Green Tara profile picture

Green Tara

~om tare tuttare ture soha~

About Me


I am a goddess, female archetype, and the feminine principle within our universe. I can be found as both a Buddhist deity and a Hindu Mahavidya (devi).
This page is dedicted to my Buddhist form as a bodhisattva, a saviouress, and as a focus for tantric deity yoga:
I was born from a tear of Avalokitesvara; I vowed to be reborn in a woman's body until all sentient beings achieve enlightenment; I am the female aspect of the universe, which gives birth to warmth, compassion and relief from bad karma as experienced by ordinary beings in cyclic existence.
I am the Mother Buddha, goddess of Tibet, Arya Tara and Jetsum Dolma; I incarnate 21 different forms, this page is devoted mostly to my "Green" form. My forms are:
• Green Tara, known as the Buddha of enlightened activity
• White Tara, also known for compassion, long life, healing and serenity; also known as The Wish-fulfilling Wheel, or Cintachakra
• Red Tara, of fierce aspect associated with magnetizing all good things
• Black Tara, associated with power
• Yellow Tara, associated with wealth and prosperity
• Blue Tara, associated with transmutation of anger
• Cittamani Tara, a form of Tara widely practiced at the level of Highest Yoga Tantra in the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism, portrayed as green and often conflated with Green Tara
• Khadiravani Tara (Tara of the teak forest), who appeared to Nagarjuna in the Khadiravani forest of South India and who is sometimes referred to as the "22nd Tara."
The Bodhisattva Vow from Martin Wilson's book:

Here there is no man, there is no woman,
No self, no person, and no consciousness.
Labelling 'male' or 'female' has no essence,
But deceives the evil-minded world.
And she {Tara} made the following vow:
"There are many who desire Enlightenment in a man's body, but none who work for the benefit of sentient beings in the body of a woman. Therefore, until samsara is empty, I shall work for the benefit of sentient beings in a woman's body!"
OM to the transcendent subduer, Arya Tara, I prostrate.
Homage to the glorious one who frees with TARE;
With TUTTARA you calm all fears;
You bestow all success with TURE;
To the sound SOHA I pay great homage.
OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA
OM represents Tara's sacred body, speech and mind.
TARE means liberating from all discontent.
TUTTARE means liberating from the eight fears, the external dangers, but mainly from the internal dangers, the delusions.
TURE means liberating from duality; it shows the true cessation of confusion.
SOHA means "may the meaning of the mantra take root in my mind."
The central syllable TAM is the seed or source of the rest of the mantra.

My Interests

meditating, saving sentient beings, promoting spiritual enlightenment in the feminine principle

I'd like to meet:

all sentient beings in need of enlightenment and liberation from samsara

Links of Interest:

Wikipedia's Tara entry
The 21 forms of Tara
HimalayanArt.com - Tara Art & Sculpture
Tara Deity Practice Notes - Meditational Aids
Green Tara and White Tara - Feminist Ideals in Buddhist Art
Tara - Her origins & development
Tara - female buddha practice
The Arya-Tara Page
Tara Tantra - The Origin of all Rites
Tara Dhatu & Dharma Dance Organization
Female Buddhas&Boddhisattvas of Tibetan Buddhism
Goddess Tara Resources
Introduction to Kwan Yin - Chinese Counterpart to Goddess Tara
Tararahasya - Hindu Tara Concepts
The Tara Japanese Bosanu - Bodhisattva Tarani
Zen, Women and Buddhism - Study of Bhiksunas and Zen Nuns
Women in Buddhism - Buddhanet Resource
The Place of Women in Buddhism - Historical Contexts
Buddhanet.net - Buddha Dharma Education Association
Woman Wisdom
Awakened Woman
Goddess Spiritualiy Links
Goddess / Divine Mother List
Feminist Spirituality
Women Religion & Spirituality Links
Sakyadhita - Intl Assoc of Buddhist Women
Women Active in Buddhism
Ladakh Nuns Association - Tibetan Buddhism
Dutch Foundation for Ladahki Nuns
Feminism and Alternative Religions
Feminism and Buddhism
Eco-Feminism & Spirituality
Eco-Feminism & environmental principles of Buddhism

Music:

Tara Mantras by Jamyang Sakya (Audio CD)

Om Tara: Mantras from Tibet by Sarva-Antah (Audio CD)

Television:



Books:

"In Praise of Tara" by Martin Wilson

"Tara The Feminine Divine" by Bokar Rinpoche

"The Cult of Tara: Magic and Ritual in Tibet" by Stephan Beyer

"How to Free Your Mind: Tara the Liberator" by Thubten Chodron

"The Wish-fulfilling Wheel: The Practice Of White Tara" by Khenpo Karthar

"Dakini's Warm Breath: The Feminine Principle in Tibetan Buddhism" by Judith Simmer-Brown

"The Origin of Tara Tantra" by Jonang Taranatha

Heroes:

All compassionate beings working toward an enlightened and peaceful world.

My Blog

Tibetan Homage to Tara

I bow to the Body of Tara who saves from the eight fears. I bow to the Body of Tara of infinite fame. I bow to the Body of Tara, the world's benefactor. I bow to the Body of Tara, sure curer of sorrow...
Posted by Green Tara on Tue, 27 Mar 2007 01:44:00 PST

Tara's Vow

Long ago in an age before which there was nothing else, the Victorious One, the Tathagata Dundubhisvara came into existence and was known as the Light of the Various Worlds. The Princess "Moon of Wisd...
Posted by Green Tara on Tue, 27 Mar 2007 01:42:00 PST

Prayer to Arya Tara

Due to this merit may I soonAttain the state of Arya TaraThat I may be able to liberateAll sentient beings from their suffering.By whatever virtue I have collectedFrom venerating these subduing blesse...
Posted by Green Tara on Sat, 24 Mar 2007 09:14:00 PST

Requesting Tara Prayer

Requesting Prayer O compassionate and venerable subduing goddessMay the infinite beings, including myself,Soon purify the two obscurations and complete both collectionsSo that we may gain full enlight...
Posted by Green Tara on Mon, 23 Apr 2007 08:44:00 PST

Tara Sadhana & Visualization Practice

VisualizationYou are in your ordinary form. At your heart appears a white AH made of light. This transforms into a white moon disc. At its center appears a green syllable TAM, the essence of Tara's bl...
Posted by Green Tara on Mon, 23 Apr 2007 08:40:00 PST

Homage to the Twenty-one Taras

Homage to the Twenty-one TarasOM I prostrate to the noble transcendent liberator. 1. Homage to Tara swift and fearlessWith eyes like a flash of lightningLotus-born in an ocean of tearsOf Chenresig, th...
Posted by Green Tara on Sat, 24 Mar 2007 09:11:00 PST