Toh 4395Untitled

Exposition of Scripture Toh 4395 — Tengyur, Abhidharma (Northern Canonical Tradition)

Context

This scripture belongs to the Tengyur—the collection of treatises and commentaries on the Buddha’s Dharma in the Northern Mahāyāna tradition. The Tengyur is an indispensable canonical treasury for the study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism. It was compiled from works by great Indian masters and translated into Tibetan beginning in the eighth century.

Toh 4395 is a treatise in the Abhidharma section, in which learned masters concentrate on a profound analysis of dharmas and the nature of phenomena. The purpose of the Abhidharma is to help practitioners clearly understand the structure of consciousness, the factors that give rise to suffering, and the path by which they may be transcended. This scripture reflects the Mahāyāna tradition, in which a bodhisattva does not seek liberation solely for himself or herself but practices for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Main Content

Although the specific title has not yet been fully translated, judging from the context of the Abhidharma in the Northern Canonical tradition, this scripture most likely focuses on one of several essential subjects: the analysis of dharmas, the nature of dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda), or the structure of consciousness and afflictive thoughts.

In the Mahāyāna, particularly in the Northern Canonical tradition—including the Gelug, Kagyu, Nyingma, and Sakya schools—the Abhidharma is not merely a tool of logical analysis but also a means of directly realizing emptiness (śūnyatā), the empty nature of all dharmas. Through detailed analysis of mental and material constituents, practitioners gradually recognize that there is no permanent self, no independent “I,” but only phenomena that continually change in dependence upon causes and conditions.

The Abhidharma also discusses wholesome dharmas (kuśala)—wholesome actions, intentions, and states of mind—and unwholesome dharmas (akuśala)—actions that cause harm. This distinction is the foundation upon which bodhisattvas clearly understand how to practice so that every step leads toward Awakening, not only for themselves but for all sentient beings.