Tertön: Difference between revisions

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'''Tertön''' ([[Wyl.]] ''gter ston'') - A revealer of spiritual treasures ([[terma]]) hidden by [[Guru Rinpoche]] and [[Yeshe Tsogyal]] for the benefit of future generations.
'''Tertön''' ([[Wyl.]] ''gter ston'') — a revealer of spiritual treasures ([[terma]]) hidden by [[Guru Rinpoche]] and [[Yeshe Tsogyal]] for the benefit of future generations.


==Major Tertöns==
==Major Tertöns==
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*[[Rigdzin Gödem]] (1337–1403), discoverer of the ''[[Northern Treasures]]'';  
*[[Rigdzin Gödem]] (1337–1403), discoverer of the ''[[Northern Treasures]]'';  
*[[Sangyé Lingpa]] (1340–1396), who revealed the ''[[Lama Gongdü]]'' cycle;  
*[[Sangyé Lingpa]] (1340–1396), who revealed the ''[[Lama Gongdü]]'' cycle;  
*[[Karma Lingpa]] (14th. century), the discoverer of the ''Shyi Tro Gongpa Rang Drol'' cycle, from which come the teachings on the ‘[[Six bardos|Six Bardos]]’ and the ''[[Bardo Thödrol]]'';  
*[[Karma Lingpa]] (14th. century), the discoverer of the ''Shyi Tro Gongpa Rang Drol'' cycle, from which come the teachings on the ‘[[Six bardos|Six Bardos]]’ and the ''[[Tibetan Book of the Dead|Bardo Thödrol Chenmo]]'';  
*[[Ratna Lingpa]] (1403–78) who compiled the ''[[Nyingma Gyübum]]'';  
*[[Ratna Lingpa]] (1403–78) who compiled the ''[[Nyingma Gyübum]]'';  
*[[Thangtong Gyalpo]] (1385–1510), the extraordinary mystic and engineer who lived to the age of one hundred and twenty five;  
*[[Thangtong Gyalpo]] (1385–1510), the extraordinary mystic and engineer who lived to the age of one hundred and twenty five;  

Revision as of 13:50, 6 November 2008

Tertön (Wyl. gter ston) — a revealer of spiritual treasures (terma) hidden by Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal for the benefit of future generations.

Major Tertöns

Starting with the first tertön, Sangyé Lama (1000–1080) and Drapa Ngönshé (1012–90), discoverer of the Four Medical Tantras, there have been hundreds of masters who specialized in the discovery of terma, continuing up until the present day with Kyabjé Dudjom Rinpoche and Kyabjé Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

There are said to be one hundred great tertöns and one thousand minor ones, of whom five in particular are known as the ‘Five Sovereigns’: Nyang Ral Nyima Özer (1124–1192), Guru Chöwang (1212–70), Dorje Lingpa (1346–1405), Pema Lingpa (b.1450) and Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820–1892).

Other famous terma masters were:

Further Reading

  • Tulku Thondup, Hidden Teachings of Tibet: An Explanation of the Terma Tradition of the Nyingma School of Buddhism, Boston: Wisdom, reprint edition 1997