Nyang Ral Nyima Özer (myang
ral nyi ma 'od zer) a brief biography
Excerpt from The
Lotus-Born:
In the district of Lhodrag situated to the south of Samye
in Central Tibet, a child was born to Nyangton Chokyi Khorlo, a renowned
Nyingma yogi, and his wife Lady Yeshe Dron. The child was named Nyima
Özer, 'Beam of Sunlight,' an extraordinary being who possessed
eight marvellous signs including three moles in the shapes of the syllables
om ah hung on his forehead, throat and heart center. After being concealed
at home until the age of twelve, unknown to other people, he was taken
to a fair arranged by his uncle. At the fair he outshone everyone in
the horse race and when seated upon a small throne by his uncle, Nyima
Özer expounded bodhichitta, inspiring deep faith in the whole gathering.
Because of the twelve year old long hair that was wrapped around his
head to hide his ushnika and the om in his forehead, he was given the
name Lord Nyang Ral, the Braided Master of Nyang.
To the age of twenty-five he studied the prevalent tantric systems of
Nyingma and Shijey with many great masters. Following directions given
to him by Padmasambhava in person, Nyima Özer went to the cave
named Imprint of the Raksha's Claw and to Pearl Crystal Cave at Junipher
Ridge where he received empowerment and blessings from both Padmasambhava
and Yeshe Tsogyal. During the following years, Nyima Özer revealed
an incredible amount of terma treasures. 
Without
propagating a single of these teachings, he kept them secret and remained
in retreat at Samye Chimphu for six years. During the retreat, Padmasambhava
appeared for seven days and bestowed upon Nyima Özer whichever
profound instruction he was requested. Finally, Padmasambhava dissolved
into Nyima Özer's heart, producing an experience of bliss, clarity
and nonthought which lasted for six months.
At another occasion, Yeshe Tsogyal commanded him to go to Lhodrak and
establish a temple there for the benefit of beings. Later Nyang Ral
Nyima Özer went to Lhodrak where innumerable disciples gradually
gathered around him. Due to the tremendous impact of the terma treasures
he revealed, Nyima Özer is considered the first of five terton
kings.
Brief:
NYANG RAL NYIMA ÖZER (nyang ral nyi ma 'od zer). (1124-1192). The
first of the Five Terton Kings and a reincarnation of King Trisong Deutsen.
Several of his revealed treasures are included in the Rinchen
Terdzo, among which the most well known is the Kagye
Deshek Dupa, a cycle of teachings focusing on the Eight
Sadhana Teachings, and the biography of Guru Rinpoche called Sanglingma,
now published as The Lotus-born. Nyang Ral means 'Braided one from Nyang,'
and Nyima Özer means 'Ray of sun light.'
For more details, see the H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche's The
Nyingma Lineage, its History and Fundamentals, Wisdom Publications.
Publications:
Dakini Teachings
Advice
from the Lotus-Born
Nyang Ral Nyima Oser (1124-1192);
short biographical notes about his life
of extracted from Jamgon Kongtrul's The Lives of 100 Tertons.
Nyang Ral is considered the first of the Five Terton Kings
prophesied by Padmasambhava. He was a reincarnation of Trisong Deutsen,
the king who initially invited Guru Rinpoche to Tibet and who was also
known as Tsangpa Lhai Metok, 'divine flower of Brahma.'
He was born in the area of Lhodrak the son of the Nyingma lama Nyangton
Chokyi Khorlo in the year of the Male Wood Dragon. At the age of eight
he had visions of Buddha Shakyamuni, Avalokiteshvara and Guru Rinpoche.
His experience blazed forth for a whole month.
One evening he saw Guru Rinpoche riding a white horse carried by the
four classes of dakinis and received the four empowerments by drinking
nectar from Guru Rinpoche's vase. Upon receiving the empowerments he
had the experience of the sky breaking open, the earth and mountains
trembling and he started to act in various strange ways to such an extent
that everyone considered that he had gone insane.
His father then gave him the empowerment of Hayagriva and after practicing
in retreat he had a vision of the deity, his phurba dagger emitted the
neigh of a horse and he left imprints of his hands and feet in solid
rock.
In accordance with a prediction from the dakinis, he went to Mawo Chogi
Draktsa where he was given the name Nyima Oser, 'Beam of Sunlight,'
by the wisdom dakinis. After this he was renowned under that name.
Guru Rinpoche appeared to Nyang Ral Nyima Oser in person and gave him
the lists of termas he was to reveal. Accordingly, he revealed many
volumes of terma teachings among which the most well known is the Kagye
Deshek Dupa, a cycle of teachings focusing on the Eight Heruka Sadhanas,
and his revealed biography of Guru Rinpoche known as Sanglingma.
He later married Jobum, an emanation of Yeshe Tsogyal, and had two sons,
Drogon Namkha O and Namkha Pal, who both became lineage holders.
During his life he maintained a balance between practicing in retreat
and teaching others. His activity stretched to the corners of the world
and had a tremendous impact on the continuation of the Dharma.
In the year of the Male Wood Mouse he passed away at the age of 69 accompanied
by many wonderful signs.
I, Jamgon Kongtrul, personally gathered all the transmissions for Nyang
Ral's terma teachings, had the wood blocks carved for the nine volumes
of Kagye Deshek Dupa and performed
its group sadhana many times. In that way I was able to offer my humble
service to these teachings.
Here is some information describing how Nyima Oser received
the actual terma from which the Dakini Teachings are taken, extracted
from his biography called The Clear Mirror which is found in
the second volume of Kagye Deshek
Dupa:
Later, when I stayed in retreat practicing guru sadhana
at the Pearl Crystal Cave of Juniper Ridge, one evening a white girl
appeared and said she was Yeshe Tsogyal. She wore a blue dress with
an apron and a shirt of white silk and said, "Yogi, what do you
want?" "I want nothing but the Dharma!" I replied. "Then
I will give you that," she said and handed me a casket with the
scriptures of prophesies of the dakinis as well as the 108 cycles of
questions and answers.
Then she said, "Son, come with me to the Sitavana charnel ground!
Acharya Padma and the eight great vidyadharas
as well as numerous other worthy yogis are holding a great Dharma assembly.
We, the dakinis, are holding a great feast gathering, so come!"
We went there and I saw the great charnel ground -- it was intimidating
and frightening and impossible to approach by unworthy people. It the
center sat a yogi with light brown skin on a huge throne made out of
precious stones. He said, "Isn't that my son, Tsangpa
Lhai Metok? Has wandering in samsara been a strain for you?"
He told me then to sit down on a heap of human bones. I sat down.
In front of him there was a big mandala adorned with numerous ornaments
encircled by a latticework of light rays. In the eight directions around
it I saw that the Eight Vidyadharas of
India and Tibet sat with smiling faces. I was overjoyed.
Then the previous girl asked me, "Son, do you want to enjoy a feast
gathering or the wheel of Dharma?" In reply I said, "Please
turn the wheel of Dharma for me." Immediately, I was given the
preliminary steps for initiation into this great mandala after which
I went to the mandala's eight directions where each of the masters conferred
upon me the extensive empowerments for each of the eight teachings and
entrusted me with the lineage.
The yogi in the center who said he was Padmakara gave me the great empowerment
of the Assemblage of the Peaceful and Wrathful
Sugatas. He also gave me the books and taught me the melodies for
the chanting.
All the vidyadharas then simultaneously gave the empowerment for learning
and retaining, the empowerment for meditating and practicing, the empowerment
for explaining and teaching, the empowerment for taming beings through
the activities, the empowerment for the all-encompassing command of
a vajra king, and the Dzogchen empowerment for the expression of awareness.
Having received all these empowerments in their entirity, I was given
a white conch and told to return home. The very moment I heard that,
the whole scenery of the charnel ground and all the masters vanished
just like vapor disappearing from a mirror. When I regained my senses,
I found that I was back in my meditation hut.
from Dakini
Teachings, Rangjung Yeshe Publications
books
for practitioners 
