Toh 2971Untitled

Exposition of Toh 2971 — Northern Tibetan Mahayana Tradition

Context

This scripture belongs to the Tengyur — the collection of treatises and explanations of scripture in the Tibetan Mahayana tradition. The Tengyur is an important part of the Prajnaparamita collection (Kanjur), compiled and translated from Sanskrit originals into Tibetan from the ninth century onward. Toh 2971 is an instructional treatise in the field of the Dharmakāya or the teaching on the nature of buddha-nature.

The Northern Tibetan Mahayana tradition emphasizes that awakening can be attained by all beings through the bodhisattva path. Scriptures in the Tengyur often comment upon or expand the theories presented in the principal scriptures (Kanjur), in order to help practitioners understand the Buddha Dharma more deeply from philosophical and practical perspectives.

Main Content

Although no specific title has been recorded, based on its placement within the Tengyur collection, this treatise may discuss the nature of buddha-nature or profound aspects of the Dharmakāya. In the Northern Tibetan Mahayana tradition, the Dharmakāya is understood as the absolute body of the Buddha — unobscured by minds or companions, an inexpressible intrinsic nature (Svabhāva).

Such treatises often present the three bodies of the Buddha (Trikāya): the Dharmakāya — the totality of dharmas; the Sambhogakāya — the perfect enjoyment body of the Buddha seen by bodhisattvas; and the Nirmāṇakāya — the forms that appear in order to teach beings. This scripture may explain how these bodies are connected with one another and how they serve the awakening of all beings without being limited by time or space.

In addition, Toh 2971 may refer to the concept of bodhicitta — the mind directed toward awakening for the benefit of all beings — and the way bodhisattvas practice on the unsurpassed path (Anuttarayoga).