Alex Wilding

A common place for termas to be found is in the ground, perhaps in openings in a cliff that's very difficult to access. But they're also said to be found in the water, in space, or in the case of a terma, that is a text sometimes deep in the teaton's mind.

A common place for termas to be found is in the ground, perhaps in openings in a cliff that's very difficult to access. But they're also said to be found in the water, in space, or in the case of a terma, that is a text sometimes deep in the teaton's mind.

The general theory is that the tertons, at least what are known as the great tertons, are the rebirths of the 25 main disciples that Guru Rinpoche is said to have had during his time in Tibet, which was in our Western 8th to 9th centuries.

The general theory is that the tertons, at least what are known as the great tertons, are the rebirths of the 25 main disciples that Guru Rinpoche is said to have had during his time in Tibet, which was in our Western 8th to 9th centuries.

Guru Rinpoche is said to have given the disciples these teachings and they vowed to be reborn at the right place and the right time to reveal these treasures when they are needed. If someone were to claim to give you the history of, let's say, English theatre from 1100 to the present day in the course of a podcast of about 20 minutes, you would know.

Guru Rinpoche is said to have given the disciples these teachings and they vowed to be reborn at the right place and the right time to reveal these treasures when they are needed. If someone were to claim to give you the history of, let's say, English theatre from 1100 to the present day in the course of a podcast of about 20 minutes, you would know.

assuming that the historian was not just an idiot, that you were only going to get a very brief sketch, and that many or even most of the important plays, playwrights, theatres, actors and so on would not even get mentioned. The same applies here, including, of course, the possibility that I am a complete idiot.

assuming that the historian was not just an idiot, that you were only going to get a very brief sketch, and that many or even most of the important plays, playwrights, theatres, actors and so on would not even get mentioned. The same applies here, including, of course, the possibility that I am a complete idiot.

I just want to make clear that I have neither the knowledge nor the time to attempt such a history, My simple hope is to give you a flavour of what this is about. So I'm going to give you at least a couple of much fuller references in case you want to look into this in more detail. To begin with, a mighty work.

I just want to make clear that I have neither the knowledge nor the time to attempt such a history, My simple hope is to give you a flavour of what this is about. So I'm going to give you at least a couple of much fuller references in case you want to look into this in more detail. To begin with, a mighty work.

For the title, it's The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, Its Fundamentals and History. It was written by Dujam Rinpoche after so many Tibetans had had to flee their homeland as a result of the Chinese invasion, and it was composed as part of an effort to preserve the spiritual culture. Dujam Rinpoche was himself a prolific tertan, as was his predecessor, Dujam Lingpo.

For the title, it's The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, Its Fundamentals and History. It was written by Dujam Rinpoche after so many Tibetans had had to flee their homeland as a result of the Chinese invasion, and it was composed as part of an effort to preserve the spiritual culture. Dujam Rinpoche was himself a prolific tertan, as was his predecessor, Dujam Lingpo.

A huge effort was made to prepare a translation of this book into English. and was first published in 1991. My copy, which is from the first edition, is in two volumes, one having about 1,000 pages and one of about 500 pages. I have heard that later editions have about 1,500 pages in a single volume, And I've also heard that the paper is much thinner, which is hardly a surprise.

A huge effort was made to prepare a translation of this book into English. and was first published in 1991. My copy, which is from the first edition, is in two volumes, one having about 1,000 pages and one of about 500 pages. I have heard that later editions have about 1,500 pages in a single volume, And I've also heard that the paper is much thinner, which is hardly a surprise.

I would be curious to hold one of those in my hand sometime and see whether it is as unwieldy as it sounds or not. It's a comprehensive work, stretching from the teachings of the early schools of Buddhism, including their history and their philosophies, all the way through the great vehicle teachings of compassion and emptiness, and on to the Vajrayana.

I would be curious to hold one of those in my hand sometime and see whether it is as unwieldy as it sounds or not. It's a comprehensive work, stretching from the teachings of the early schools of Buddhism, including their history and their philosophies, all the way through the great vehicle teachings of compassion and emptiness, and on to the Vajrayana.

about 140 pages are given over to histories of some of the most important tertons. The reference section of this work is valuable in its own right, with a glossary of more than 80 pages on the important enumerations, that's to say those lists of the two this, I count there are 41 of those twos, the three that, the four the other, and on and on through the 101 thing and the 84,000 other things.

about 140 pages are given over to histories of some of the most important tertons. The reference section of this work is valuable in its own right, with a glossary of more than 80 pages on the important enumerations, that's to say those lists of the two this, I count there are 41 of those twos, the three that, the four the other, and on and on through the 101 thing and the 84,000 other things.

Not perhaps something to study, but a great reference. But that is a mighty tome and it's not cheap either, so maybe it would not be for everyone. More accessible and enormously illuminating is a book titled Hidden Teachings of Tibet by Tulkutandup Rinpoche.

Not perhaps something to study, but a great reference. But that is a mighty tome and it's not cheap either, so maybe it would not be for everyone. More accessible and enormously illuminating is a book titled Hidden Teachings of Tibet by Tulkutandup Rinpoche.