Toh 3187Untitled

Exposition of Toh 3187 — Tibetan Treatise Collection

Context

Toh 3187 belongs to the Tengyur, that is, the Tibetan Treatise Collection: a collection of commentaries, treatises, and teaching sections by Mahayana masters of the Buddha Dharma after Śākyamuni Buddha entered nirvana. This work was compiled during the period from approximately the eighth to the twelfth centuries, in order to preserve, develop, and clarify the principles of the Dharma in the Tibetan Mahāyāna tradition.

The position of Toh 3187 in the Tengyur shows that this is an exegetical work, composed by practicing teachers or wise masters in response to Dharma questions about the Mahayana path of practice, or about profound aspects of the bodhisattva Dharma or Vajrayāna. The Tibetan tradition greatly values practical spiritual conduct, and therefore these treatises are often built upon a scriptural foundation while always being directed toward application in meditation and spiritual practice.

Main Content

Although the original title has not yet been fully translated into Vietnamese, based on its position in the Tengyur, Toh 3187 is almost certainly a commentary or explanation of an important aspect of the Mahāyāna Dharma. It may be an exposition on the nature of mind (citta), on the stages of the bodhisattva path of practice, on the doctrine of emptiness (śūnyatā), or on special practices in Vajrayāna such as visualization of deities (yidam) or the four seals.

In the Tibetan tradition, treatises such as this often use methods of Buddhist logic, based on the three collections: Sutra, Abhidharma, and Vinaya, to present profound truths. They also often contain specific practice instructions, examinations of the nature of mind, or arguments refuting mistaken views. The Tibetan exegetical style emphasizes the accord between theory and practice, between understanding (jñāna) and wisdom (prajñā).