The Twelve Precious Stanzas (g.yung drung tshig rkang bcu gnyis) constitute a vital and foundational scripture of the Zhang Zhung Oral Transmission (zhang zhung snyan brgyud), the Great Perfection (dzogchen; mah sandhi) tradition of Bon. These are also known by the alternative title, the Twelve Small Tantras (rgyud phran bcu gnyis).
This text provides a concise overview of the entire framework of Great Perfection view, meditation, and conduct. As noted by the Dzogchen master Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, it is an authentic and authoritative work with a reliable history, structured in the form of a dialogue of questions and answers, similar to other sutras.
A direct translation of the root text is provided here, along with a highly accessible commentary written by Geshe Drangsong Namgyal. For those engaging in concise practice, reading this before studying more extensive commentaries will be of significant benefit.