Theos-Talk Archives (September 1999 Message tt00006)

Rich Taylor wrote:

Speaking of the Masters and their influence on HPB:

>Last century such claims sounded like pure hogwash.  But I can say from my
>own decade of experience studying Tibetan Buddhist traditions that such
>"unbroken links" are EXTREMELY IMPORTANT and every Buddhist teacher points to
>the teacher behind him.  Older traditions which tend to decay in lineage and
>power are sometimes supplemented by new presentations (sometimes called
>"terma" or revealed teachings) but the authority to do so must be VERY HIGH
>indeed, and widely recognized among the responsible agents, before it is
>accepted.

It's possible Rich that it still sound like hogwash to a lot of people in
this century as well, and probably into the next century too. The Terma
tradition you refer to is also one of my favorites... It was believed the
Padmasambhava hid various scriptures and Talismans in caves in rocky
fastnesses of Tibet top be revealed at certain stated times for the benefit
of the teaching of Buddhism at crucial points. The Terma tradition I think
could be transferred to the finding of the Nag Hammadi Scrolls, the Dead
Sea Scrolls and the recent Kheroshti script scrolls in Afganistan. As to
the Masters and the transmission or channeling of material to HPB and Alice
Bailey as well as Madame Roerich and others, I think it has been not a true
Terma Tradition (my opinion) but a discrediting of truth in some ways... it
sought to fill the gaps as Dallas would say, but it has caused controversy
and is not in my opinion as verifiable as legitimate discoveries being made
in central asia and elsewhere as mentioned above which conform more closely
in my view to the Terma Tradition.  - Art Gregory


lgregory@discover.net




















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