Toh 3723Untitled

Exposition of Toh 3723 — Tengyur Treatise Collection

Northern Tibetan Mahayana Tradition

Context

The scripture Toh 3723 is found in the Treatise Collection (Tengyur) of Northern Tibetan Buddhism, a collection of treatises and commentaries by bodhisattvas and sages from ancient India. This tradition took shape after Buddha Shakyamuni entered nirvana, when the sages continued the Dharma methods in order to teach later practitioners. The Tengyur Treatise Collection contains knowledge concerning the practice of the bodhisattva path, karma and its results, and the path of awakening from the Mahayana perspective.

This scripture is a part of the philosophical foundation of Northern Tibetan Buddhism, where the equality of all sentient beings is emphasized, as well as the capacity of every person to become a Buddha through the bodhisattva path. The appearance of these treatises reflects the needs of practitioners who wish to understand the Dharma methods more deeply and know how to practice correctly in order to attain unsurpassed realization.

Main Content

Although the title of the scripture has not been fully translated, this scripture, like other works in the Treatise Collection, is intended to clarify the explicit meanings of the foundational scriptures. According to the Northern Tibetan tradition, treatises often address:

First is the clear understanding of the nature of mind and ignorance (avidyā). In the Mahayana, mind is regarded as having no fixed essence, like a bright mirror that reflects all phenomena without being defiled. Ignorance is the fundamental confusion about the nature of self and phenomena, giving rise to suffering and the cycle of samsara.

Second, the scripture may revolve around the bodhisattva vow and adaptive means (upāya). In the Mahayana, the bodhisattva does not seek liberation only for oneself, but gives rise to the resolve to liberate all sentient beings. Adaptive means are the wisdom of sages in teaching the Dharma in ways appropriate to the capacities and faculties of each person.

Third, this scripture may be related to the doctrine of the Dharmakāya and the Nirmānakāya manifestations.