Toh 3426Untitled

Exposition of the Scripture Toh 3426 from the Tengyur — Abhidharma

Context

This work belongs to the Abhidharma (Śāstrapiṭaka) in the Tengyur — one of the most important collections of Buddhist scholarly texts in the Mahāyāna tradition of the Northern Transmission. The Tengyur is an anthology of treatises, commentaries, and doctrinal materials composed by bodhisattvas and Indian scholars in order to develop and clarify the Buddha’s teachings in the scriptures.

The position of Toh 3426 in the Abhidharma indicates that this is a work in the field of philosophy or practice according to the Mahāyāna tradition. In the context of the Northern Transmission, treatises such as this are often used to orient faithful practitioners toward an accurate understanding of the methods of practice, especially advanced methods related to the realization of emptiness (śūnyatā) and Buddha-nature.

Main Contents

Although the title has not yet been fully translated into Vietnamese, based on its classification in the Tengyur, the work Toh 3426 is likely related to fundamental issues in Mahāyāna thought concerning the nature of the Buddha, awakening, or the stages of practice leading to Buddhahood.

In the Northern Transmission, these treatises often approach the matter from the perspective of Madhyamaka (Mādhyamika) or Yogācāra, the two great philosophical schools of Indian Mahāyāna. They examine the nature of mind (citta), non-self (anātman), and the way human beings can attain complete awakening without depending on external conditions.

These works from the Abhidharma emphasize that all sentient beings possess Buddha-nature — an innate potential to become a Buddha. No one is excluded from this possibility. At the same time, they also develop logical arguments to demonstrate these theories through rigorous reasoning.

Practical Significance

For a modern faithful practitioner following the Northern Transmission, works such as Toh 3426 are not scriptures to be outwardly “venerated,” but profound tools of practice.