The Tertön

Series: Highlighting the Terma Lineages

The Tertön

Among the beings of Enlightenment who work for the benefit of sentient beings, there is a very particular category: the tertöns.

These tertöns are “treasure discoverers.” The treasures are the hidden teachings — the termas — concealed for the most part by Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal.

In most cases, their discoverers are emanations of one of the twenty-five principal disciples [1] of this 8th-century master, or directly an emanation of Guru Rinpoche himself (and sometimes a confluence of both).

Therefore, a tertön does not choose to be a tertön. Whether or not they are one depends on whether they rediscover the treasure (or treasures) that Padmasambhava entrusted to their care. This is where things become complicated. As Mila Khyentse Rinpoche explains, there are many failures in the rediscovery of termas.

When Guru Rinpoche entrusted the spiritual mandates to his disciples so that they might rediscover the termas in their future lives, he accompanied each one with a prophecy describing the conditions for its rediscovery.

 “When the terma is retrieved, the tertön replaces the treasure with a substitute in order to satisfy the protector and to maintain active the prosperity that the terma’s presence confers on the region.” 

These conditions are generally found in the prophetic guide received by the future tertön. These prophecies indicate how, where, and when the treasures in the tertön’s keeping are to be rediscovered, the person who must offer their support (a consort — not necessarily present in the flesh — whose participation may be represented by a simple token such as a lock of hair or a sacred object), the holder who will transmit the terma, the principal disciples, and other details that vary from treasure to treasure. (A detailed article on this subject awaits you.)

The discovery of earth treasures (Tib. sa gter) follows a protocol defined by this prophetic guide. The tertön must complete a number of preparatory practices to ready their mind and to verify that the moment for the rediscovery has come.

Here is how things generally unfold: the tertön goes to the location where the treasure was hidden — a lake, a rock or a temple pillar, for example — and performs a specific ceremony before retrieving the the terma. This may involve plunging a hand into solid rock or, as Pema Lingpa did at Mebartso in Bhutan, diving into a lake with a burning butter lamp and emerging with a small chest containing the Dzogchen Longsel cycle — the butter lamp still alight.

In such cases, when the terma is retrieved, the tertön replaces the treasure with a substitute in order to satisfy the protector and to maintain active the prosperity that the terma’s presence confers on the region. 

Whether it is earth or mind treasures (Tib. dgongs gter), a protector keeps watch — as mandated by Guru Rinpoche — to guard the treasure and prevent just anyone (or nearly anyone) from rediscovering it. This non-human protector plays a crucial role in the rediscovery of termas. On certain occasions, the protector may even go so far as to move treasures in order to enable their rediscovery. For example, it is said that the 15th Karmapa, a tertön whose duties kept him in one place, would sometimes find a yellow scroll on his desk in the morning that had been left there by a protector during the night.

Although prophetic lists of future tertön and the treasures they will rediscover do exist, nothing is ever guaranteed: it happens that a tertön, despite being foretold, never activates their potential. Thus, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo was only second in line to become the fifth king tertön. One or two centuries earlier, the first “candidate” on the list — a monk — had chosen to keep his vows by not taking a consort, despite repeated visions in which Padmasambhava urged him to do so — and despite the advice of his teacher. As a result, he never discovered a single terma.

Finally, the most important aspect of the terma process is that when a tertön rediscovers a treasure, they do so for the benefit of all beings, including themselves. The emergence of the terma allows the tertön to immediately reconnect with the state of practice that Padmasambhava had transmitted to them. Everything that occurred between those two states — all their intermediate lives — dissolves like morning dew in the sun. [2]

If Guru Rinpoche concealed termas, it was therefore also to remind his disciples, throughout their future existences, that they are not different from him in essence. Whoever receives the blessing of a terma can likewise merge with the mind of Padmasambhava.

Let us therefore rejoice that treasure cycles are still being transmitted and practiced today, and that major and minor tertöns — both men and women alike — continue to appear!

[1] The names of the 25 disciples vary slightly depending on the list, notably depending on whether King Trisong Detsen is included (sometimes listed separately). The following is one such list: Nupchen Sangye Yeshe, Ngenla Gyalwa Chokyang, Namkhai Nyingpo, Nyag Lo Yeshe Shönnu, Yeshe Tsogyal, Drogmi Pelgyi Yeshe, Lang Pelgyi Senge, Vairocana (Tib. Nampar Nangdze), Yudra Nyingpo, Nanam Dorje Dudjom, Yeshe Yang, Sogpo Lhapel, Nanam Yeshe, Khartchen Pelgyi Wangchuk, Denma Tsemang, Kawa Peltsek, Shubu Pelgyi Senge, Dre Gyalwa’i Lodro, Kyeuchung Lotsawa, Drenpa Namkha, Otren Pelgyi Wangchuk, Ma Rinchen Chok, Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje, Langro Könchok Jungne, Lasum Gyalwa Changchub. BACK

[2] Words gathered from Mila Khyentse Rinpoche.  BACK

Bibliography:

The Hundred Tertöns, Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Thayé, translated by Yeshe Gyamtso, Kathmandu Publications

Hidden Teachings of Tibet, Tulku Thondup Rinpoche, Wisdom Publications

Brilliant Moon: The Autobiography of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Shambhala Publications

Blazing Splendor: The Memoirs of the Dzogchen Yogi Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Wisdom Publications