Tertön

A Tibetan Buddhist treasure revealer who discovers or reveals terma, teachings concealed for future generations. Tertöns are regarded as their rediscoverers, not authors.

Terma: Teachings or objects believed to have been concealed for discovery in a later age, especially in Tibetan Buddhism. Terma are the concealed treasures that a tertön reveals.
Earth terma: A terma concealed in a physical location, such as a cave, rock, or temple. Tertöns may uncover treasures hidden materially in the landscape.
Nyima Özer: An early Nyingma treasure revealer traditionally associated with the revelation of teachings attributed to Padmasambhava. His reputation helped establish the model of a tertön discovering concealed teachings.
Kama (Tibetan Buddhism): The orally transmitted teachings of a Tibetan Buddhist lineage, passed from teacher to student across generations. Kama transmission contrasts with teachings concealed for later discovery.
Nyingma: The oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, with distinctive teachings and transmission lineages. The tradition most closely associated with terma and tertöns.
Mind terma: A terma believed to be concealed in a tertön’s mind and revealed through realization or visionary experience. This mode of revelation does not depend on finding a physical cache.
Rikzin Gödem: A fourteenth-century Nyingma tertön known for revealing the Northern Treasures tradition. His revelations became a major cycle within Nyingma treasure transmission.
Buddhist canon: A collection of texts recognized as authoritative within a Buddhist tradition. Terma can become authoritative without entering traditions solely through ancient canonical transmission.
Guru Rinpoche: An eighth-century Buddhist master, also known as Padmasambhava, central to Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Many terma are attributed to Guru Rinpoche and concealed for later tertöns.
Terma discovery: The process by which a concealed Buddhist treasure is found or revealed and made available for transmission. It describes the act that defines a tertön’s religious role.

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PadmasambhavaRelated: Padmasambhava is traditionally said to have entrusted teachings for future tertöns to reveal.