Friday, October 25, 2013

What are Terma? My musings...


The Tibetan word, terma, literally means “treasure” and refers to Buddhist or Bon scriptures and relics retrieved from the distant past through a process of revelation. There are two types of termas: earth terma, discovered in the Tibetan and Himalayan landscape, like the Bonpo texts found in caves at Mustang in Nepal, and mind terma, discovered in the mind of the terton or “treasure revealer.” 

This later type might be hard to accept as being true.  Did the "revealer" make it up in his or her mind?  How can a treasure text be found in “mind space”? 

Dodrup Tenpai Nyima has said that for beings to be able to reveal termas, they must have at least the realization of the "perfection stage" practices.  Yet the originator of the treasure, like Yeshe Tsogyal, must have the attainment of a Buddha.

OK, I am writing this for those of you who have read my novel or will read my novel and have not known of Yeshe Tsogyal and are not very familiar with Tibetan Buddhism.  For those reading who are familiar with and maybe practice Tibetan Buddhism, I will say here that I am just an ordinary person sharing my musings.

My musing of this latter type of terma is that it is a mystery.  Yeshe Tsogyal's biography is too detailed to have been made up.  What it shows me is that we live in a very small world; our ordinary minds. The internet, Netflix, and yes novels, make it seem larger.  But it is still very small.  We educated modern people are missing something very large, immense in fact, that we walk right along side in every moment yet never see; our true being or true nature; reality.  I say walk alongside, though of course this is not separate from us. 

 Some think that ancient people were more connected to true being because of their everyday co-habitation with nature. Yet, they had their own distractions. Dealing with marauders and the many battles and wars, growing and obtaining food, building shelter, finding cures for sickness, could not have been easy.  And then there was also superstition, greed, hatred and delusion.  

Mmm, I guess not much has changed.

I have always been amazed when I have been in the wilderness  camping how much time is spent just to do ordinary things, like get warm in front of a fire, make a meal, make shelter, wash clothes; takes most of  my time when there.  

But don't get me wrong here...we need to be able to be in nature and we have to protect our wild places and keep them free and open for us to go there and live there if we choose.

From our view looking back in history, their lives may seem as simpler in one aspect, no busy freeways and technology.  Yet as technology has both freed us in some respects, it has also filled up our time too.   

Sometimes we who follow these teachings and methods will get a glimpse of a aspect of this true being, of our true nature, on the meditation cushion.  Or, we will have a flash or glimpse when not on the cushion but doing something else after our practice.  But it is gone in an instant.  Inspired, we grasp and grasp trying to get that glimpse again.  But then that is the problem isn't it?   

I have been very fortunate to have been to several retreats with a brilliant man and teacher, he will hate my saying this as he is very modest, Steven Tainer who teaches at the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery. Steven points out that the ordinary mind can never experience true being. (my term)  He just encourages his students to keep making a gesture through the methods, this will allow one glimpses.  These then must not be grasped, simply appreciated, then make another gesture and maybe another glimpse will come.  When that happens you go over to it and greet it, you don’t drag it to “you”; I am paraphrasing here. 

 Maybe the mind will rest and thinking will cease for an instant...wow it stopped "I did it!" whoops another thought?  It is so elusive. The ordinary mind that sits on the cushion trying to stop thinking can never stop thinking.  

A skilled teacher will guide one through all of this if one chooses to seek this reality we are missing. These traditional teachers sit on high cushions surrounded by flowers.  Yet, it is not the person who is revered in an egoic sense, I think that would be to misunderstand.  They share the teachings, it is the teachings that help people that is placed on the high cushion and is surrounded with flowers. Of course we appreciate and are grateful to those who have understood the teachings, realized truth and share their knowledge guiding others through the maze solely for the benefit of others. 

It was a beautiful sunset last night. Sublime clouds with lavender and pinks with deep reds here and there, the sky many shades of blue.  

Mmm, good coffee this morning, I hope you have a great day.  Breath...yum



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