Archivist's Introduction - Revision history

Mort at 14:59, 9 April 2024

2024-04-09T14:59:47Z

Jeremi: (by SublimeText.Mediawiker)

2024-04-05T13:07:19Z

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	Welcome to Tsadra Foundation’s digital catalog of the Shechen Publications 2007-2018 edition of the Rinchen Terdzö Chenmo, ''The Great Treasury of Rediscovered Teachings'', a massive trove of precious ''gter ma'' teachings, practices, and supplemental literature initially compiled by the incomparable [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye]] and expanded upon by subsequent generations into the seventy-one volume collection that we have the great honor to present here for the benefit of the community of Buddhist practitioners and scholars, the world over. This project grew out of the Foundation’s sponsorship of the monumental task of creating the new Shechen Edition of the Rinchen Terdzö, as well as their commitment to the works of [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Kongtrul]], in general, and his Five Great Treasuries, in particular. This project on the Terdzö, the most voluminous of the five, is representative of Tsadra Foundation’s ongoing efforts to ensure that these masterworks are not only preserved for, but utilized by coming generations and is thus emblematic of the Foundation’s mission to advance the combined study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism.		Welcome to Tsadra Foundation’s digital catalog of the Shechen Publications 2007-2018 edition of the Rinchen Terdzö Chenmo, ''The Great Treasury of Rediscovered Teachings'', a massive trove of precious ''gter ma'' teachings, practices, and supplemental literature initially compiled by the incomparable [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye]] and expanded upon by subsequent generations into the seventy-one volume collection that we have the great honor to present here for the benefit of the community of Buddhist practitioners and scholars, the world over. This project grew out of the Foundation’s sponsorship of the monumental task of creating the new Shechen Edition of the Rinchen Terdzö, as well as their commitment to the works of [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Kongtrul]], in general, and his Five Great Treasuries, in particular. This project on the Terdzö, the most voluminous of the five, is representative of Tsadra Foundation’s ongoing efforts to ensure that these masterworks are not only preserved for, but utilized by coming generations and is thus emblematic of the Foundation’s mission to advance the combined study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism.

Jeremi: (by SublimeText.Mediawiker)

2024-04-05T13:06:42Z

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← Older revision		Revision as of 09:06, 5 April 2024
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	Welcome to Tsadra Foundation’s digital catalog of the Shechen Publications 2007-2018 edition of the Rinchen Terdzö Chenmo, ''The Great Treasury of Rediscovered Teachings'', a massive trove of precious ''gter ma'' teachings, practices, and supplemental literature initially compiled by the incomparable [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye]] and expanded upon by subsequent generations into the seventy-one volume collection that we have the great honor to present here for the benefit of the community of Buddhist practitioners and scholars, the world over. This project grew out of the Foundation’s sponsorship of the monumental task of creating the new Shechen Edition of the Rinchen Terdzö, as well as their commitment to the works of [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Kongtrul]], in general, and his Five Great Treasuries, in particular. This project on the Terdzö, the most voluminous of the five, is representative of Tsadra Foundation’s ongoing efforts to ensure that these masterworks are not only preserved for, but utilized by coming generations and is thus emblematic of the Foundation’s mission to advance the combined study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism.		Welcome to Tsadra Foundation’s digital catalog of the Shechen Publications 2007-2018 edition of the Rinchen Terdzö Chenmo, ''The Great Treasury of Rediscovered Teachings'', a massive trove of precious ''gter ma'' teachings, practices, and supplemental literature initially compiled by the incomparable [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye]] and expanded upon by subsequent generations into the seventy-one volume collection that we have the great honor to present here for the benefit of the community of Buddhist practitioners and scholars, the world over. This project grew out of the Foundation’s sponsorship of the monumental task of creating the new Shechen Edition of the Rinchen Terdzö, as well as their commitment to the works of [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Kongtrul]], in general, and his Five Great Treasuries, in particular. This project on the Terdzö, the most voluminous of the five, is representative of Tsadra Foundation’s ongoing efforts to ensure that these masterworks are not only preserved for, but utilized by coming generations and is thus emblematic of the Foundation’s mission to advance the combined study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism.

Jeremi: (by SublimeText.Mediawiker)

2024-04-05T13:06:24Z

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← Older revision		Revision as of 09:06, 5 April 2024
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	Welcome to Tsadra Foundation’s digital catalog of the Shechen Publications 2007-2018 edition of the Rinchen Terdzö Chenmo, ''The Great Treasury of Rediscovered Teachings'', a massive trove of precious ''gter ma'' teachings, practices, and supplemental literature initially compiled by the incomparable [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye]] and expanded upon by subsequent generations into the seventy-one volume collection that we have the great honor to present here for the benefit of the community of Buddhist practitioners and scholars, the world over. This project grew out of the Foundation’s sponsorship of the monumental task of creating the new Shechen Edition of the Rinchen Terdzö, as well as their commitment to the works of [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Kongtrul]], in general, and his Five Great Treasuries, in particular. This project on the Terdzö, the most voluminous of the five, is representative of Tsadra Foundation’s ongoing efforts to ensure that these masterworks are not only preserved for, but utilized by coming generations and is thus emblematic of the Foundation’s mission to advance the combined study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism.		Welcome to Tsadra Foundation’s digital catalog of the Shechen Publications 2007-2018 edition of the Rinchen Terdzö Chenmo, ''The Great Treasury of Rediscovered Teachings'', a massive trove of precious ''gter ma'' teachings, practices, and supplemental literature initially compiled by the incomparable [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye]] and expanded upon by subsequent generations into the seventy-one volume collection that we have the great honor to present here for the benefit of the community of Buddhist practitioners and scholars, the world over. This project grew out of the Foundation’s sponsorship of the monumental task of creating the new Shechen Edition of the Rinchen Terdzö, as well as their commitment to the works of [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Kongtrul]], in general, and his Five Great Treasuries, in particular. This project on the Terdzö, the most voluminous of the five, is representative of Tsadra Foundation’s ongoing efforts to ensure that these masterworks are not only preserved for, but utilized by coming generations and is thus emblematic of the Foundation’s mission to advance the combined study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism.
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	:[[Ostensen, M.\|Morten Ostensen]], Digital Curator, Tsadra Foundation, 2017		:[[Ostensen, M.\|Morten Ostensen]], Digital Curator, Tsadra Foundation, 2017

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Jeremi: (by SublimeText.Mediawiker)

2024-04-05T13:05:53Z

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← Older revision		Revision as of 09:05, 5 April 2024
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			<p class="lead">

	Welcome to Tsadra Foundation’s digital catalog of the Shechen Publications 2007-2018 edition of the Rinchen Terdzö Chenmo, ''The Great Treasury of Rediscovered Teachings'', a massive trove of precious ''gter ma'' teachings, practices, and supplemental literature initially compiled by the incomparable [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye]] and expanded upon by subsequent generations into the seventy-one volume collection that we have the great honor to present here for the benefit of the community of Buddhist practitioners and scholars, the world over. This project grew out of the Foundation’s sponsorship of the monumental task of creating the new Shechen Edition of the Rinchen Terdzö, as well as their commitment to the works of [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Kongtrul]], in general, and his Five Great Treasuries, in particular. This project on the Terdzö, the most voluminous of the five, is representative of Tsadra Foundation’s ongoing efforts to ensure that these masterworks are not only preserved for, but utilized by coming generations and is thus emblematic of the Foundation’s mission to advance the combined study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism.		Welcome to Tsadra Foundation’s digital catalog of the Shechen Publications 2007-2018 edition of the Rinchen Terdzö Chenmo, ''The Great Treasury of Rediscovered Teachings'', a massive trove of precious ''gter ma'' teachings, practices, and supplemental literature initially compiled by the incomparable [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye]] and expanded upon by subsequent generations into the seventy-one volume collection that we have the great honor to present here for the benefit of the community of Buddhist practitioners and scholars, the world over. This project grew out of the Foundation’s sponsorship of the monumental task of creating the new Shechen Edition of the Rinchen Terdzö, as well as their commitment to the works of [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Kongtrul]], in general, and his Five Great Treasuries, in particular. This project on the Terdzö, the most voluminous of the five, is representative of Tsadra Foundation’s ongoing efforts to ensure that these masterworks are not only preserved for, but utilized by coming generations and is thus emblematic of the Foundation’s mission to advance the combined study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism.
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	:[[Ostensen, M.\|Morten Ostensen]], Digital Curator, Tsadra Foundation, 2017		:[[Ostensen, M.\|Morten Ostensen]], Digital Curator, Tsadra Foundation, 2017

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Jeremi: (by SublimeText.Mediawiker)

2024-04-05T13:05:30Z

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Show changes

Mort at 20:31, 7 July 2021

2021-07-07T20:31:00Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:31, 7 July 2021
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	In closing, I would like to acknowledge all those who have contributed to this project. This website features material that is representative of more than a decade of work by scholars at Shechen Monastery and its affiliated centers, foremost being the chief editor [[Dakpo Tulku]], to whom the lion’s share of the credit is due and I refer readers to [[Matthieu Ricard]]’s preface to the Shechen Edition for the details on all those involved. Among those affiliated with Tsadra Foundation, I must first of all thank Eric Colombel for his generous support of this project from beginning to end, and for giving me the opportunity to spend so much time among these precious texts, as well as Sean Price for his tireless work on behalf of the Foundation in making the treasures of Tibetan literary heritage, such as the Terdzö, available in modern formats. Though, none of my work would have been possible without technical expertise and guidance of Marcus Perman and Jeremi Plazas, the true architects of this site. I thank them wholeheartedly for their endless patience with me and my constant questions and requests throughout this long process. Also, I am deeply grateful to the preeminent artists [https://www.padmastudios.com/ Pema Namdol Thaye] and [http://www.tibetanart.com/ Robert Beer] for use of their artwork that adorns and beautifies the site, as well as Alex Gardner at the [https://treasuryoflives.org/ Treasury of Lives], Jeff Watt at [https://www.himalayanart.org/ Himalayan Art Resources], and all those working to further E. Gene Smith’s vision at the [https://www.tbrc.org/#!footer/about/newhome Buddhist Digital Resource Center] for providing such a wealth of informative content. Finally, I wish to extend a preemptive thank you to all those future contributors that will help improve upon the site in the coming years. I welcome your suggestions, comments, and corrections, and hope that with your participation Tsadra Foundation’s catalog of The Great Treasury of Rediscovered Teachings will continue to be a valuable resource for generations to come.		In closing, I would like to acknowledge all those who have contributed to this project. This website features material that is representative of more than a decade of work by scholars at Shechen Monastery and its affiliated centers, foremost being the chief editor [[Dakpo Tulku]], to whom the lion’s share of the credit is due and I refer readers to [[Matthieu Ricard]]’s preface to the Shechen Edition for the details on all those involved. Among those affiliated with Tsadra Foundation, I must first of all thank Eric Colombel for his generous support of this project from beginning to end, and for giving me the opportunity to spend so much time among these precious texts, as well as Sean Price for his tireless work on behalf of the Foundation in making the treasures of Tibetan literary heritage, such as the Terdzö, available in modern formats. Though, none of my work would have been possible without technical expertise and guidance of Marcus Perman and Jeremi Plazas, the true architects of this site. I thank them wholeheartedly for their endless patience with me and my constant questions and requests throughout this long process. Also, I am deeply grateful to the preeminent artists [https://www.padmastudios.com/ Pema Namdol Thaye] and [http://www.tibetanart.com/ Robert Beer] for use of their artwork that adorns and beautifies the site, as well as Alex Gardner at the [https://treasuryoflives.org/ Treasury of Lives], Jeff Watt at [https://www.himalayanart.org/ Himalayan Art Resources], and all those working to further E. Gene Smith’s vision at the [https://www.tbrc.org/#!footer/about/newhome Buddhist Digital Resource Center] for providing such a wealth of informative content. Finally, I wish to extend a preemptive thank you to all those future contributors that will help improve upon the site in the coming years. I welcome your suggestions, comments, and corrections, and hope that with your participation Tsadra Foundation’s catalog of The Great Treasury of Rediscovered Teachings will continue to be a valuable resource for generations to come.

	:[[~~User:Mort~~\|Morten Ostensen]], Digital Curator, Tsadra Foundation, 2017		:[[Ostensen, M.\|Morten Ostensen]], Digital Curator, Tsadra Foundation, 2017
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Mort at 19:25, 20 November 2018

2018-11-20T19:25:15Z

Show changes

Mort at 18:56, 20 November 2018

2018-11-20T18:56:09Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:56, 20 November 2018
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	One of the main reasons that it’s important to keep all of this in mind is because traditionally the role of the tertön differs considerably from what we might normally associate with authorship. Treasures are not composed, they are revealed, which is a distinction that has semantic significance in the Tibetan Buddhist world, in general, and even more so in the treasure milieu. This being the case, there is often an additional layer of narrative concerning the source of these teachings, which likewise needs to be accounted for. Therefore, I have used the further category of ‘source author,’ to record the individuals stated to have been responsible for the production of a particular work prior to concealment. Generally speaking, this field is used for early figures that either composed, arranged or recorded the material contained in the treasure, which is later accessed by a tertön and revealed as a treasure. Thus, this can denote either the author of the source material, in line with the usage outlined above, or it can denote the scribe and, or, concealer of that material. Alternatively, when other individuals are mentioned as being recipients of a teaching, but aren’t directly tied to the production of the actual text, they are usually recorded as ‘associated people.’ Furthermore, the field of ‘source author’ is also used to record the source of pure vision revelations (dag snang), of which there are numerous examples in the Terdzö. In these instances, the source author denotes the individual from whom the source revealer received the teachings, which usually entails some sort of visionary encounter. Moreover, in the case of hearing lineages (snyan brgyud), this field connotes the source of the lineage. Hence, this category is generally used to record information on the purported origins of the source material. However, one glaring exception to this rule is the omission of Guru Rinpoche as a source author in all but the works that specifically designate him as the actual composer. The reason for this being that he is such a perennial figure that it would render the search function essentially useless, in that he would link to the vast majority of works in the collection and thus obscure from view the works in which he is directly attributed as the author. Therefore, I have restricted my mention of this figure to the bare minimum due to the ubiquitous nature of his involvement with the vast majority of the treasure cycles preserved in the Terdzö. Though, apart from the above fields, which necessitate a certain amount of fluidity to encompass the various peculiarities associated with the material contained in this collection, there are, of course, numerous categories, such as scribes and so on, which are much more straightforward and require no added explanation on my part.		One of the main reasons that it’s important to keep all of this in mind is because traditionally the role of the tertön differs considerably from what we might normally associate with authorship. Treasures are not composed, they are revealed, which is a distinction that has semantic significance in the Tibetan Buddhist world, in general, and even more so in the treasure milieu. This being the case, there is often an additional layer of narrative concerning the source of these teachings, which likewise needs to be accounted for. Therefore, I have used the further category of ‘source author,’ to record the individuals stated to have been responsible for the production of a particular work prior to concealment. Generally speaking, this field is used for early figures that either composed, arranged or recorded the material contained in the treasure, which is later accessed by a tertön and revealed as a treasure. Thus, this can denote either the author of the source material, in line with the usage outlined above, or it can denote the scribe and, or, concealer of that material. Alternatively, when other individuals are mentioned as being recipients of a teaching, but aren’t directly tied to the production of the actual text, they are usually recorded as ‘associated people.’ Furthermore, the field of ‘source author’ is also used to record the source of pure vision revelations (dag snang), of which there are numerous examples in the Terdzö. In these instances, the source author denotes the individual from whom the source revealer received the teachings, which usually entails some sort of visionary encounter. Moreover, in the case of hearing lineages (snyan brgyud), this field connotes the source of the lineage. Hence, this category is generally used to record information on the purported origins of the source material. However, one glaring exception to this rule is the omission of Guru Rinpoche as a source author in all but the works that specifically designate him as the actual composer. The reason for this being that he is such a perennial figure that it would render the search function essentially useless, in that he would link to the vast majority of works in the collection and thus obscure from view the works in which he is directly attributed as the author. Therefore, I have restricted my mention of this figure to the bare minimum due to the ubiquitous nature of his involvement with the vast majority of the treasure cycles preserved in the Terdzö. Though, apart from the above fields, which necessitate a certain amount of fluidity to encompass the various peculiarities associated with the material contained in this collection, there are, of course, numerous categories, such as scribes and so on, which are much more straightforward and require no added explanation on my part.

	While all of this metadata has been collected and recorded within each of the texts, they can also be accessed via search functions and through the various pages in which such information is aggregated in relation to specific tertöns, treasure cycles, and so on. In terms of the people pages, and especially those whom are featured heavily in the Terdzö, I have included short Tibetan biographies parsed out from [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Kongtrul]]’s compilation commonly known as the ''Biographies of the Hundred Treasure Revealers'' ([[~~http://rtz.tsadra.org/index.php/~~Terdzo-KA-006 ''gter ston rgya rtsa'i rnam thar'']]), along with citations of where these can be found in the Shechen Edition. And, while I have at times included biographical data, such as standardized dates, from other sources, I have tried to stick to [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Kongtrul]]’s work as much as possible and make note of divergences whenever need be. Therefore, the information found on these pages, especially those related to rebirths, emanations, and the like, are for the most part indicative of [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Kongtrul]]’s own assessment. Furthermore, these pages have been designed specifically to highlight contributions to the Terdzö, though I have included links to prominent sites, such as the [https://www.tbrc.org/#!footer/about/newhome Buddhist Digital Resource Center] and [https://treasuryoflives.org/ Treasury of Lives], where one might find more detailed information on these figures. But, here, I have attempted to treat the Terdzö as a closed system, uncluttered by superfluous details, in hopes that it might help us better understand the collection as it is.		While all of this metadata has been collected and recorded within each of the texts, they can also be accessed via search functions and through the various pages in which such information is aggregated in relation to specific tertöns, treasure cycles, and so on. In terms of the people pages, and especially those whom are featured heavily in the Terdzö, I have included short Tibetan biographies parsed out from [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Kongtrul]]’s compilation commonly known as the ''Biographies of the Hundred Treasure Revealers'' ([[Terdzo-KA-006\|''gter ston rgya rtsa'i rnam thar'']]), along with citations of where these can be found in the Shechen Edition. And, while I have at times included biographical data, such as standardized dates, from other sources, I have tried to stick to [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Kongtrul]]’s work as much as possible and make note of divergences whenever need be. Therefore, the information found on these pages, especially those related to rebirths, emanations, and the like, are for the most part indicative of [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Kongtrul]]’s own assessment. Furthermore, these pages have been designed specifically to highlight contributions to the Terdzö, though I have included links to prominent sites, such as the [https://www.tbrc.org/#!footer/about/newhome Buddhist Digital Resource Center] and [https://treasuryoflives.org/ Treasury of Lives], where one might find more detailed information on these figures. But, here, I have attempted to treat the Terdzö as a closed system, uncluttered by superfluous details, in hopes that it might help us better understand the collection as it is.

	In terms of treasure cycles, these pages are designed to include their associated texts as well as their relationship to other cycles. The terms ‘root cycle’ and ‘branch cycle’ are utilized to highlight the source of smaller cycles and the contents of larger cycles, respectively. Though, in terms of branch cycles that also contain further cycles, then those cycles then become the root cycle to their corresponding branch cycles. In such cases, the cycle page itself will list both its root and branch cycles. For the most part, these relationships are based on either the nature of the revelation or the way that the revealer has chosen to present a specific set of revelations in the form of cycles. The one obvious exception being [[Minling Terchen]]’s [[Sgrub thabs 'dod 'jo'i bum bzang\|Döjo Bumzang]], which is a compilation rather than the source of the revealed material contained within it. Though, in all other instances in which a few cycles have been compiled into a single work, then these cycles are all given equal footing. However, the cataloging of treasure cycles along these lines is an ongoing process, which requires specialist knowledge of the individual revelations, so this is one area of the Terdzö project that may see considerable refinement in the coming years.		In terms of treasure cycles, these pages are designed to include their associated texts as well as their relationship to other cycles. The terms ‘root cycle’ and ‘branch cycle’ are utilized to highlight the source of smaller cycles and the contents of larger cycles, respectively. Though, in terms of branch cycles that also contain further cycles, then those cycles then become the root cycle to their corresponding branch cycles. In such cases, the cycle page itself will list both its root and branch cycles. For the most part, these relationships are based on either the nature of the revelation or the way that the revealer has chosen to present a specific set of revelations in the form of cycles. The one obvious exception being [[Minling Terchen]]’s [[Sgrub thabs 'dod 'jo'i bum bzang\|Döjo Bumzang]], which is a compilation rather than the source of the revealed material contained within it. Though, in all other instances in which a few cycles have been compiled into a single work, then these cycles are all given equal footing. However, the cataloging of treasure cycles along these lines is an ongoing process, which requires specialist knowledge of the individual revelations, so this is one area of the Terdzö project that may see considerable refinement in the coming years.

Mort at 18:55, 20 November 2018

2018-11-20T18:55:12Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:55, 20 November 2018
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	One of the main reasons that it’s important to keep all of this in mind is because traditionally the role of the tertön differs considerably from what we might normally associate with authorship. Treasures are not composed, they are revealed, which is a distinction that has semantic significance in the Tibetan Buddhist world, in general, and even more so in the treasure milieu. This being the case, there is often an additional layer of narrative concerning the source of these teachings, which likewise needs to be accounted for. Therefore, I have used the further category of ‘source author,’ to record the individuals stated to have been responsible for the production of a particular work prior to concealment. Generally speaking, this field is used for early figures that either composed, arranged or recorded the material contained in the treasure, which is later accessed by a tertön and revealed as a treasure. Thus, this can denote either the author of the source material, in line with the usage outlined above, or it can denote the scribe and, or, concealer of that material. Alternatively, when other individuals are mentioned as being recipients of a teaching, but aren’t directly tied to the production of the actual text, they are usually recorded as ‘associated people.’ Furthermore, the field of ‘source author’ is also used to record the source of pure vision revelations (dag snang), of which there are numerous examples in the Terdzö. In these instances, the source author denotes the individual from whom the source revealer received the teachings, which usually entails some sort of visionary encounter. Moreover, in the case of hearing lineages (snyan brgyud), this field connotes the source of the lineage. Hence, this category is generally used to record information on the purported origins of the source material. However, one glaring exception to this rule is the omission of Guru Rinpoche as a source author in all but the works that specifically designate him as the actual composer. The reason for this being that he is such a perennial figure that it would render the search function essentially useless, in that he would link to the vast majority of works in the collection and thus obscure from view the works in which he is directly attributed as the author. Therefore, I have restricted my mention of this figure to the bare minimum due to the ubiquitous nature of his involvement with the vast majority of the treasure cycles preserved in the Terdzö. Though, apart from the above fields, which necessitate a certain amount of fluidity to encompass the various peculiarities associated with the material contained in this collection, there are, of course, numerous categories, such as scribes and so on, which are much more straightforward and require no added explanation on my part.		One of the main reasons that it’s important to keep all of this in mind is because traditionally the role of the tertön differs considerably from what we might normally associate with authorship. Treasures are not composed, they are revealed, which is a distinction that has semantic significance in the Tibetan Buddhist world, in general, and even more so in the treasure milieu. This being the case, there is often an additional layer of narrative concerning the source of these teachings, which likewise needs to be accounted for. Therefore, I have used the further category of ‘source author,’ to record the individuals stated to have been responsible for the production of a particular work prior to concealment. Generally speaking, this field is used for early figures that either composed, arranged or recorded the material contained in the treasure, which is later accessed by a tertön and revealed as a treasure. Thus, this can denote either the author of the source material, in line with the usage outlined above, or it can denote the scribe and, or, concealer of that material. Alternatively, when other individuals are mentioned as being recipients of a teaching, but aren’t directly tied to the production of the actual text, they are usually recorded as ‘associated people.’ Furthermore, the field of ‘source author’ is also used to record the source of pure vision revelations (dag snang), of which there are numerous examples in the Terdzö. In these instances, the source author denotes the individual from whom the source revealer received the teachings, which usually entails some sort of visionary encounter. Moreover, in the case of hearing lineages (snyan brgyud), this field connotes the source of the lineage. Hence, this category is generally used to record information on the purported origins of the source material. However, one glaring exception to this rule is the omission of Guru Rinpoche as a source author in all but the works that specifically designate him as the actual composer. The reason for this being that he is such a perennial figure that it would render the search function essentially useless, in that he would link to the vast majority of works in the collection and thus obscure from view the works in which he is directly attributed as the author. Therefore, I have restricted my mention of this figure to the bare minimum due to the ubiquitous nature of his involvement with the vast majority of the treasure cycles preserved in the Terdzö. Though, apart from the above fields, which necessitate a certain amount of fluidity to encompass the various peculiarities associated with the material contained in this collection, there are, of course, numerous categories, such as scribes and so on, which are much more straightforward and require no added explanation on my part.

	While all of this metadata has been collected and recorded within each of the texts, they can also be accessed via search functions and through the various pages in which such information is aggregated in relation to specific tertöns, treasure cycles, and so on. In terms of the people pages, and especially those whom are featured heavily in the Terdzö, I have included short Tibetan biographies parsed out from [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Kongtrul]]’s compilation commonly known as the ''Biographies of the Hundred Treasure Revealers'' ([[http://rtz.tsadra.org/index.php/Terdzo-KA-006\|''gter ston rgya rtsa'i rnam thar]]), along with citations of where these can be found in the Shechen Edition. And, while I have at times included biographical data, such as standardized dates, from other sources, I have tried to stick to [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Kongtrul]]’s work as much as possible and make note of divergences whenever need be. Therefore, the information found on these pages, especially those related to rebirths, emanations, and the like, are for the most part indicative of [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Kongtrul]]’s own assessment. Furthermore, these pages have been designed specifically to highlight contributions to the Terdzö, though I have included links to prominent sites, such as the [https://www.tbrc.org/#!footer/about/newhome Buddhist Digital Resource Center] and [https://treasuryoflives.org/ Treasury of Lives], where one might find more detailed information on these figures. But, here, I have attempted to treat the Terdzö as a closed system, uncluttered by superfluous details, in hopes that it might help us better understand the collection as it is.		While all of this metadata has been collected and recorded within each of the texts, they can also be accessed via search functions and through the various pages in which such information is aggregated in relation to specific tertöns, treasure cycles, and so on. In terms of the people pages, and especially those whom are featured heavily in the Terdzö, I have included short Tibetan biographies parsed out from [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Kongtrul]]’s compilation commonly known as the ''Biographies of the Hundred Treasure Revealers'' ([[http://rtz.tsadra.org/index.php/Terdzo-KA-006 ''gter ston rgya rtsa'i rnam thar'']]), along with citations of where these can be found in the Shechen Edition. And, while I have at times included biographical data, such as standardized dates, from other sources, I have tried to stick to [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Kongtrul]]’s work as much as possible and make note of divergences whenever need be. Therefore, the information found on these pages, especially those related to rebirths, emanations, and the like, are for the most part indicative of [[Jamgön Kongtrul\|Kongtrul]]’s own assessment. Furthermore, these pages have been designed specifically to highlight contributions to the Terdzö, though I have included links to prominent sites, such as the [https://www.tbrc.org/#!footer/about/newhome Buddhist Digital Resource Center] and [https://treasuryoflives.org/ Treasury of Lives], where one might find more detailed information on these figures. But, here, I have attempted to treat the Terdzö as a closed system, uncluttered by superfluous details, in hopes that it might help us better understand the collection as it is.

	In terms of treasure cycles, these pages are designed to include their associated texts as well as their relationship to other cycles. The terms ‘root cycle’ and ‘branch cycle’ are utilized to highlight the source of smaller cycles and the contents of larger cycles, respectively. Though, in terms of branch cycles that also contain further cycles, then those cycles then become the root cycle to their corresponding branch cycles. In such cases, the cycle page itself will list both its root and branch cycles. For the most part, these relationships are based on either the nature of the revelation or the way that the revealer has chosen to present a specific set of revelations in the form of cycles. The one obvious exception being [[Minling Terchen]]’s [[Sgrub thabs 'dod 'jo'i bum bzang\|Döjo Bumzang]], which is a compilation rather than the source of the revealed material contained within it. Though, in all other instances in which a few cycles have been compiled into a single work, then these cycles are all given equal footing. However, the cataloging of treasure cycles along these lines is an ongoing process, which requires specialist knowledge of the individual revelations, so this is one area of the Terdzö project that may see considerable refinement in the coming years.		In terms of treasure cycles, these pages are designed to include their associated texts as well as their relationship to other cycles. The terms ‘root cycle’ and ‘branch cycle’ are utilized to highlight the source of smaller cycles and the contents of larger cycles, respectively. Though, in terms of branch cycles that also contain further cycles, then those cycles then become the root cycle to their corresponding branch cycles. In such cases, the cycle page itself will list both its root and branch cycles. For the most part, these relationships are based on either the nature of the revelation or the way that the revealer has chosen to present a specific set of revelations in the form of cycles. The one obvious exception being [[Minling Terchen]]’s [[Sgrub thabs 'dod 'jo'i bum bzang\|Döjo Bumzang]], which is a compilation rather than the source of the revealed material contained within it. Though, in all other instances in which a few cycles have been compiled into a single work, then these cycles are all given equal footing. However, the cataloging of treasure cycles along these lines is an ongoing process, which requires specialist knowledge of the individual revelations, so this is one area of the Terdzö project that may see considerable refinement in the coming years.