concealed and rediscovered treasure or teachings
Hidden Treasure. They are texts and sacred objects that were hidden at geomantic power points on the landscape and entrusted to treasure-protectors for safe-keeping, with the prediction that they would be discovered at some future time by a Terton, for the benefit of sentient beings.
(Tib.): Hidden treasure teaching, usually from PADMASAMBHAVA
treasure” – indigenous Tibetan Budhist collections of works, mainly containing instructions for special forms of Tantric practice. They are brought to light by treasure-discoverer specialists, either in the form of hidden manuscripts or of visionary revelations with no physical substrate.
(Tib.) Text or other object held to have been hidden, usually at the time of Padmasambhava, and later discovered by a TERT÷N or "finder of terma". Tert–n are believed to be rebirths of one of Padmasambhavaís disciples. Terma may be physical objects but they may also be "hidden" in the mind of the tert–n during the life of Padmasambhava (these are called gongter or "mind terma").
( Tib.): "spiritual treasure(s)." From the Nyingma tradition, termas are teachings, texts and/or religious objects concealed in the past by great spiritual masters. Hidden in the earth, rocks, lakes, trees, space and mind, termas are to be miraculously revealed by "tertons," treasure finders, at a time in the future when it could be of the greatest benefit.
Terma are key Tibetan Buddhist and Bön teachings, originally esoterically secreted and/or elementally encoded by Guru Padmasambhava and his consorts in the 8th century for future discovery at auspicious times. As such, they represent the only tradition of continuing revelation in Buddhism. The majority of terma teachings are tantric in nature, although there are notable exceptions.
