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An Exposition of Tengyur Treatise Toh 4170
Context
This text is preserved in the Tengyur—the Treatise Collection of the Tibetan Buddhist Canon. It is a compilation of commentaries, annotations, and philosophical works by Buddhist masters from Indian traditions, translated into Tibetan approximately between the eighth and twelfth centuries.
The Northern Mahayana tradition (Mahāyāna, Northern/Tibetan Buddhism) continues the teachings of the Buddha and bodhisattvas, emphasizing the bodhisattva path, the wisdom of emptiness (śūnyatā), and the buddha-nature of all sentient beings. The treatises in the Tengyur were composed to clarify the intent of the Mahayana sutras, particularly the Avataṃsaka Sutra, the Prajnaparamita Sutras, and the sutras concerning the tathāgatagarbha.
The place of Toh 4170 in the Treatise Collection makes it not only an academic text but also an instrument of practice through which students deepen their understanding and develop wisdom (prajñā).
Main Content
Although the official title has not been translated in full, this work belongs to the class of commentaries focusing on important aspects of the bodhisattva path. According to the general structure of the Tengyur, such treatises commonly discuss:
First, the nature of the bodhisattva mind (bodhisattva-citta)—the mind aspiring to liberate countless sentient beings, not merely for one’s own sake but for the sake of all beings. This is the foundation of every bodhisattva action.
Second, the doctrine of the wisdom of emptiness (śūnyatā), namely, the understanding that all phenomena lack a fixed, independent nature (nairātmya). The commentaries in the Tengyur explain that this profound understanding is not relative nihilism but liberating wisdom that penetrates the true character of all phenomena.
Third, the tathāgatagarbha—the concept that all sentient beings possess buddha-nature and have the capacity to attain buddhahood. This distinguishes the Mahayana from other traditions.
Practical Significance
Works such as Toh 4170 are not merely abstract theory.
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