Toh 1922Untitled

Exposition of an Esoteric Scripture — Toh 1922

Context

This scripture belongs to the Kangyur, the Vajrayana Tantra section within the Vajrayana tradition, where the highest teachings of the Buddhist Dharma are transmitted. The Kangyur is a collection of the Buddha’s teachings translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan, later widely recognized within Tibetan Buddhist communities and in countries following this tradition.

Esoteric Buddhism, or Vajrayana, is the swiftest among the three principal paths of practice: the Shravaka Vehicle, the Bodhisattva Vehicle, and Esoteric Buddhism. It does not reject the fundamental teachings, but builds upon the foundation of Mahayana, especially the theory of the bodhisattva and bodhicitta, while using more refined and highly directed means: transformation of consciousness, the use of sacred imagery (yidam), and the movement of subtle energies (nāḍī, prāṇa, bindu).

Main Content

Although this scripture has no specific title recorded in the descriptive information, it belongs to the class of advanced Vajrayana tantras in the Kangyur. Esoteric scriptures generally aim at transforming the practitioner’s entire mind and body into the mind and body of a sacred deity (yidam), most commonly deities such as Guhyasamāja, Chakrasamvara, or Kālacakra.

Esoteric teachings often include:

The opening path (the opening rite): requesting permission from the Three Jewels, generating bodhicitta, and acting for the benefit of all beings.

The process of arising (generation stage): the practitioner’s mind dissolves into empty space, from which the elements, images, and finally the entire deity together with the deity’s palace arise. This is the process of transforming coarse wisdom into Buddha-nature.

The other process (completion stage): when the practitioner’s mind penetrates deeply into the nature of the image just generated, moving the energies of life, impermanence, and non-self through the three principal energy channels.

The final generation of bodhicitta: this entire process is directed toward the benefit of beings, not for personal gain but for the boundless liberation of all.