Toh 3231Untitled

Exposition of Scripture Toh 3231 — Northern Tibetan Tradition

Context

Toh 3231 is a work from the Tengyur, the Treatise Collection of the Northern Tibetan Mahayana tradition. The Tengyur contains commentaries, treatises, and explanatory works by great Buddhist masters, in contrast to the Kangyur (the Scriptural Collection), which consists of the direct teachings of the Buddha. The scripture's position in the Treatise Collection indicates that this is an explanatory work or commentary on a profound aspect of the Mahayana teachings.

The Northern Tibetan tradition, formed from Indian teachings transmitted into Tibet from the eighth century onward, has always placed great importance on the study and commentary of the scriptures. The works in the Tengyur are the fruit of the translation and recording efforts of great translators such as Kumarajiva and Tibetan monks, helping to preserve and develop understanding of the Buddhadharma over many centuries.

Main Content

Although the name of the scripture has not been fully translated, works in the Tengyur often focus on the central themes of the Northern Tibetan Mahayana: realization (Bodhi), the Bodhisattva Path, the Buddha-nature of sentient beings, or methods of practice such as meditation (Dhyāna) and wisdom (Prajñapāramitā).

In the Northern Tibetan context, these commentaries often combine all three trainings (the Three Trainings): discipline (Śīla, the ethical precepts), concentration (Samādhi, meditative absorption), and wisdom (Prajñā). In particular, this tradition emphasizes the connection among loving-kindness (Maitra), compassion (Karuṇā), sympathetic joy (Mudita), and equanimity (Upekṣā), the root qualities of bodhisattva practice.

Such Tengyur works also enter deeply into the theory of Buddha-nature, holding that all sentient beings have the capacity to become buddhas. This is the foundation of the bodhisattva's aspiration: not merely seeking personal liberation, but practicing in order to liberate immeasurable sentient beings.