Five certainties

The five certainties (Skt. pañcaniyata; Tib. ངེས་པ་ལྔ་, ngepa nga, Wyl. nges pa lnga) or perfections (ཕུན་སུམ་ཚོགས་པ་ལྔ་, pünsum tsokpa nga, phun sum tshogs pa lnga) are:

1. the certain or perfect teacher,
2. the certain or perfect teaching,
3. the certain or perfect place,
4. the certain or perfect disciples and
5. the certain or perfect time.

Alternative Translations

• Fivefold certainty (Richard Barron (Chokyi Nyima))
• Five fully endowed circumstances (Christina Monson)

Further Reading

• Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang, A Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher, translated by Padmakara Translation Group (Boston & London: Shambhala, 2004), pages 32-34.
• Patrul Rinpoche, The Words of My Perfect Teacher (Boston: Shambhala, Revised edition, 1998), pages 9-10.
• Thinley Norbu, The Small Golden Key (Shambhala Publications, 1999), pages 70-72.