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Buddhist teachings can be handed down in the form of Terma(treasure). the term refers to texts ad sacred objects concealed in the past for the benefit of the future generations. In Tibet, such tradition was introduced by padmasambhava and his students, who concealed such treasures at geomantic power points, with te prediction that they would be discovered some time in future by a Terton, prophesied treasure discoverer. It is mentioned in Chapter 53 of the Chinese version of Deeds of Padmasambhava that these treasures were respectively concealed in Heaven, in the domain of the Dragon King Lu and the human world. The numerous kinds of the terma can be grouped into eighteen categories, f which the Recondite Terma, Esoteric terma. Perceptive Terma and Mind Terma are called the " Four Great Terma", The rst are Object Terma, Soul terma, Attached terma, mad Terma, India Terma, Tubo Terma, King Terma, Father Terma, Mother Terma, Neutral Terma, External Terma, Internal Terma, Middle Terma and Wealth Terma.
According to this text, treasures hidden in the sky, the domain of the Lu and human world are respectively known as Key Terma, Water Terma and Cave Terma.
Legend says that King Gesar of the Lijing Kingdom was the incarnation of Manjusri Bodhisattva. Before being incarnated as King Gesar, the King of the War Hods, Manjusri ahd incarnated as Padmasambhava. The next incarnation will be Kalachakra, Buddha of Shambhala, the hidden land of the future apocalypse. King Gesar is a well-know personage throughout the Land of Snwo and a hero in the Tibetans¡¯ heart. His stories are familiar to every Tibetan. Given below are two legends about his revealing of Gzi treasures:
1.Revealing Terma from a mountain cave in the Tubo region
Terma of Gzi beads was revealed by King Gesar from a mountain cave somewhere in Tubo region. Innumerable Gzi beads showing unique patterns and strong colors poured out from the opening of the cave. Apart from Gzi with one eye to twelve eyes, there were also pieces with thirteen, sixteen, seventeen, twenty and even thirty eyes. Some carried very special motifs such as the Green Tara motif, Sarira motif, various lotus and animal motifs. King Gesar loaded the Gzi beads into special containers. He offered part of them to the gods of Tsan, Nyan and Lu(ruling respectively the sky,k the earth and the water) and took part of the rest. He left the majority of the Gzi beads in the cave and sealed the cave before returning home. He distributed the Gzi beads he brought home to his soldiers and his people, who then handed the beads down from generation to generation. Terma so revealed is called Cave Terma.
2.Retrieving Terma from the lakeds
After subduing the Azha Kingdom without using any force, King Gesar was advised of the locations of the Gzi Terma. With the help of divinities, he managed to retrieve from the White lake a treasure box made of tridacna, from the Yellow Lake one made of turquoise, from the Blue Lake one made of ruby and from the Green Lake one made of lapis lazuli. The boxed were loaded with many Gzi beads of different shapes and designs. He offered part of them to the gods of Heaven and Earth, and distributed the rest ot his people. Terma so revealed is called Water Terma.
Going back to the legends related in points 13 and 14 in the previous chapter, the Gzi beads sprinkled by Vajravarahi and Manjusri Buddhas to relieve the Tibetans from calamities can be considered Sky terma revealed by these two divinities Now that we have an idea of what is meant by Sky Terma, Water Terma and Cave Terma prophesied by Padamasambhava.
(An exquisite necklace with nine Gzi beads among coral beads)
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