Kama

The Nyingma Kama (wyl. rnyin ma bka' ma), the Oral Transmission Lineage of the Nyingma, is together with the terma the two modes of transmission of the vajrayana teachings of the Nyingma School. Kama is often referred to as the 'long lineage' (Tib. ring gyü), and the terma the 'short lineage' (Tib. nye gyü) because the Kama is the oral transmission from master to master from the first appearance of the teaching in our world. On the other hand, the terma teachings have been concealed mostly by Padmasambhava, in which case there is a direct transmission from Guru Rinpoche to the tertön. The Kama lineage is the unbroken oral lineage of the tantras of Mahayoga, Anuyoga, and Atiyoga. In the seventeenth century Orgyen Terdak Lingpa and his brother Lochen Dharmashri gathered the Nyingma Kama texts in a 58 volumes collection together to preserve them.