a collection of commentaries, treatises, and practical instructions composed by great masters from the Indian Buddhist tradition, and further developed and refined in the Tibetan milieu from the eighth century onward.

The position of Toh 2622 within the treatise collection shows that this is a specialized work, directed toward monks and practitioners with a firm foundation in the Buddha-Dharma. In the Tibetan tradition, scriptural treatises such as this are often concerned with clarifying complex concepts of the Buddha-Dharma, especially subtle points in the doctrine of Buddha-nature, the bodhisattva path, or methods of meditation.

Main Content

Although the title has not yet been identified, this scriptural treatise belongs to the Mahayana branch, a tradition that emphasizes that all beings have the capacity to become Buddhas. The Tibetan tradition, especially schools such as Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug, all take the Tengyur as a foundation for teaching.

The treatises in the Tengyur often revolve around such themes as: (1) profound exegesis of Prajñāpāramitā, the transcendent wisdom that knows the emptiness of phenomena; (2) the doctrine of Tathatā, suchness, the true nature of all dharmas; (3) levels of dhyāna and samādhi in Mahayana meditation practice; (4) the vows of the bodhisattvas Avalokiteśvara or Manjuśrī; or (5) methods of Vajrayāna practice, if this work belongs to the tantric domain.

This scriptural treatise, like other works in the Tengyur, was composed in a language of rigorous logic, using the methods of proof (pramāṇa) and established tenets (siddhānta) to clarify the Dharma and remove misunderstandings.