Toh 2997Untitled

Exposition of Tengyur Scripture Toh 2997

Context

The Tengyur is the complete collection of treatises and commentaries by Indian masters on the Buddha's teachings, compiled and translated into Tibetan around the eighth to thirteenth centuries. Toh 2997 belongs to the Treatise Collection (Sastra-pitaka) of the Northern Tibetan Mahayana tradition, where bodhisattva practitioners developed and deeply explained aspects of the Buddhadharma through scholastic works.

The Northern Tibetan tradition, especially through schools such as the Prasangika-Madhyamaka school and the Yogacara school, aims at a deep understanding of theory and practice in an integrated way. The treatises in the Tengyur not only explain the meaning of the scriptures but also indicate a concrete path of practice for those who wish to attain bodhisattva Enlightenment.

Main Content

Although the specific title of this scripture has not yet been fully translated into Vietnamese, according to the sequence in the Tengyur, Toh 2997 lies in the region of treatises related to Prajnaparamita or the teachings on the Middle Way (Madhyamaka). Treatises of this period often focus on explaining the nature of non-self (anatman), the emptiness (sunyata) of dharmas, and the method for cultivating the perfection of wisdom (prajnaparamita).

According to the Northern Tibetan Mahayana tradition, treatises in this position often address the way to overcome the two great obstacles: the afflictive obscurations (klesa-avarana) and the cognitive obscurations (jneya-avarana). This requires a profound understanding of the Middle Way, that is, going beyond the extremes of eternalism and nihilism. These treatises also emphasize the importance of the Four Noble Truths, the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, and the path of the Four Immeasurables (Brahmavihara) in the context of seeking Enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.