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Book: Fearless in Tibet: The Life of the Mystic Terton Sogyal by Matteo Pistono
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Authors: Matteo Pistono
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was appropriate to the task of serving their role as gatekeepers to the treasure teachings. Padmasambhava most often enlisted local spirits whom he had subjugated to serve as the guardians—these were sometimes embodied as animals—while other guardians remained in the formless realm, invisible to most people. Most took mountains and other places in the Tibetan wilderness as their abodes. Treasure revealers communicated with these guardians in numerous ways, sometimes sweet-talking them and presenting offerings to obtain their help, while at other times the tertön would sternly remind them of their pledge to Padmasambhava and command them to deliver the treasure.
Though the tertön may know of the location of a treasure and the entrusted guardian, many varied causes and conditions need to be present for the revealer to bring forth a treasure either from the earth or from the depths of his mind. There are no guarantees termas will be discovered. When the interdependent factors coalesce auspiciously, a successful treasure revelation is imminent. Should there be a flaw in the circumstances, the treasure revealers will likely be unable to reveal the treasure, postponing Padmasambhava’s instruction, sometimes losing the opportunity altogether.
In the first month of the Wood Dog year (1874), Sogyal was reading by a single butter lamp before dawn at Drikok. The winter morning was wrapped in a deep, frozen silence. At Drikok, the countryside mirrored the internal landscape of the yogis—vast and crystal clear. Voiced mantras and prayer accentuated the stillness of the meditators’ minds. On this morning, after Sogyal supplicated Padmasambhava with the request, “Come and bless me with your grace,” and while he was making prayers to propitiate the local treasure guardian, his room spontaneously filled with white light. The light began waving into colors like the aurora borealis. The scent of sandalwood permeated the room. Sogyal rested for a few moments, utterly awestruck. Then, when he looked toward the shrine, he saw that the offering tray of torma cakes made of barley, honey, sugar, yogurt, and butter he had earlier presented was taken and in its place was a dark stone treasure casket the size of his fist. Immense joy arose in his heart as he reached for the treasure casket to inspect, but he did not open it. He remained in meditation for the remainder of the day, with the casket placed before him.
The next day before sunrise, Sogyal was preparing to recite prayers when his normal perception again ceased. The room filled with light and perfume, and from out of the clear light, ethereal dakinis danced around him in celebration. He did not cling to the appearance of light, nor was he distracted by the surging bliss that arose from seeing the dakinis. Rather, Sogyal allowed the vision in front of him to arise and dissolve on its own accord while he remained in a state of equanimity. Sogyal prayed:
Hum. Padmasambhava and your hosts of dakinis, arise!
Buddhas of the past, present, and future and the ten directions, please pay attention.
Most revered wrathful Guru Padmasambhava, please come from the land of the accomplished ones.
Please think of this place with compassion and come here now.
Until we gain the heart of enlightenment, please subdue the obstructers, misleaders, and obstacle makers.
Please bestow supreme and general accomplishments, and take us from samsara’s ocean of suffering.
Sogyal’s mind then merged with the wisdom mind of Padmasambhava, and he remained unaltered in this state until the sunlight entered his room. When he looked again at the stone treasure casket on the shrine, he saw that it had opened by itself, revealing five compartments. Inside each compartment was a rolled golden parchment with dakini script. Like steam rising from a boiling kettle spout, wrathful and peaceful deities began to emanate from the paper and took up their place in the form of a mandala in the space before Sogyal.
Though the tertön may know of the location of a treasure and the entrusted guardian, many varied causes and conditions need to be present for the revealer to bring forth a treasure either from the earth or from the depths of his mind. There are no guarantees termas will be discovered. When the interdependent factors coalesce auspiciously, a successful treasure revelation is imminent. Should there be a flaw in the circumstances, the treasure revealers will likely be unable to reveal the treasure, postponing Padmasambhava’s instruction, sometimes losing the opportunity altogether.
In the first month of the Wood Dog year (1874), Sogyal was reading by a single butter lamp before dawn at Drikok. The winter morning was wrapped in a deep, frozen silence. At Drikok, the countryside mirrored the internal landscape of the yogis—vast and crystal clear. Voiced mantras and prayer accentuated the stillness of the meditators’ minds. On this morning, after Sogyal supplicated Padmasambhava with the request, “Come and bless me with your grace,” and while he was making prayers to propitiate the local treasure guardian, his room spontaneously filled with white light. The light began waving into colors like the aurora borealis. The scent of sandalwood permeated the room. Sogyal rested for a few moments, utterly awestruck. Then, when he looked toward the shrine, he saw that the offering tray of torma cakes made of barley, honey, sugar, yogurt, and butter he had earlier presented was taken and in its place was a dark stone treasure casket the size of his fist. Immense joy arose in his heart as he reached for the treasure casket to inspect, but he did not open it. He remained in meditation for the remainder of the day, with the casket placed before him.
The next day before sunrise, Sogyal was preparing to recite prayers when his normal perception again ceased. The room filled with light and perfume, and from out of the clear light, ethereal dakinis danced around him in celebration. He did not cling to the appearance of light, nor was he distracted by the surging bliss that arose from seeing the dakinis. Rather, Sogyal allowed the vision in front of him to arise and dissolve on its own accord while he remained in a state of equanimity. Sogyal prayed:
Hum. Padmasambhava and your hosts of dakinis, arise!
Buddhas of the past, present, and future and the ten directions, please pay attention.
Most revered wrathful Guru Padmasambhava, please come from the land of the accomplished ones.
Please think of this place with compassion and come here now.
Until we gain the heart of enlightenment, please subdue the obstructers, misleaders, and obstacle makers.
Please bestow supreme and general accomplishments, and take us from samsara’s ocean of suffering.
Sogyal’s mind then merged with the wisdom mind of Padmasambhava, and he remained unaltered in this state until the sunlight entered his room. When he looked again at the stone treasure casket on the shrine, he saw that it had opened by itself, revealing five compartments. Inside each compartment was a rolled golden parchment with dakini script. Like steam rising from a boiling kettle spout, wrathful and peaceful deities began to emanate from the paper and took up their place in the form of a mandala in the space before Sogyal.
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