伏藏

Hidden Treasures

一说到伏藏品，很多学佛的人都认为是宁玛巴特有的，这种想法完全是孤陋寡闻的标志。

At the mention of the hidden treasures, “terma,” most Buddhists immediately assume that it is something special for the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. But to hold such a viewpoint is a sign of being ill informed.

佛陀在显宗的《现行等持经》中云：“一旦吾趋入灭尽，遗体法宝留于世，诸佛菩萨受持后，缮写装入宝箧中，藏入佛塔地与岩，交付天龙等众生，此等经典恒不灭，如同天人之净戒，未来因缘成熟时，无论种姓之大师，依佛菩萨言开取，如愿利益诸有情。”《正法摄持经》也云：“阿难，何人为正法长久住世，将法书于纸上，隐藏而供养，能获得四利。何四？得佛眼……”可见佛陀早已明示伏藏之由来，只是我们翻阅的经论太少，才会有此误解。

In one scripture of the Sutrayana, The Sutra of Abiding in Samadhi, Buddha says: “As I pass into nirvana, my body relic and the Dharma will remain in the world. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, having meditated on the Doctrines, will codify and store them in treasure chests, conceal them inside stupas, under the earth, or in the rocks; they then bid gods, nagas, and demigods as the protectors. Just like the divine realm’s pure precepts, these Dharma treasures cannot ever be destroyed. In the future at the destined time, great masters of different lineages, cued by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, will reveal the treasures, decipher them, and bring benefits to all sentient beings.” In The Sutra of Practicing the Authentic Dharma it also says: “Ananda, those who codify Dharma teachings and conceal them so that fresh, unimpaired Dharma will long remain in this world are making great offerings. They will be endowed with four huge fortunes. What are these four? They are: to attain Buddha’s divine eye and.” etc. Obviously, the Buddha from early on has described clearly the origin of the hidden treasures. Our misunderstanding comes from not having read enough scriptures.

不论怎样，伏藏品在末法时期的利益实在无法估量。伏藏大师班玛朗巴说过：“此法度化浊世多数众，甚深无缺无障义广大，仅依部分教言也解脱，是故苏醒佛性有缘者，忆念死亡精修伏藏法，一生必将获得解脱道，浊世伏藏法有信心者，曾经已见莲师并发愿，皆为有缘善根者当喜。”

Regardless, the benefits of hidden treasures in this degenerate time are unfathomable. One of the great revealers of the hidden treasure, Terton Padma Langpa, says: “Terma—the profound, complete, faultless, and immense treasure—will guide numerous beings in degenerate times. Liberation may be achieved even by practicing some of it. Whosoever with karmic connections, therefore, awaken your Buddha nature and devote yourself to terma practice, spurred on always by the thought of impermanence. You can be sure to attain liberation in this very life. Whoever has faith in terma during a degenerate time must have met the Great Master of Oddiyana, Guru Rinpoche, previously and pledged in front of him. Rejoice, all of you virtuous beings destined to this practice!”

关于伏藏的功德、道理、辩论等解疑，在班玛朗巴撰着的《伏藏大史》中有详解，有兴趣者不妨一读。

If you want to know more about the hidden treasures, such as their quality, principle, debate on logic reasoning, and so forth, I would recommend to you check the detailed description in The Comprehensive History of Terma by Padma Langpa.

壬午年四月初二　　
2002年5月14日

2nd of April, Year of RenWu
May 14, 2002