The Two Collections: Technical Presentation

Tibetan Translation of the Sanskrit Term Sambhara

According to A Commentary Clarifying the Meaning (’Grel-ba don-gsal), the late 8th-century CE Indian master Haribhadra’s commentary to Maitryea’s Filigree of Realizations (mNgon-rtogs rgyan, Skt. Abhisamaya-alamkara), the Sanskrit term sambhara means yang-dag-par sgrub-pa, pure-builder.

From the perspective of this commentary, then, the Tibetan translation as tshogs, collections or networks, is imprecise. Rather than translating punyasambhara and jnanasambhara as “a network of positive force” (bsod-rnams-kyi tshogs, collection of merit, collection of positive potential) and “a network of deep awareness” (ye-shes-kyi tshogs, collection of wisdom), they are more accurately rendered as “pure-building positive force” and “pure-building deep awareness.”

Whether or not we can also understand “networks” from the term sambhara is another issue, which we shall address below.

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