Tertön
Tertöns ('Termas revealers') are exceptional Buddhist masters who, through pure vision and karmic connection, discover and decode the termas concealed by Guru Rinpoché and other accomplished masters centuries earlier. These individuals are often recognized as reincarnations of Guru Rinpoché's original disciples who received prophecies and were karmically destined to reveal specific teachings at the precise moment when they would be most beneficial for practitioners. Major tertöns such as Nyang Ral Nyima Özer (1124–1192), Guru Chöwang (1212-1270, Rigdzin Gödem (1337–1403), Pema Lingpa (1450-1521), Jikmé Lingpa (1730-1798) and Düdjom Lingpa (1835-1903) have played crucial roles in transmitting fresh waves of profound teachings throughout Tibetan Buddhist history.
Since the early 8th century, Tibetans and Himalayan people have treasured "Namtars" as written or spoken narratives that demonstrate the realization of the Buddhist path by exceptional practitioners. These namtars, or spiritual biographies, serve as inspirational guides on the path to enlightenment.
Today, Namtars Foundation aims to record, preserve, and freely offer the world a written and electronic treasury of the oral wisdom of Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhism.
