Dudjom Tersar

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Dudjom Rinpoche's seal

Dudjom Tersar (Wyl. bdud 'joms gter gsar), 'The New Treasures of Dudjom', is the combined collection of termas revealed by Dudjom Lingpa (1835-1904) and Dudjom Rinpoche (1904-1987).

Along with the Longchen Nyingtik, the Dudjom Tersar has become among the most widespread and practised terma cycles among Nyingmapas, both monastic and lay practitioners.

Among its vast scope of practices, the Chö of the Tröma Nakmo cycle is being especially and widely practised by the Dudjom Tersar practitioners.

During the time of Dudjom Lingpa, the Dudjom Tersar lineage was spread mainly within the Golok (Amdo) and the Kham regions of Tibet. Later, during the first part of the 20th century, Dudjom Rinpoche spread it in Khorlo Dratsang , in Pemakö where he was born, and later in Lama Ling, his seat in the Southern part of Tibet. From 1959 onward, Dudjom Rinpoche propagated the Dudjom Tersar first in India and all the regions and kingdoms of the Himalayas (Bhutan, Sikhim, …), then in Europe, in the USA, and in Eastern Asia.

Origins

Literal meaning

The name Dudjom Tersar[1] means ‘The New Treasures of Dudjom’, in the sense of the recent lineage, as opposed to older lineages of termas.

Predictions

It was predicted by Urgyen Dechen Lingpa that: "In the future in Tibet, on the east of the Nine-Peaked Mountain, in the sacred Buddhafield of the self-originated Vajravarahi, there will be an emanation of Drogben, of royal lineage, named Jnana. His beneficial activities are in accord with the Vajrayana although he conducts himself differently, unexpectedly, as a little boy with astonishing intelligence. He will either discover new Terma or preserve the old Terma. Whoever has connections with him will be taken to Ngayab Ling (Zangdok Palri)."

Two Tertöns: Dudjom Lingpa and Dudjom Rinpoche

The tantras, practices and other texts of the Dudjom Tersar were discovered as termas by two masters: Dudjom Lingpa and by Dudjom Rinpoche.

Dudjom Lingpa’s Termas

In 1858, at the age of 23, Dudjom Lingpa migrated from his native home of the Lower Ser Valley to the Mar Valley, close to Mardo Tashi Chöling Monastery. He stayed there for a long time under the patronage of the Gili family, and so he became popularly known as the ‘Gili Tertön’.

Then, in 1860, at the age of 25, Dudjom Lingpa revealed from among the rocks of Ba-ter of the Mar Valley his khajang, his “prophetic guide" which had all the instructions on how and when he should discover and reveal his own termas cycles. In the same year, with the guidance from the khajang, Dudjom Lingpa started to discover and reveal his own major Gongter from Ngala Tak-tse of the Ser Valley. Over the time, Dudjom Lingpa was to able to discover altogether twenty volumes of termas, Gongter and Sater.

Dudjom Rinpoche’s Termas

Born in 1904, it was said by a senior student of Dudjom Lingpa that Dudjom Rinpoche began to reveal termas from the age of 8. Later, Dudjom Rinpoche went to a secret place called Kenpa Jong (or Phuntsok Gatsel), and, practising the ‘Dudjom Namchak Pudri’, a Vajrakilaya sadhana discovered by Dudjom Lingpa, he revealed his own cycle of terma of Vajrakilaya, the Pudri Rekpung. While he was practising a Dorje Drolö practice from Rigdzin Düddul Dorje, Dudjom Rinpoche discovered his own Dudjom Dorje Drolö as a gongter. Dudjom Rinpoche also revealed the Tsokyi Tuktik, and the Khandro Tuktik.

Characteristics

Recent Termas

According to Lama Tarchin Rinpoche:

“The Dudjom Tersar lineage is fresh, vivid, direct, and with no loss of meaning, words or blessing. These teachings, coming from Guru Rinpoche to Dudjom Rinpoche, and then to us, is a direct short lineage. Therefore, because this lineage is uncontaminated and knows no degeneration by broken samayas, the blessing and attainments are immediate”.

Concise, direct and precise texts

Another characteristic of the Dudjom Tersar is that its texts and practices being concise, direct and very precise, they are well suited to a modern and contemporary world and life-style.

Special Practices

Among the vast scope of the Dudjom Tersar lineage, three practices are particularly widespread:

Fruition Signs

During the time of Dudjom Lingpa, oral lineage stories — and prophecies included in the his biography — recount that “Through the practice of Tröma Nakmo, thirteen of Dudjom Lingpa’s disciples attained rainbow body, and one thousand reached the level of Vidyadhara”. During the 20th century, several direct students of Dudjom Rinpoche are reported to have achieve the rainbow body, among them are Khenpo Achö and Jigme Chöying Norbu.

Stages of Practice

The Dudjom Tersar lineage forms a whole system and a complete path in itself. It includes:

Traditionally, a student trains in a series of three Sadhanas known as the Three Roots, following the order of Lama, Yidam and then Khandro practise. But according to oral instructions from Dudjom Rinpoche, in order to remove obstacles on the path, to gather favorable circumstances and to accomplish all his aspirations, the practitioner of the Dudjom Tersar begins by the Yidam practice of Vajrakilaya, then the Lama practice, and then the Khandro practice [2].


Main Cycles, Practices and Texts

Fourty-five volumes

The Dudjom Tersar encompasses five tantras and many sadhanas, accompanied by instructions, commentaries and supplementary texts, and fills more than forty five volumes of which:

  • 20 volumes for the Dudjom Lingpa Sumbum
  • 25 volumes for the Dudjom Rinpoche Sumbum

In English translation and regular paper format, each of these volumes would be between 700 and 800 pages. The total texts of the Dudjom Tersar would therefore amount to approximately 35,000 pages.

Dudjom Lingpa Four Major Cycles

The Dudjom Tersar lineage includes four major cycles of Dudjom Lingpa, the first three being gongter, and the last one sater:

  1. The Maha-Ati Yoga Zabchö Gongpa Rangdrol cycle ('The Gathered Peaceful Deities’ Naturally Liberated Wisdom Mind'), with practices of Chenrezik
  2. The Daknang Yeshe Drawa cycle ('The Wisdom Net of Pure Visions'), which contains Chö practices based on Tröma Nakmo
  3. The Chönyi Namkhai Longdzö cycle ('The Vast Space Treasury of the Nature of Reality’), which also contains Chö practices based on Tröma Nakmo
  4. The Zabsang Khandro Nyingtik cycle (‘The Profound Doctrine of the heart Essence of the Dakinis’), which contains the Namchak Pudri Vajrakilaya practice.

Dudjom Rinpoche Four Major Cycles

The Dudjom Tersar includes four major cycles of Dudjom Rinpoche, which are all gongter:

  1. The Tsokye Tuktik cycle, for the practices on the outer, inner, secret and innermost secret sadhanas of the lama;
  2. The Pudri Rekpung cycle, ('The Razor That Destroys at a Touch'), a Vajrakilaya practice of the yidam;
  3. The Khandro Tuktik cycle, ('The Profound Path of the Dakini’s Heart Essence'), for the practices on the outer, inner, secret and innermost secret sadhanas of the khandro; and
  4. The Dorje Drolö cycle.

Tantras

Dudjom Lingpa revealed five Dzogchen tantra treasures:

  1. Sangtri Kagyama, this is the root tantra treasure
  2. Neluk Rangjung
  3. Magom Sangye, also known as the Nang Jang
  4. Dagö Japu Chen
  5. Sherik Dorje Nӧnpo Gyü, the wisdom mind treasure of the Lord of the Dance, Traktung Dudjom Lingpa, who experienced Kuntuzangpo directly in a vision giving teachings and answering questions to his own emanation's retinue of bodhisattvas.

Sadhanas

According to oral instructions from lineage holders, the lama, yidam and khandro of the Dudjom Tersar are practised as follows:

1. Lama

a. outer: Orgyen Menla
b. inner: Khandro Norlha
c. secret: Tsokye Tuktik, (Lake-Born Vajra) a mind treasure of Dudjom Rinpoche based on Guru Rinpoche
d. innermost secret: Dorje Drolö, a mind treasure of Dudjom Rinpoche

2. Yidam

a. Pudri Rekpung, a mind treasure of Dudjom Rinpoche
b. Namchak Pudri, an earth treasure of Dudjom Lingpa, from the Zabsang Khandro Nyingtik cycle

3. Khandro

a. outer: Khandro Tuktik, a mind treasure of Dudjom Rinpoche based on Yeshe Tsogyal
b. inner: Kurukulle
c. secret: Senge Dongma
d. innermost secret: Tröma Nakmo (The Wrathful Black Mother), a mind treasure from the Chönyi Namkhai Longdzö cycle of Dudjom Lingpa

Chime Soktik is the main longevity practice based on Amitayus in the Dudjom Tersar lineage. This practice was revealed by Surmang Namkhai Dorje for Dudjom Rinpoche's long life.

Prayers

Both Dudjom Lingpa and Dudjom Rinpoche have written many prayers which have a distinguished quality of clarity and profoundness. Among the most famous and used are:

Instructions

The collected works of Dudjom Lingpa and Dudjom Rinpoche includes several either short instructions texts, or full manual of practices. Among the most famous and used are:

Songs of Realization

Both Dudjom Lingpa and Dudjom Rinpoche wrote many songs of realization.


Lineage Masters

The lineage masters of the Dudjom Tersar are numerous, and include:

During the 20th century, some of the most active Dudjom Tersar lineage holders includes:

Places of Activity

The Dudjom Tersar Places of Activity are located now in many different parts of the world.

Predictions

During the time of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Tayé, Dudjom Lingpa was invited by his two famous contemporaries to include his new terma cycles into the Rinchen Terdzö, the "Precious Treasury of Terma" they were assembling. Oral lineage recounts that when asked, Dudjom Lingpa politely declined their kind offer by answering that "Wherever the Rinchen Terdzö will be spread, it will be the same with my Tersar".

In the same manner, when Dudjom Rinpoche was eight years old, he began to study Shantideva's Bodhicharyavatara with his teacher Ling Lama Chöjor Gyatso. When they had completed the first chapter, his teacher presented him with a conch shell and asked him to blow it towards each of the four directions. The sound it made to the East and to the North was quite short, in the South it was long, and in the West longer still. This was to be an indication of where his work in later times would be most effective.

Dudjom Lingpa’s time in Golok (Amdo) and Kham

During the time of Dudjom Lingpa, the Dudjom Tersar lineage was spread mainly within the Golok (Amdo) and the Kham regions of Tibet.

Spreading of the lineage within Tibet by Dudjom Lingpa’s direct disciples

Later, senior direct students of Dudjom Lingpa propagated the Dudjom Tersar lineage within Tibet, like Degyal Rinpoche establishing the Namkha Khyung Dzong in Western Tibet, Sera Khandro in Awo Sera Monastery.

Dudjom Rinpoche’s activity in Tibet, from 1904 to 1959

Later, during the first part of the 20th century, Dudjom Rinpoche spread it in Khorlo Dratsang in Pemakö where he was born, and later in Lama Ling, his seat in the Southern part of Tibet.

Dudjom Rinpoche’s activity in exile in India, Buthan, Europe, and the USA

From 1959 onward, Dudjom Rinpoche propagated the Dudjom Tersar first in India and all the regions and kingdoms of the Himalayas (Buthan, Sikhim, …), then in Europe, in the USA, and in Eastern Asia.

Today, the Dudjom Tersar Places of Activity are spread over Tibet, India, Nepal, Buthan, France, USA, … Among them, are the following:

Notes

  1. ↑ The word “Tersar” is used with the same meaning as in the Chokling Tersar, “The New Treasures of Chokyur Dechen Lingpa’.
  2. ↑ Source : Shedup Kunsang web site.

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