n this way the primordial Buddha took on twelve forms in order to transmit the teachings in accordance with the infinite conditions and capacities of beings.

Twelve Primordial Teachers (Tonpa Chuni)
In this way the primordial Buddha took on twelve forms in order to transmit the teachings in accordance with the infinite conditions and capacities of beings.
The traditional texts assert that the promulgation of the Dzogchen teachings is not limited to the human world. For example, the tantra The All-suprasing Sound ( sGra thal ' gyur ) explains that it is found in no less then thirteen solar systems ( thal ba ) as well as our own, and describes minutely, albeit cryptically, the location of these words and the characteristics of the beings that inhabit them. Much better known, on the other hand, is the tradition that states that Garab Dorje was preceded by twelwe teachers ( ston pa bcu gnyis ), described in the texts as nirmanakkaya manifestations of the primordil Buddha Vajradhar. They lived in different times nd places, from the remote epoch when the average life span was incalculable (a kind of mythical golden age) until the appearance of Sakyamuni Buddha in our Kali Yuga. Although they probably derive from a single ancient tradition, at times the lists of teachings transmitted by the twelve teachers do not concur. Moreover, some sources contain interesting details not found in others.
Chofyal Namkhai Norbu, Adriano Clemente
The Fundamental Tantra of the Dzogchen Semde Kunjed Gyalpo.