An Introduction to Terma (Treasure Teachings)

The Ngagyur Nyingma Tradition consists of three transmissions: Kama, the long transmissions of Canonical Tantras; Terma, direct transmissions of treasures; and Zabmo Dagnang, Profound transmissions of pure visions. Amongst them, the brief account on Hidden Treasures will be highlighted here. ¨

The Nature of the Treasures

The nature of Treasure is described by the following passage from the Sutra of the Dialogue with the Naga King: “These four are the great treasures, which are inexhaustible:

(1) The inexhaustible, great treasure of the unbroken lines of the Three Precious Jewels;

(2) the inexhaustible, great treasure of immeasurable and supreme realization of the doctrine;

(3) the inexhaustible, great treasure of bringing delights to sentient beings; and

(4) the inexhaustible, great treasure which is like the vast sky.”This form of transmission is considered the close lineage, as it is claimed to be a direct transmission from Guru Padmasambhava or many highly realized masters like Vairocana, Vimalamitra, and so forth. The treasures were concealed by Guru Padmasambhava to be discovered at an appropriate time. They are considered to be the condensed quintessence of the Kama, which contains the foremost teachings of all Buddhas.

Guru Padmasambhava, the lotus born tantric master, in 9th century, bestowed the ripening empowerments and liberating instructions upon the king Trisong Deutsen and his subjects, the twenty five main disciples, in Tibet. At the same time, Guru Rinpoche entrusted various teachings to each of them for later propagation, and then he concealed these teachings in the form of treasures in various places such as rocks, lake, temples, statues, sky and in the mind-stream of fortunate recipients. At that very moment, he prophesied that, in the future, these disciples would reincarnate, reveal these teachings, and spread them for the welfare of Buddha-dharma and sentient beings. There are Three Means by which Guru Padmasambhava set forth a teaching as a treasure:

(1) Through a prediction

Guru Padmasambhava predicted that the benefit of these teachings for sentient beings will be accomplished by a certain disciple and that the treasure will be revealed at a certain appropriate time, place, and circumstance.

(2) By means of an empowerment through wishing prayers

While focusing his wisdom mind, Padmasambhava prayed that the teachings given at the time of bestowing the empowerment may clearly arise in the mind of his disciples in their future lives during which he or she is meant to reveal the treasure. The disciples also prayed in the same way.

(3) By entrusting the dakinis to look after the Terma

Guru Padmasambhava put the dakinis in charge of ensuring that: in due time, a terton or a treasure revealer will come and reveal the treasure. He will be able to transmit it to the suitable disciples, and that his lineage will carry great blessings while being kept secret from unqualified disciples.

Subsequently a Terma teaching is said to have been placed under the guardianship of a specific protector, referred to as Terma Protector, who will only allow the right person to take out the treasure. On some occasions, however, a terton may bless another realized master to extract the treasure in his place.

The aspirational prayers of Padmasambhava are considered to be the most essential, as it is the means by which the entire process unfolds. It is said that in whatever form a terma is found, such as dakini symbolic scripts written on a yellow parchment, it is said to be a mere support for remembering the time when the terton received the teachings from Guru Padmasambhava. The actual transmission is said to have been given from mind to mind by Guru Padmasambhava himself.

On the basis of this symbolic support, the terton with good karma will thus be able to set up the whole teachings, sometimes in an instant flash, it is put in writing without any hesitations and discursive thoughts. Nevertheless, some termas are required to be clarified by the highly realized masters, for proving its authenticity. Eventually, it is arranged in the form of a means of accomplishment or a ritual text that can conveniently be used by the fortunate practitioners.

Where and how Terma is found

It is said in the Sublime Sutra of Contemplation which Subsumes All Merits:

“O Vimalamitejas! For those Bodhisattvas who desire treasure doctrines; it has been hidden in the mountains, ravines, and the woods. Dharanis and limitless approaches to the doctrine, which are set down in volumes, will also come into their hands.”

Again in that same Sutra, the following passage indicated the presence of celestial doctrines, and so forth: “For one whose aspiration is perfect the doctrine will emerge from the midst of the sky, from walls and trees, even though no Buddha be present.”

Generally, the first thing that is said to be found by the terton is the Prophetic guide of the treasures that he is meant to reveal during his particular life. In order for him to find the treasures listed in the prohetic guide, a Terton needs many auspicious connections to be gathered. One of the conditions is that the terton may need a predestined spiritual consort through whom their spiritual channels will be untied, allowing the free flowing of the teachings through the terton’s wisdom mind. But, on the other hand there are a few major tertons, such as Rigdzin Jatson Nyingpo and Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, who were ordained monks and did not rely upon a spiritual consort to reveal their termas.

Termas are said to be revealed from their place of concealment at the time when they are required and beneficial to sentient beings. His Holiness Dilgo Kyentse Rinpoche once said: “There are three versions of terma: a long elaborate one, a medium one and a condensed one.”

Having received the treasure prophetic guide, the terton finds the exact location where he needs to open the door of the treasure that often bears a distinctive mark. There, he usually finds a treasure box. He then has to put back something in place of the treasure and again seal the place of concealment. This is done to appease the non-human being that guards the treasure. It is a form of bartering to prevent the guardian from feeling bereft. Sometimes, treasures are revealed before an audience of devotees in an event called a public treasure. The Bhutanese Terton Pema Lingpa was very famous for revealing such terma.

The mode of revealing treasures and their benefits depend upon the circumstances, the quality of the auspicious connections, the purity of sacred bonds between teacher and disciple, and the merit of beings. Likewise, a terton can put them into writing in a long elaborate, or a medium, or a condensed form. It is customary for a terton to present his terma to a great master for confirming whether his treasure is genuine, or whether it should be discarded.

1. Earth Treasures

Earth treasures are hidden in rocks, statues, lakes, trees, and so on, usually in the form of a yellow scroll on which a few syllables of symbolic dakini script are written. These letters can only be deciphered by the terton to whom the legacy of the spiritual treasure belongs, and are indecipherable to anyone else. The scroll is often found within a treasure-box that can be made of stone, jewel, etc. These scrolls were sometimes written down by Padmasambhava himself or by his foremost disciples. Earth treasures signify the main body of the Terma tradition

2. Mind Treasures

Mind treasures are concealed by Padmasambhava in the mind-stream of the treasure revealer. These treasures surge clearly in the terton’s mind at the appropriate time by the blessings of Guru Padmasambhava’s prayers, without physically manifested scroll or treasure.

3. Material Treasures

They are objects such as statues of Padmasambhava or various deities, ritual implements, artefacts used and blessed by Guru Padmasambhava or one of his twenty-five disciples, or sacred substances such as amrita, red and white bodhicitta, relics from Padmasambhava or others masters, and so on.

3. Re-extracted Treasures

These treasures are said to have revealed once and due to various reasons, considered that the time and circumstances were not yet suitable for propagating them and were concealed again. Later, another terton, often a reincarnation of the first one, reveals them a second time to transmit them.

4. Recollections

These are termas based on memoirs of occasions when the tertons were receiving teachings in their former life from Guru Padmasambhava or other enlightened masters such as Vimalamitra.

Groupings of Treasure Revealers

In the Life story of Padmasambhava, revealed by Terten Ogyen Lingpa; the advent of 108 great tertons, a thousand medium ones, and countless minor ones were predicted. The Five Kingly Tertons are: Nyangral Nyima Wodzer, Guru Chokyi Wangchuk, Dorje Lingpa, Pema Lingpa and Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo.

Eleven Stainless Lingpas and Twelve Great Lingpas

The various texts enumerate Eleven Stainless Lingpas and Twelve Great Lingpas among whom Rinchen Lingpa, Karma Lingpa, Ogyen Lingpa, Sangye Lingpa, Samten Lingpa, Dorje Lingpa, Ratna Lingpa, Kunchong Lingpa, Pema Lingpa, Lethro Lingpa, Tennyi Lingpa and Shikpo Lingpa. Another category lists Eight Major Lingpas that includes Sangye Lingpa, Dorje Lingpa, Rinchen Lingpa, Pema Lingpa, Ratna Lingpa, Kunchong Lingpa, Dongak Lingpa and Tennyi Lingpa.

The Purpose of Concealing Terma

The purpose of concealing Terma is stated in the following lines from the Sutra of the River’s Play:

“Conceal the doctrinal texts of my teaching,
As treasure of Mind arising from Mind,
Or make them cores of the earth:
Though extremists with wild thoughts
Will certainly confound the definitive meaning,
The flow of the river will not be cut off!”


Again, the Terma revealed by Ratna Lingpa stated the following words:
“Because, generally, I harbour great compassion
For the Tibetans, who love what is new,
And for the creatures of this degenerate age,
I have filled the frontiers and the centre with the treasures,
Focal points which are the culmination of utter profundity;
And I have prayed that these be found by my worthy sons.

In the future, sophists, verbally skilled,
Anchorites and others who are biased, inflated with prejudice
Will promote themselves and disputes my treasures.

But, the most religious person in the defiled age will be guided by treasures.

They are profound and complete, unobscured, comprehensive:

Each instruction will certainly liberate someone. Therefore, O worthy and well-trained ones, whose propensities have awakened,
If you remember death, then experience these treasure doctrines!
You will obtain liberation’s path in one lifetime,
O my followers!

In the defiled age all worthy devotees of treasure will be those who now have beheld the guru’s visage and made an aspiration. Since you all have such propensities, cultivate joy!


These words of mine are rarer than gold, or jewels!”

As described in those precious words of Guru Padmasambhava, the Terma transmission plays a vital role in the Tibetan Buddhism, especially in the Nyingma Lineages. It also plays a helpful role in other lineages. The Treasury of Precious Terma (Rinchen Terzod) by Jamgoen Kongtul Rinpoche was a fine collection of treasures, which contains all the essential empowerments of Terma.

Thus, the Terma teachings are considered precious and powerful as they are not stained by the impurities that inevitably occur in the history of lineages and are particularly appropriate for the time of their prophesized discovery. That is, as direct transmissions from Guru Padmasambhava or other highly realized saints, they have not accumulated scribble errors, or innovations introduced by lineage holders over the centuries.

May precious Terma continue to liberate beings from the six realms!

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