Tara (2)

Tara (2)

Queen of Compassion; Mother of All Buddhas; The One Who Saves

ALSO KNOWN AS:

Dolma; Drolma; Do’ma

CLASSIFICATION:

Buddha; Bodhisattva; Yidam

Tara is a Buddha, Bodhisattva, and Tibet’s preeminent goddess. She is the most beloved member of the Tibetan pantheon, the miraculous savior who rescues from suffering. Call on Tara when you need assistance right now! She is the goddess of immediate assistance. Tara vows to carry devotees safely across the oceans of danger.

Tara protects against wind, water, fire, snakes, elephants, vicious spirits, thieves, imprisonment, and the power of kings.

Tara eliminates dangers and disturbance caused by ghosts and spirits, but she doesn’t just banish them. She brings the ghosts and spirits to enlightenment so that they become protectors. They will not be back to bother you because Tara transforms them into benevolent beings. Tara is a Buddha, a fully realized being who vowed to return to Earth continuously in the form of a female Bodhisattva. Her name derives from a Sanskrit root word meaning “to traverse” or “to cross over.” Tara helps devotees cross over to immortality and enlightenment. Tara is also related to root words for “star” and “pupil of the eye.”

According to legend, the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara gazing down from Heaven was overwhelmed by the endless human suffering he witnessed. No matter how many people he saved, there were still more. Overwhelmed, in despair, two tears streamed down his face and transformed into two paths of Tara. The two Taras bolstered his courage, soothed his despair, and encouraged him not to give up but to persist.

• The peaceful white tear from Avalokitesvara’s left eye is White Tara.

• The fierce green tear from Avalokiteshvara’s right eye is Green Tara.

Green and White Tara are Avalokitesvara’s companions. The two devout Buddhist wives of Songtsen Gampo (died 649), the Tibetan king who first brought the Dharma to Tibet, are considered avatars of Tara:

• Green Tara is incarnate in Nepalese Princess Brikuti.

• White Tara is incarnate in Chinese Princess Wen-Ch’eng.

Tara brings devotees to spiritual enlightenment. In addition to protecting from danger, she heals all illnesses and provides fertility to those who wish to conceive.

Sacred images of Tara are known to spontaneously appear on bone, stone, and wood.

MANIFESTATION:

Tara has an unlimited number of forms. She appeared to the thirteenth-century Tibetan Buddhist sage Gotsangpa near the top of the Drolma-La Pass in the form of twenty-one wolves whose paw prints are still visible in the stone.

ICONOGRAPHY:

Tara’s image is found in virtually every temple and monastery in Buddhist Central Asia. She is a favourite subject of Tibetan Thangka paintings. Different goals are accomplished by meditating on Tara’s various forms. (See below.)

Sacred site:

Drolma-La Pass

Mantra: This is Tara’s basic root mantra: OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SVOHA! (Pronounced: OM TA-RAY TOO TA-RAY TOO-RAY SO-HA!) It allegedly promotes longevity, provides healing and removes obstacles from your path.

OFFERINGS:

Feed animals, birds, and needy people, especially children (food for people should include fun stuff as well as nutritious: things like chocolate or candy to give joy and pleasure as well as sustenance.)

SEE ALSO:

Avalokitesvara; Bodhisattva; Bragsrin-mo; Buddha; Khadiravani; Tara (1) and the Glossary entries for Avatar and Mantra

There are various forms of Tara, each associated with a different color. Officially these are considered different aspects or paths of one Tara, but in terms of folk religion they may be considered distinct spirits. In some cases (Blue or Red Tara, for instance) these spirits were originally independent goddesses who are now-identified with Tara. The most popular forms of Tara are Green Tara and White Tara. (

SEE ALSO:

Glossary entries for Identification and Path.)

SOURCE:

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses – Written by : Judika Illes Copyright © 2009 by Judika Illes.