Toh 1798Untitled

Exposition of the Esoteric Buddhist Scripture, Toh 1798

Background

This scripture is recorded in the Kangyur, the collected scriptures of the Tibetan tradition, especially the Esoteric Division (Tantra) belonging to the Vajrayana. Vajrayana Esoteric Buddhism is a distinctive Buddhist school that developed from India, emphasizing the transformation of consciousness through mantra practice, visualization, and complex ritual. Toh 1798 belongs to this collection of advanced teachings, transmitted from the period of late Indian Buddhism and preserved intact in the Tibetan tradition.

The practice context of this scripture is for disciples who already possess deep capacity, who have received the Dharma from Guru Yoga, and who are ready to receive advanced instructions on the transformation of mind-energy-drop. Esoteric scriptures such as this are not meant to stand alone, but to supplement the comprehensive systems of practice of schools such as Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, or Gelug.

Main Content

Although the title has not been identified, Toh 1798 in the esoteric division of the Kangyur is usually related to teachings on the structure of the mandala (sacred circle), the aspirations of bodhisattvas of the Buddha families, or methods of practice for the stage of single-pointed concentration. The Vajrayana tradition structures all practice around:

First, the understanding that all phenomena are the reality of emptiness (Śūnyatā), without independent essence. From this understanding, the practitioner is permitted to visualize themselves as the Buddha-body (Dharmakāya, Sambhogakāya, Nirmāṇakāya), instead of clinging to an ordinary self.

Second, the teaching on mantra, sacred sounds bearing the energy of the Buddha, used to concentrate the mind and transform consciousness. Each letter and each syllable bears profound meaning concerning the Dharma.