Toh 3395Untitled

Exposition of Toh 3395 — Treatise Collection of the Tengyur

Background

This work belongs to the Tengyur (Bka' 'gyur), a collection of Buddhist treatises and commentaries translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan between approximately the eighth and thirteenth centuries. Toh 3395 is located in the Treatise Collection (Śāstratantra), which preserves works by Indian masters explaining the Mahayana teachings.

The Northern Mahayana tradition (Vajrayāna) regards the Tengyur as a treasury of wisdom supplementing the Sutra Collection and providing profound instructions for practice. These treatises are not scriptures taught directly by the Buddha but explanations by highly accomplished Dharma masters (Ācāryas), whom the lineage masters regarded as manifestations of the Buddha’s wisdom.

Because the descriptive information provides no details about its specific contents, the contents of Toh 3395 have not yet been fully translated. However, based on its position within the Tengyur, it may be inferred that this is a commentary on one of the important Mahayana scriptures or a guide to the practice of meditation and the bodhisattva path.

Main Content

Treatises in the Tengyur commonly address fundamental Mahayana themes: the theory of emptiness (śūnyatā), the nature of buddhahood, the bodhisattva path (Bodhisattva-mārga), and methods of practice for attaining awakening. Like other works in this collection, Toh 3395 may focus on one of the following aspects:

The Philosophy of Emptiness: An explanation of the correct understanding of the selflessness (anātman) and lack of intrinsic nature (svabhāva-śūnyatā) of all dharmas, intended to help practitioners overcome errors in perception.

The Bodhisattva Path: Instructions on the bodhisattva practices—from the Six Paramitas (Paramitā) to sublime meditative absorptions (Samādhi)—as a path to liberation not only for oneself but for all sentient beings.

Tantric Practice: If this is a Vajrayāna work, it may present methods for transforming the mind through the practice of Yogi-tantra or Anuttarayoga-tantra, employing sacred imagery (yidam)