Toh 2786Untitled

Exposition of Treatise Section Toh 2786 — The Northern Canon Mahayana Tradition

Context

The Tengyur (Bstan 'gyur) is a collection of treatises and commentaries on Buddhist scriptures, compiled and translated in the ninth and tenth centuries in Tibet. The work Toh 2786 belongs among those treatises that gather wisdom from the great Buddhist masters of India, translated by eminent Dharma teachers in the ancient Tibetan Buddhist institutes.

The Northern Canon Mahayana tradition continues the coherent current of Indian Buddhism through the Central Asian route, differing from the Lesser Vehicle in that it confers upon the Buddha Dharma a more international and comprehensive character. The Northern Canon especially values works of commentary (śāstra), because they are the bridge between the Buddha’s teaching and practical application on the path of cultivation.

Main Content

Although the title of this treatise has not been fully provided, from its position in the Tengyur we may determine that this is an exegetical work related to central matters of the Mahayana. Treatises of this period often focus on three essential themes: the nature of Mind (bodhicitta — the mind of awakening), the theory of the Four Noble Truths in the context of the bodhisattva path, or aspects of the Wisdom of Emptiness (śūnyatā).

The Northern Canon tradition, especially through the Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu, and Gelug schools, all regard commentary as a precious means of practice. These treatises are carefully transmitted through the circle of teacher and disciple, together with continual instructions (upadesa) from the preceptor.

The work Toh 2786 may delve into such questions as: What stages does the bodhisattva path have? How can a monastic understand the theory of emptiness without falling into nihilism or eternalism? Or how can one accumulate merit and wisdom (punya-jñāna-sambhāra) in a balanced way?

Practical Meaning

Whatever the specific content, the commentaries in the Tengyur are all highly practical in character.