Toh 3369Untitled

Exposition of Toh 3369 — Tengyur Treatise Collection

Context

The Tengyur of the Northern Tibetan tradition (Mahayana Buddha-Dharma) is a collection of treatises, commentaries, and methods of practice composed by great bodhisattvas and masters in order to clarify the profound meaning of the scriptures and Vinaya. Toh 3369, although it has no clear title in the information provided, according to its position in the Treatise Collection, belongs among the important commentaries of the Northern Tibetan tradition.

In the Mahayana Buddha-Dharma, the Northern Tibetan tradition especially emphasizes the unity of theory and practice, between understanding reality (śūnyatā, emptiness) and the awakening of the mind (bodhicitta, the mind of enlightenment). The commentaries in the Tengyur are regarded as paths guiding monastics and practitioners beyond obstacles in the process of practice, thereby attaining liberation.

Main Contents

Although the specific content of this scripture has not yet been fully translated, based on the context of the Tengyur Treatise Collection, the work Toh 3369 is likely to present important aspects of the bodhisattva path. The Northern Tibetan tradition often focuses on topics such as bodhicitta, the mind of resolve to attain awakening in order to liberate beings; the bodhisattva path with the six paramitas, consisting of generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom; as well as Vajrayana methods of practice, especially the devoted recollection of bodhisattvas and Buddhas.

These commentaries affirm that all beings possess Buddha-nature, that is, the capacity to attain Buddhahood. Practice is not a process of transformation from non-awakening into awakening, but a process of revealing the luminous and compassionate (karuṇā) qualities already present within our continuum of mind.