Toh 4095Untitled

An Exposition of Sutra Toh 4095 from the Tengyur

Background

The Tengyur of the Northern Tibetan tradition is a collection of treatises (śāstra) and commentaries compiled in the eighth and ninth centuries at Nalanda Monastery in India and subsequently translated into Tibetan. The works in the Tengyur are all profound explanations of the scriptures and the fundamental elements of the Buddha’s Dharma, expounded by wise masters of the Mahāyāna tradition to elucidate the true meaning of Śākyamuni Buddha’s teachings.

Although the title of Sutra Toh 4095 has not yet been fully translated into Vietnamese, according to the Northern Tibetan tradition, it is an important explanatory treatise within the Tengyur, guiding Mahāyāna practitioners in the fundamental nature of phenomena and the path of practice leading to awakening. The sutra is arranged within the Tibetan system of scriptural classification for the purpose of providing comprehensive instruction on bodhisattva practice.

Main Content

According to the Northern Tibetan tradition, this sutra focuses on explaining the fundamental principles of the Buddha’s Dharma that bodhisattvas must understand and practice. The sutra emphasizes that all phenomena (dharma) are by nature empty (śūnyatā), devoid of any immutable intrinsic nature, and that the correct realization of this nature is the foundation for transcending the cycle of saṃsāra.

The sutra also teaches the Four Noble Truths—the three noble truths of suffering, the origin of suffering, and the noble truth of the path—which are expanded within the Mahāyāna context so as to apply to the aim of liberating all sentient beings, rather than merely oneself. This reflects the bodhisattva spirit (bodhicitta), the mind of awakening directed toward the benefit of all sentient beings.

Furthermore, this sutra presents instructions on the Six Pāramitās (Ṣaḍpāramitā)—the six means of transcendence: generosity (dāna), ethical discipline (śīla), patience (kṣānti), diligence (vīrya), meditative concentration (dhyāna), and wisdom (prajñāpti). Each pāramitā is presented in detail, explaining how it is to be practiced in true accord with the bodhisattva path.

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