Perfectly Clear Mirror

Inventory: The Perfectly Clear Mirror

From the Razor of the Innermost Essence (Yang Nying Pudri) revelation of Tertön Sogyal Lerab Lingpa

Namo Gurubhyah!

Here there are the four parts: 1) An enumeration of the sections of this teaching, 2) the time for revelation, 3) the instruction, and 4) the history of how I, Tsogyal, concealed it. Samaya!

1. An Enumeration of the Sections of this Teaching

1. Profound Empowerment (bka’ dbang zab mo)
2. Maṇḍala Ritual (dkyil ’khor gyi cho ga)
3. Descent of Blessings (byin ‘bebs)
4. Commitments (dam tshig)
5. Instruction on the View (lta ba’i khrid)
6. Practice Manual (mngon rtogs)
7. Framework of Accomplishment Practice (sgrub khog)
8. Praise (bstod pa)
9. Feast Offering Ritual (tshogs kyi cho ga)
10. Confession and Fulfilment (skong bshags)
11. Exhortation (bskul ba)
12. Casting Rite (gdab kha)
13. Averting through Torma (gtor bzlog)
14. Sorcery (zor las)
15. Fire Offering (me mchod)
16. Second fire offering
17. Kīla Guardians (phur srung)
18. Life-Force Empowerment (srog dbang)
19. Inventory (thems yig)

Together with the prophetic guide called Conjunction of the Sun and Moon, that makes twenty in all. The methods for adjusting interdependent circumstances and so on are not inventoried. Samaya!

2. The Time for Revealing this Terma

In general, when a degenerate reflection of secret mantra is practised, when monks take up arms to fight, when people from the borders approach the heartlands, when sickness spreads among human beings and livestock and there are all kinds of turbulent events, when the months and seasons are disturbed, when crops do not ripen, and when teachers and disciples, patrons and priests, kings and ministers, fathers and sons and so on, close relatives, neighbours and townsfolk deceive one another, and there is no occasion for trusting anyone at all, when Dharma practitioners are rare and their status low, and when there are many evildoers whose status is high, and when all are despondent—that is the time for revelation!

In particular, the special time is during either a male Iron Dragon or female Wood Sheep year, during the middle autumn months, on either the tenth or fifteenth day of the waxing moon, as can be understood from the prophetic guide Conjunction of the Sun and Moon. Samaya!

3. Explanation of the Instruction

The tertön who discovers this profound terma must not spoil this profound and secret teaching of the Mahāguru with his own fabrications or alterations. At first, he should practise this properly by himself, and then he should carry out all the activities for propagating it to the fortunate custodians and others, as described in the prophetic guide Conjunction of the Sun and Moon.

Moreover, at Yerpa, Sheldrak, and Chimphu, the tertön himself must practise in the proper way, spending at least three weeks in each place. Then, he should pass it on to all devoted ones and carry out the regular practices as detailed in Conjunction of the Sun and Moon prophetic guide. He must exert himself properly in regular practice, without speaking of all the signs and indications of realization even to his closest companions.

Do not boast of this practice. Never trade this in exchange for reputation or food and riches, even at the cost of your life. Guard both the Instruction on the View and the Practice Guide but teach the other sections gradually to those with faith. Should violence erupt, bringing harm to the teachings in the land of Tibet, the mantra practitioners mentioned in the uninventoried texts, including an emanation of Vairotsana, should avert them by means of this teaching. But do not use it for insignificant ends or mistake the appropriate individuals.

All merit associated with the diligent practice and propagation of this instruction should be dedicated entirely toward the spreading of the secret mantra teachings and as a cause for supreme enlightenment. Samaya!

4. The History of How I, Tsogyal, Concealed This Terma

I, the feeble-minded, concealed 101 of the Guru’s profound Kīla dharmas throughout both Tibet and Kham—65 different dharma collections and 36 marvellous treasure of his wisdom mind.[1] This is an extremely profoundly wisdom mind treasure. Since there is only one terma text and prophetic guide, the actual terma texts should be treated with extreme care.

The collection of subtle channel and wind-energy teachings for this cycle and the key for extracting the terma are at the Lion-like White Rock in the place called Yukhok, together with the means of offering to the treasure guardians, the scroll and 113 longevity pills made by Nubchen, Palwang, Palseng, Shübu and Dudjom, which are to the right at Palshö Drawa rock.

Should you wish to reveal this, take it out through the extremely secret method accompanied by a consort with all the right characteristics and of an age related to the four intermediate directions. There are no other auxiliary treasures; Conjunction of the Sun and Moon and The Uninventoried are the only magical treasures (‘phrul gter). Samaya!

This inventory for the Razor of the Innermost Essence entitled The Perfectly Clear Mirror, was written by me, the feeble-minded Tsogyal, according to the Guru’s command, and hidden as a terma for the sake of future generations. May fortunate ones meet with it! Guhya.

Lerab Lingpa, who has the name of a tertön, decoded this from the yellow scroll that was given by the terma guardian directly to the great incarnate tertön Pema Garwang Trinlé Droddul Tsal.[2] The scribe was Losal Sangak Tendzin. May virtue and goodness abound!

| Translated by Adam Pearcey, 2019.

Bibliography

Tibetan Edition

Las rab gling pa. "phur pa yang snying spu gri las:_thems yig rab gsal me long :" In las rab gling pa'i gter chos/. BDRC W21810. Bylakuppe: Pema Norbu Rinpoche, 1985-. Vol. 14: 1–7.

Version: 1.3-20240105