The Tibetan Buddhist Gter Ma Tradition

Record summary

Terma are Buddhist texts and ritual objects understood within Tibetan traditions as concealed by earlier figures and later recovered by tertöns. The tradition provides a clear case for comparing revelation, textual authentication, lineage memory and the production of new scriptures. Scholars examine literary style, material manuscripts, ritual authorization and historical context rather than adjudicating supernatural concealment. Individual cycles vary substantially, and some works were composed or expanded near the period of their discovery. Transmission history is therefore central to interpretation.