Sunday
What is Terma?
This article was originally published on the Richen Terdzo blog. It has been newly edited and reprinted on the Shambhala Times with the permission of the author.
By Holly Gayley
Terma texts contain Buddhist teachings intended for troubled times as a source of renewed wisdom and blessings. Although there are antecedents in Indian Buddhism–most famously Nagarjuna’s discovery of the Prajnaparamita literature–terma is primarily a Tibetan phenomena.
The Tibetan word, terma, literally means “treasure” and refers to Buddhist (or Bon) scriptures and relics retrieved from the distant past through a process of revelation. There are two principal types of treasures: earth terma, discovered in the Tibetan and Himalayan landscape, and mind terma, discovered in the mind of the terton or “treasure revealer.” The latter should be distinguished with pure visions, or daknang, which appear in the mind of realized masters, but do not necessarily claim ancient origins. Though its source is located in the distant past, a terma is intended for the time and place of its discovery. Continue…
Author Archive
2 responses - Posted 06.30.11
Liberating the life of animals, called tsethar in Tibetan (tshe thar), is a longstanding practice in Tibetan areas. In its traditional form, the practice involves offering a nomadic family a sum of money to keep a yak for the duration of its life. The yak is ...continue
no responses - Posted 06.28.11
This update on the construction of the Surmang Shedra comes from Konchok Foundation board member Holly Gayley, who recently visited the area while traveling in eastern Tibet. While visiting Surmang this June, I was able to witness the finishing touches being added to the shedra’s exterior. One ...continue
5 responses - Posted 06.26.11
This update on the construction of the Surmang Shedra comes from Konchok Foundation board member Holly Gayley, who recently visited the area while traveling in eastern Tibet. It was nothing short of astonishing to see the Surmang Shedra at long last. The shedra (or school) complex dominates ...continue
no responses - Posted 06.24.11
This update on the general conditions in Jyekundo (Chinese: Yushu), one year after the earthquake that devastated the city, comes from Konchok Foundation board member Holly Gayley, who recently traveled to the Surmang region in eastern Tibet. More than a year after the devastating earthquake in April ...continue
1 response - Posted 07.04.10
By Holly Gayley The revelation of terma, or “treasures,” is a distinctive way that new lineages and cycles of teachings are established in Tibetan Buddhism. Since the eleventh century, terma has provided a mechanism for innovation in Tibet, framed as the recovery of ancient wisdom that is ...continue
no responses - Posted 10.15.09
On one of his trips to India, the Tibetan master Marpa brought gold dust to offer to Naropa, his guru (Sanskirt for “teacher”). Traditionally, tantric teachings are not just given away; the disciple must make an offering in order to receive them. Gold was the gift ...continue
no responses - Posted 03.13.09
As many of you know, the 50th Anniversary of the Lhasa Uprising took place on March 10, 2009. The New York Times has a number of compelling articles on the current situation. Read articles on Tibet at the New York Times or view a slideshow of ...continue
1 response - Posted 03.01.09
Photos by Brian Spielmann It was a heartwarming Shambhala Day in Boulder – despite technical difficulties that prevented us from hearing the international address. The focal point of the morning celebration was the change in leadership. Makpon Jesse Grimes presided over the oath ceremonies, and the outgoing ...continue