The theoretical heritage preserved in Tibetan Buddhism is extraordinarily rich. Its two great canonical collections are known as the Kangyur and the Tengyur. The Kangyur contains the teachings spoken by the Buddha, while the Tengyur consists of commentaries and treatises composed by generations of Bodhisattvas and great masters explaining the Buddha’s doctrine. For the sake of transmission and study, this vast body of teachings was condensed within the scholastic curriculum into the celebrated “Five Great Treatises.”
These Five Great Treatises encompass five major fields of learning: the Abhidharmakośa—the Hīnayāna worldview taught in Buddhism; Buddhist Logic and Epistemology (Pramāṇa)—a rational method of valid cognition taught in the tradition; Madhyamaka—the fundamental philosophy of Buddhism; the Abhisamayālaṅkāra—which explains the stages of practice and levels of realization; and Vinaya—the ethical and disciplinary code governing monastic conduct.
If one were to condense the essence of the Three Baskets (Tripitaka) and Twelve Scriptural Categories even further, the key point would be Madhyamaka. Madhyamaka is the discipline that expounds Prajñā (wisdom), or one may simply call it Buddhist philosophy. “Prajñā” may be translated as wisdom, but it specifically refers to the liberating wisdom of Buddhism. When people speak of the vast and profound wisdom of Buddhism, they are chiefly referring to the wisdom of emptiness taught by Madhyamaka—a central crystallization of the entire Buddhist theoretical system.
If Madhyamaka were condensed still further, it would be found in the scriptures most often recited: the Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra. The Diamond Sutra is somewhat longer, while the Heart Sutra contains only a little over two hundred Chinese characters. Yet within those brief lines, it essentially expresses the crucial points of Buddhist theory—the core wisdom of Prajñā, namely emptiness, taught in the Second Turning of the Dharma Wheel. Properly explained, it is extraordinarily profound.
Tibetan Buddhism is principally divided into five major schools: the ancient Nyingma lineage transmitted from Padmasambhava; the Gelug; the Sakya; the Kagyu; and the smaller Jonang tradition. Each school has its own interpretation of Madhyamaka. For example, the Gelug school upholds the Prāsaṅgika-Madhyamaka (consequence) view; the Nyingma school often interprets it through the lens of Great Madhyamaka; and the Jonang school is known for its Śentong (“other-emptiness”) interpretation. In terms of realizing Madhyamaka, all five schools also possess their own practical methods of cultivation.
Most practices connected with Madhyamaka belong to the exoteric teachings (Sūtrayāna), while another portion belongs to the esoteric teachings (Tantrayāna), including Action Tantra (Kriyā Tantra), Caryā Tantra, and Yoga Tantra. The Yoga Tantra traditions and higher tantric systems have been preserved most completely in Tibetan Vajrayāna. Today, Tibetan Buddhism has spread widely throughout Western countries such as United States and Canada.
—Excerpted and compiled from The Relationship Between Buddhist Theory and Practice
This article is a preliminary translation draft and has not yet been reviewed or proofread by the speaker.
