Toh 1919Untitled

Exposition of the Tantra Scripture Toh 1919

Background

This scripture is preserved in the Kangyur, the collection of the official teachings of the Buddha translated into Tibetan. In the Tantra section, it represents the Vajrayana tradition, the transcendent path of practice that uses the means of the four seals and the yoga of uniting wisdom with skillful means.

Vajrayana is not an alternative mode of practice to Mahayana, but its advanced practice. Esoteric scriptures such as Toh 1919 are transmitted only through the diligent effort of the guru, one who has experiential realization in practicing these stages. Without the context of a qualified spiritual master and the concept of the student’s capacity, this scripture cannot be understood comprehensively.

The currently available descriptive information does not disclose the full specific contents of the Toh 1919 scripture. However, the esoteric scriptures in the Kangyur often revolve around central themes: meditation on form and recited sound (sadhana), visualization of the nirmanakaya body, or instructions on supernatural powers (siddhi) through the cultivation of concentration and wisdom.

Main Contents

Esoteric scriptures of this type usually include key elements: detailed descriptions of Buddha-nature revealed through sacred imagery (istadevata, the holy deity of practice), highly pure mantra recitations, and methods of visualization in four stages (generation stage and completion stage).

In Vajrayana, the aim is not only to free the mind from suffering, but to transform oneself into a manifestation of a bodhisattva or Buddha. This is accomplished through recognizing that all things have the nature of emptiness (sunyata), and from that emptiness, the forms of the Buddha appear like reflections in a mirror: not real, yet truly restoring wisdom.

Ordinarily, an esoteric scripture guides the reader through these steps: (1) mental preparation through vows; (2) the arising of the deity form through a visualization that reveals the nature of wisdom; (3) the re-dissolution of the form into emptiness in order to strengthen meditative stability and contemplative wisdom.