Terma

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Terma (Tib., gter.ma, ‘Treasure’). A class of texts in Tibetan Buddhism, of which the Tibetan Book of the Dead is an example, which were concealed rather than revealed upon their creation, thus requiring a discoverer (terton or gter.-ston, ‘treasure-finder’) at a later date. The practice of burying texts was initiated during the first diffusion of Buddhism in Tibet by Padmasambhava, who saw that the country was not then ready for his more advanced teachings. The first terma discoverer was the Nyingma Sangye Lama (c.1000–80 CE), and although the practice has spread to other schools it has remained a predominantly Nyingma activity.

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