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EXPOSITION OF A SCRIPTURE FROM THE TENGYUR (Toh 4458)
Context of the Northern Tibetan Mahayana Tradition
This scripture belongs to the Treatise Collection (Abhidharmakośa-bhāṣya) of the Northern Tibetan Mahayana tradition, particularly as transmitted through the Tengyur—the treasury of Buddhist treatises and scriptural commentaries translated and compiled in Tibet from the seventh century onward. It is a precious part of the Buddhist intellectual heritage, preserving the profound realizations of Mahayana masters concerning the Buddha’s Dharma.
The scripture has no clearly identified separate title, but according to its position in the Tengyur, it is a profound treatise on causality, particularly addressing matters related to consciousness, action (karma), and the path to liberation. This tradition emphasizes selflessness (anātman) and mind as the basis of all phenomena.
Main Content
Within the context of the Tengyur, this scripture examines doctrines concerning mind (cittavijñāna) and the dependent arising of suffering. In the Northern Tibetan Mahayana tradition, mind is not a fixed entity but a continuous stream of consciousnesses (skandha), each propelled by karma and craving (tṛṣṇā).
The scripture emphasizes that all phenomena arise through mind. This is not idealism in a mystical sense, but an acknowledgment that our experience is formed through the interaction of mind, action, and environment. Causality (karma) operates through the mind—every thought, every action, and every word leaves a seed in the storehouse consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna).
In this tradition, practice does not mean destroying the mind but purifying it, transforming it from a state of delusion (avidyā) into a state of awakening (bodhi). The bodhisattva path does not abandon the mind, but uses wisdom (prajñā) to see clearly its selfless nature and thereby attain freedom from bondage.
Practical Significance
In the modern practice of the bodhisattva path, this scripture guides us to observe the mind with mindfulness in every moment. Every thought and every emotion is a karmic seed.
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