The Ancient Ones: Padmasambhava, Terma, and Dzogchen

The Nyingma ("ancient ones") is the oldest of the Tibetan Buddhist schools, tracing itself to the first, imperial-period transmission of Buddhism to Tibet in the eighth century and to the figure of Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche), the tantric master credited with subduing the forces hostile to the Dharma and establishing it in the land. When Buddhism was later re-established after a period of decline, the schools of that "new" translation (Sarma) distinguished themselves from the Nyingma, who held to the earlier translations and tantras.

Two features are distinctive. The first is the tradition of terma, "treasures", teachings said to have been concealed by Padmasambhava and his consort Yeshe Tsogyal to be discovered in later ages by destined revealers, the tertons, which gives the Nyingma a continually renewing body of scripture. The second is Dzogchen, the "Great Perfection," its highest teaching, which points directly to the primordially pure and self-aware nature of mind.