Submitted by David Chapman on Wed, 05/14/2008 - 21:24.
Shortly after writing this, I read Andreas Doctor’s Tibetan Treasure Literature. His book confirms what I wrote above.
He suggests that the authentication of termas depended heavily on “political, financial, and religious support extended to the Treasure revealer by the local elite, combined with the revealer’s own ability to magnetize an audience through a charismatic personality.”
He describes the history of arguments about terma authenticity over the past millennium. He demonstrates that there has been almost no change in the types of arguments used. These boil down to “You faked it yourself!” “Did not!” “Did too!” Or, in Doctor’s more academic language,
basically unconvincing arguments, advanced by skeptics and apologists alike, remained surprisingly stagnant over the centuries and, on the whole, failed to effect any significant change of opinion on either side of the religious divide.
He regards it as unfortunate that Westerners have taken sides in debates about terma authenticity. These appear to have more to do with Tibetan power politics than genuinely religious considerations.
Comments
A useful discussion on terma validation
Shortly after writing this, I read Andreas Doctor’s Tibetan Treasure Literature
. His book confirms what I wrote above.
He suggests that the authentication of termas depended heavily on “political, financial, and religious support extended to the Treasure revealer by the local elite, combined with the revealer’s own ability to magnetize an audience through a charismatic personality.”
He describes the history of arguments about terma authenticity over the past millennium. He demonstrates that there has been almost no change in the types of arguments used. These boil down to “You faked it yourself!” “Did not!” “Did too!” Or, in Doctor’s more academic language,
He regards it as unfortunate that Westerners have taken sides in debates about terma authenticity. These appear to have more to do with Tibetan power politics than genuinely religious considerations.