Unveiling the hidden treasures of the clandestine think tank | Illustrated examples of hidden map-based historical evidence (9)
"Angry Lotus Master Main Shrine Temple City", 15th century, in the collection of the Rubin Museum.
"Vengeful Lotus Master" is one of the special manifestations of the Lotus-born, discovered and propagated by the eminent hidden treasure revealer, Yeshe Tsogyal (1124-1192).As a symbolic figure in the Tibetan hidden treasure tradition, the image shaping and textual layering of Lotus-born directly influenced the authority of the hidden treasure tradition.
Local: lotus seeds and twin concubines
The two core tasks given to the Lotus Born are to subdue indigenous spirits and uncover countless hidden treasures.
Local: Inheriting the Lineage of "Angry Lotus Master"
དབུས་གཏེར་ཟུག་པ་རྩ་བའི་སྐོར།
East is like a mature fruit (the fruition of becoming a Buddha)South is like intertwined stems (praising and practicing diligently)
West is like beautiful flowers (the profound key points)
North is like branching twigs (mantras and rituals)
Center is like deep roots (fundamental theories)
From the masterpiece of the "Vajrayana Tradition" - "The Great Treasure Vajrayana"（རིན་ཆེན་གཏེར་མཛོད་ཆེན་མོ་）
The classification system mentioned above had already been widely circulated since the sixteenth century.
In April of this year, a friend in Oxford recommended to me a movie about the Mormon religion called "Witnesses." He compared several key figures in early Mormonism to hidden masters in Tibet, and he judged the "wisdom" that arose from these two situations with his usual negative attitude.
After watching this film, I confessed to him that the special charm of epistemology (the category of insight) and hermeneutics (the art of interpretation) seems more attractive compared to discussing the truth or falsity of knowledge and texts in a certain logical way. The specific situation faced by the knowledge community in the classical period, which adhered to the "revelation tradition" (as opposed to the "classic tradition"), also appears to be more complex and challenging.
It would be best not to regard the hidden treasure tradition (གཏེར་མ་) in Tibetan Buddhism as a single act of tracing origins (with some archaeological significance), nor to view treasure revealers (གཏེར་སྟོན་; also known as revealer of concealed treasures) only as a group using revealed teachings to integrate the transmission of doctrines (in contrast to lineages with roots in South Asia). Similar phenomena to the hidden treasure tradition can be found in known religious traditions and cultural contexts.
The fixed narrative of "hidden in plain sight," the dissemination method of "specific individual," and the substantive content of "having complete knowledge;" esoteric tradition integrates historical lineage and individual writing, whereby not all hidden treasures manifest in a physical form (with mental hidden treasures becoming predominant), and not all hidden treasure masters merely serve as intermediaries.
"Dragon Tree Bodhisattva", 14th century, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The legend of Bodhisattva Nagarjuna and the dragon race is often seen as a hidden narrative in South Asian mythology.Preceptive scriptures with revelatory texts are often recognized in this context, where rational arguments and divine testimonies hold equal significance.
Known as a "reliable person" with guiding principles and revelations, he should not be constrained by age or preconceived notions.
Local: supported by the authorities of the Kang district.
Local: unearth numerous hidden treasures in dreams.
"The Self-Display of Jigmai Lingpa: A Secret Autobiography of a Tibetan Illusionist", 1998
Research on the autobiography of Jigmai Lingpa, 1730-1798
Bön (or indigenous religion) and the Nyingma school are the two sects where terma lineages and treasure revealer teachers are most prevalent. This phenomenon seems closely related to two key factors in the discovery of terma in Tibetan regions: historical memories from the imperial era and religious movements from the medieval period. During the Tubo period, the rulers' desires and the needs of the empire shaped the religious environment.
The eighth Dharma King of the Tibetan Empire, Zhanzong Zanpu, began to suppress the native religions, leading to the burial and concealment of religious texts and sacred artifacts by religious groups due to the unfavorable social environment and dissemination conditions. The discovery of these hidden treasures has unearthed a wealth of historical records and traces of knowledge related to the imperial period.
While the treasure hunters claim that these hidden treasures have not been altered in any way and that the process of obtaining them is full of unexpected pleasures, we can still uncover the hidden message behind this rhetoric. As a form of epistemology and hermeneutics, treasure hunting experts do engage in extensive re-creation of texts belonging to the imperial era.
After experiencing text overlay, frequent use of symbols and mixed structures, uncovering hidden treasures is no longer simply a matter of discovery, but has gradually evolved into a speculative art and theoretical system with an "archaeological" mentality. It is important to note that we still need to believe in the existence of unaltered classics and sacred objects in the hidden tradition, such as the vast hidden treasures related to local religions discovered by three Nepalese pilgrims at the Samye Monastery in 913.
The religious movements in the medieval period that promoted South Asian lineage caused many Buddhist scholars, such as Buton Rinpoche, to have doubts about the indigenous treasure tradition. They accused the treasure tradition of tainting the purity of the teachings, and even of undermining the foundational theories and correct transmission. In response to such accusations, scholars like Guru Chöwang, Padma Lingpa, and the Fifth Dalai Lama offered rebuttals or reconciliations. Their attitudes towards the treasure tradition and treasure masters directly impacted the transmission paths, such as in Bhutan and Kham, and continuously pushed the treasure masters' groups (or families) towards more private spaces.
"Tibetan Hidden Treasures: The Inspiration, Tradition, and Achievements of Vajrayana Buddhism" (2005)
"The Dorgilinba Family Lineage of Tibetan Tradition" (Family)
19th Century, Private Collection
Dorje Lingpa (1346-1405), often regarded as the reincarnation of the Tibetan high lama Padmasambhava, initiated numerous revelations related to the Great Perfection teachings of Buddhism and Bon. He holds a revered position in the region of Bhutan.
"The Transmission of the Six Canons of Nara: Nanka Besan Genealogy" 18th century, Rubin Museum
The 11th throne holder of Jowo Jampa Ling Monastery was Namka Pelzang (1398-1425), who is considered to have possessed hidden treasure spirit.
Local: Five great hidden treasure masters before the 15th century
It is both insight and practice.