Tara
Tara was recorded in the history before around 5th or 6th century in India. She is supposed to be evolved from an early Brahminical goddess Durga. Durga is a warrior-goddess and she was there in Mahaharata ad she rescues people from difficult passage.
There are 21 Taras and all of them have different methods of teaching and they all are divided into four different colors; red, white, black and yellow. The main figure is Green Tara. Green Tara figure is known to be one of the most popular female deity in Tantric Buddhism and she is known throughout east Asia. She is the female counterpart of Bodhisattvas Avalokitesvara. Tara which means star and in Tibetan, Tara is known as “Dolma (Sgrol-ma)” meaning “she who saves.”
Tara’s name is said to derived from the meaning “to cross” or “to transverse.” Another meaning of Tara is “the pupil of the eye” which is important to those who are asking guidance from her and lead towards the right direction. She also guards against the eight great terrors of lions, elephants, fire, snakes, robbers, imprisonment, shipwreck or drowning, and mad eating demons.
Her body posture is in the process of stepping from her lotus throne to help sentient beings because she is the goddess of compassion. She is an advanced bodhisattve in that she is actually a Buddha.
The Green Tara is represented as beautiful, 15-year-old women, with silks and jewels: a highly attractive figure. The color of her skin is green which clashes with her being attractive appearance. Tara is said to be consort of Amoghsiddhi’s spiritual consort who is green himself. Both are in the five Buddha Madala, element of Air, which is associated with that color.
Tara holds a blue lotus, in her right hand and her hand is in vitarka mudra or the teaching mudra. The blue lotus known as utpala is a night-blooming flower, and which signifies that Tara protects her devotees during the time of the greatest fear, in the darkness or in the darkness of ignorance, the lotus lower is associated with being pure and thrived from dirt. Lotus flower is seen as an awakening of wisdom without getting impure in the world filled with dirt. The importance of lotus flower and its connection to Buddhism as a sign of enlightenment.
When I was doing retreat in the Buddhist center, I was to visualize a lotus bud arising from water. The lotus became part of the meditation and a part of myself. They are part of our culture. Coming from a Bhutan, we believe in mythical stories. I feel like it was very easy for me as a child to visualize rather than putting them into words because there was no need to explain anyone. I grew up surrounded with people who knew similar things.
like the lotus I also visualize Tara while chanting her mantra, “om tae tuttare ture svaha.” It’s bringing my culture and traditional from back home. Tara isn’t just a figure who is on the Thangkha or a statue sitting. She is truly believed to exist from real in the minds of their practitioner. The lotus she is holding and her hand mudra, tells us that it is possible to be like her and one can attain enlightenment in this life time. It gives a sense of balance to her followers and equanimity. I as a women look up to her because she is also a female and as a Buddhist she encourages me o follower my path.
