Ratna Lingpa

Ratna Lingpa

Ratna Lingpa (T. rat+na gling pa རཏྣ་གླིང་པ་) (1403-1478) was a Tibetan tertön who revealed many hidden treasure texts (termas).

In response to Buton Rinchen Drub's (bu ston rin chen grub, 1290-1364) exclusion of major Nyingma tantras from his influential Kangyur (bka' 'gyur), Ratna Lingpa gathered together the tantic heritage of the Nyingma tradition, a work said to comprise forty-two volumes. It is said that this collection, no longer extant, was the basis for the Nyingma Gyubum that Jigme Lingpa ('jigs med gling pa, 1730-1798) assembled in the 1770s.

Because of his auspicious connection with Padmasambhava (through a vison), Ratna Lingpa "was able to reveal in a single lifetime the termas he would have otherwise revealed in three successive lifetimes. He is therefore also known as Zhikpo Lingpa (zhig po gling pa) and Drodul Lingpa ('gro 'dul gling pa)."

Further Reading

• Ratna Lingpa, Treasury of Lives

• Rat+na gling pa, Tsadra Commons
• Ratna Lingpa, Rigpa Shedra Wiki
• TBRC Profile
• Ratna Lingpa Series on Lotsawa House, Lotsawa House
• Dudjom Rinpoche, The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, Wisdom Publications, 1991, vol. 1, pp. 793-795