The Tibetan Terma

During the 8th C.E., Guru Rinpoche warned the great Tibetan King, Trisong Detsan, that Tibet’s sovereignty would be subjugated in the near future. The King requested Guru Rinpoche to leave Tibet and search for a secure place for the Dharma. After crossing the Himalayas, Guru Rinpoche reached the kingdom of Sikkim and found it to be the perfect place. While he spent time at Tashiding Monastery, he also meditated in the nearby caves. One of the most intriguing things about Tibetan Buddhism, for me anyway, is the way in which the pure tantric teachings are shared – either through direct transmission of the mindstream of the guru, or in hidden objects that are discovered by treasure revealers or tertons.

Guru Rinpoche is one of the most famous tertons and is said to have protected the Dharma by hiding these ‘treasure teachings’ in secretly coded texts (termas) in cavesand sacred places entrusting them to his consort Yeshe Tsogyal, and other dakinis, to be unearthed in future times when the Dharma was threatened. Termas are hidden in physical objects such as a text or ritual implement that is buried in the ground, hidden in a rock, or crystal, concealed in a tree or lake, or hidden in the sky. If the encoded teaching or object is a text, it’s often written in a dakini script – a non-human type of code or writing. They are then discovered by tertons (treasure revealers) who are themselves enlightened masters. Often, the terton himself has to practice them for many years before the teaching can be transmitted. The tradition of termas and tertons has ensured the continuation of tantric tradition, particularly the Vajrayana path in the modern world. The Nyingma tradition has had many tertons over the centuries whose discoveries have resulted in terma cycles passed down from teacher to student in an unbroken lineage of Dharma transmissions.Tashiding is considered to be the center of a sacred geometry in Sikkim and the great mahasiddhi, Guru Rinpoche, spent time meditating in caves in the four directions surrounding the monastery. These magical places served as his abode and consequently are sanctified by his auspicious being. Naturally, I want to visit them in person. I’m always fascinated with caves and ponder the reality of the lamas and nuns who spend up to several years meditating in them. I’ve visited a few caves in the Spiti Valley in Himachel Pradesh and in Ladhak, but by comparison the caves in Sikkim are massive and very mysterious. They are nestled in the heart of the Himalayan Range and are bequeathed with spellbinding beauty and exceptional grandeur. The four sacred caves attributed to Guru Rinpoche are:  The Great Secret Cave (Shar-chok Bé Phug) in the East. The Secret Cave of the Dakinis (Lho Khandro Sang Phug) in the South. The Cave of Great Bliss (nub bde chen phug) in the West. And to the North, is the Cave of God’s Precious Heart (byang lha ri snying po).From Tashiding we head south to find the Secret Cave of the Dakinis. This cave is easily accessible and about five kilometres south of Legship, on the way to Reshi and Nayabazar. In front of the cave, at river’s edge, are the Tatopani hot springs believed to hold medicinal powers, and footprint of Guru Rinpoche inscribed in the rocks. I think what an ideal location this is to live in a cave. There is clear water from the river andhot water for bathing. In front of the cave is a small monastery and a stupa. Outside the cave, above the door is the body of a nun who Guru Rinpoche transformed into rock. It’s said that he liberated her in this way to inspire future generations who would see the rock.

The Terma tradition of Tibet as follows:

In a number of spiritual traditions of the world there are many instances of the discovery of teachings and objects through mystical power. Similarly, in various traditions and lineages of Buddhism, in India as well as Tibet, numerous mystical discoveries of teachings and objects have taken place.

In the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, the tradition of concealment and revelation of teachings and materials of religious value through the mystical power of enlightened beings is most prevalent by far. This tradition of mystical discovery is known in Tibetan as Ter ('Treasures'), Terma ('Treasured Ones'), or Terchö ('Dharma Treasures' or 'Treasured Teachings').

The main source of the Terma tradition of the Nyingma school isGuru Padmasambhava. 

While transmitting esoteric teachings to his realized disciples in Tibet, Guru Padmasambhava concealed many teachings with theblessings of his enlightened mind stream in the nature of the intrinsic awareness of the minds of his disciples through the power of “mind-mandated transmission” (Tib. གཏད་རྒྱ་, Wyl. gtad rgya); thereby the master and disciple became united as one in the teachings and realization. Here, the master has concealed the teachings and blessings, the esoteric attainments, as ter in the pure nature of the minds of his disciples through his enlightened power, and he has made aspirations that the ter may be discovered for the sake of beings when the appropriate time comes.