Toh 3666Untitled

Exposition of Toh 3666

From the Tengyur Treatise Collection — The Northern Tibetan Tradition

Context

Toh 3666 belongs to the Treatise Collection (Śāstrapiṭaka) of the Northern Tibetan Tengyur, a collection of treatises and commentaries on the Buddha Dharma composed by bodhisattvas and great scholars. In the Northern Tibetan Mahayana tradition, the Treatise Collection plays an essential role in clarifying the intended meaning of the root Dharma texts (Mūlamadhyamaka), Tathatāgarbha, and the teachings on the Tathāgatagarbha.

This text was composed to gather and interpret the truths of the Buddha Dharma from the Mahayana perspective, especially principles related to the Buddha-nature of beings and the bodhisattva path. The historical context of the Tengyur reflects the extraordinary translation process of great Tibetan masters from the seventh to the ninth centuries, when the Buddha Dharma reached the height of its development in India and was transmitted to Tibet.

Main Content

Although the original title has not been fully conveyed, according to its place in the Treatise Collection, Toh 3666 may interpret important aspects of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, perhaps related to: (1) the nature of mind (Citta) and liberation; (2) the relationship between ultimate reality (Paramārtha-satya) and relative reality (Samvṛti-satya); or (3) the bodhisattva path of practice leading to bodhi.

In the spirit of the Northern Tibetan tradition, this text may emphasize that all beings possess Tathāgatagarbha, that is, the innate capacity to attain Buddhahood. It may also reaffirm that the nature of mind (dharmata) is without arising and ceasing, without multiplicity, and is the basis of all phenomena. Clear understanding of these points is the foundation for the bodhisattva to arouse bodhicitta and practice the Pāramitās (the six perfections).