The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2474 page)
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Teresa of Avila
(1515–82).
Spanish
Carmelite
nun and mystic, canonized in 1622 and made a Doctor of the Church in 1970. She entered the Carmelite convent of the Incarnation at Avila in 1535. After years of a fairly lax discipline, she was drawn to a stricter life, encouraged by her extraordinary mystical experiences. In 1562 she founded the convent of St Joseph at Avila, the first of the houses of the Carmelite Reform (called ‘discalced’, i.e. without shoes). Her reform met with much opposition but she found support from, amongst others,
St John
of the Cross. Alongside her reform, she wrote for her nuns several books on the spiritual life, especially her
Autobiography
, the
Way of Perfection
, and the
Interior Castle
.
Spanish
Carmelite
nun and mystic, canonized in 1622 and made a Doctor of the Church in 1970. She entered the Carmelite convent of the Incarnation at Avila in 1535. After years of a fairly lax discipline, she was drawn to a stricter life, encouraged by her extraordinary mystical experiences. In 1562 she founded the convent of St Joseph at Avila, the first of the houses of the Carmelite Reform (called ‘discalced’, i.e. without shoes). Her reform met with much opposition but she found support from, amongst others,
St John
of the Cross. Alongside her reform, she wrote for her nuns several books on the spiritual life, especially her
Autobiography
, the
Way of Perfection
, and the
Interior Castle
.
Teresa of Lisieux
(1873–97).
Carmelite
nun. Born into a devout middle-class family she entered the Carmel at Lisieux when only 15. Within ten years she had died of tuberculosis. Under obedience she wrote her autobiography, and fame came to Teresa through the decision of the prioress (her sister) to publish an edited version of it. She was canonized in 1925. But Teresa's real importance lies less in the ‘saint’ propagated by her convent, than in the extraordinarily honest following of Christ in little things—the ‘little way’—revealed more clearly in the original form of her writings published in recent times.
Carmelite
nun. Born into a devout middle-class family she entered the Carmel at Lisieux when only 15. Within ten years she had died of tuberculosis. Under obedience she wrote her autobiography, and fame came to Teresa through the decision of the prioress (her sister) to publish an edited version of it. She was canonized in 1925. But Teresa's real importance lies less in the ‘saint’ propagated by her convent, than in the extraordinarily honest following of Christ in little things—the ‘little way’—revealed more clearly in the original form of her writings published in recent times.
Terma
(Tib.,
gter.ma
, ‘Treasure’). A class of texts in Tibetan Buddhism, of which the
Tibetan
Book of the Dead
is an example, which were concealed rather than revealed upon their creation, thus requiring a discoverer (
terton
or
gter.-ston
, ‘treasure-finder’) at a later date. The practice of burying texts was initiated during the first diffusion of Buddhism in Tibet by
Padmasambhava
, who saw that the country was not then ready for his more advanced teachings. The first terma discoverer was the
Nyingma
Sangye Lama (
c.
1000–80 CE), and although the practice has spread to other schools it has remained a predominantly
Nyingma
activity.
gter.ma
, ‘Treasure’). A class of texts in Tibetan Buddhism, of which the
Tibetan
Book of the Dead
is an example, which were concealed rather than revealed upon their creation, thus requiring a discoverer (
terton
or
gter.-ston
, ‘treasure-finder’) at a later date. The practice of burying texts was initiated during the first diffusion of Buddhism in Tibet by
Padmasambhava
, who saw that the country was not then ready for his more advanced teachings. The first terma discoverer was the
Nyingma
Sangye Lama (
c.
1000–80 CE), and although the practice has spread to other schools it has remained a predominantly
Nyingma
activity.
Terracotta Warriors
(Chinese tomb figures):
(Chinese tomb figures):
Tertiaries
(lay Christians living under a rule associated with a religious order):
(lay Christians living under a rule associated with a religious order):
Terton
(discoverer of text):
(discoverer of text):
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