Toh 1271Untitled

Exposition of the Tantra Scripture Toh 1271

Context

This scripture belongs to the Kangyur, the collection of teachings transmitted directly from the Buddha, the Blessed One, first compiled in Tibet during the reign of King Trisong Detsen in the eighth century. With the catalog number Toh 1271 in the Tantras section, this scripture is part of the Vajrayana tradition, the most advanced system of practice in Buddhism.

Vajrayana differs from other traditions in that it not only teaches the path to awakening but also provides specific means to make use of all mental energies, including those ordinarily regarded as negative in nature, in order to accomplish awakening within a single lifetime. The scriptures in the Tantras are not public teachings, but are transmitted from teacher to disciple through confidential Dharma teachings and empowerment, abhisheka.

Although the title of this scripture has not been specifically identified, according to its position in the Kangyur, it is a text belonging to the Yoga Tantra or Tantric Yoga tradition, high stages of the path in the Tibetan Tantric system.

Main Content

Scriptures belonging to the Tantras generally revolve around three core elements: (1) the exaltation of one or more Buddhas or bodhisattvas with very specific attributes, colors, and symbols; (2) mantras, sound formulas with the power to transform consciousness; and (3) mudras, hand gestures and bodily postures combined with thought.

In the context of Yoga Tantra, the practitioner’s mind is not something to be rejected, but something to be transformed. The image of the yidam, ishtadevata, the object of meditation, is regarded as a Dharma body of the Buddha, shining with immediate understanding of the empty nature, shunyata, of all phenomena. As the practitioner meditates, step by profound step, the mind is gradually transformed into that very Buddha mind.

Mantras are not merely meaningless nonsense words; they are sound symbols representing the deepest nature of mind.