Today as yesterday: a spiritual advice for the degenerate age

This contribution is centred upon a bon-po textual source contained in the Giu seppe Tucci Tibetan Fund Collection preserved at the Central National Library in Rome, namely, Text 19 of the Volume numbered 514. It is a very short text, two folios in all, entitled mKha’ ’gro’i lung bstan (The Ḍākinī’s Revelation). It is written in cursive script and endowed with numerous contracted words. We can infer from its title and from its content that it represents a prophecy or rev elation (lung bstan) bestowed by a female enlightened being protectress of the Doctrine (Tib. mKha’ ’gro ma, Skrt. Ḍākinī) to a master who experiences a vision while meditating in a secluded hermitage. The Ḍākinī depicts, in uncompromising terms, the state of af fairs in which religious and worldly communities find themselves at the time. After warn ing the master of the inevitably dire consequences that the degenerate period yields for all, the Ḍākinī provides specific indications as to the correct way to preserve the Teach ings, not only to protect the latter but also for the spiritual survival of those who care. The revelation/prophecy has the effect of engendering a state of sudden and spontaneous epiphany in the recipient, culminating in his ‘unification’ with the En lightened State, which is then described in poetical and mystical terms. The Ḍākinī’s Revelation will be analysed in order to identify and highlight its eschatological and soteriological features. Emic and comparative reflections will be proposed as a complement to the research motifs of the Project.