White Tara. How To Call In The Strengths Of This Archetypal Power And Deity

White Tara

Tara’s name means One Who Saves. Her compassion for living beings and her desire to save them from suffering is said to be stronger than a mother’s love for her children. Tara is the Bodhisattva who represents the miraculous activity of all the

Buddhas of the past, present, and future. Avalokiteshvara, the Lord of the World, was looking down from his heaven on the world of suffering beings, and he wept to see that more and more of them were in pain no matter how many he delivered. From the tears streaming down his face two Taras were born, a peaceful white one from the left and a fierce green one from the right.

As the quintessence of the miraculous activities of all Buddhas, they gave him courage not to give up striving in his impossible task. Tara is the female companion to Avalokiteshvara, “Mother of Buddhas of all three times,” (as expressed in the Tara Tantra) and the compassionate savior of all beings. Tara overcomes unharmonious conditions and destroys external threats and obstructions. She is the ultimate reality, the true body of the Buddhas. She is the immovable source from which the miraculous saving activities emerge. Tara shakes the three worlds, dispels the effects of poison, eliminates conflicts and nightmares, cures diseases, and overcomes ghosts and demons.

Tara is the savior from the eight dangers. Just by being called to help, she instantaneously saves the faithful from attacks by: 1) lions and pride; 2) wild elephants and delusions; 3) forest fires and hatred; 4) snakes and envy; 5) robbers and fanatical views; 6) prisons and avarice; 7) floods and lust; and 8) demons and doubts. Her left hand is raised with extended three fingers upward, in the gesture of granting refuge in the Three Jewels of Buddhism — the Buddha (Teacher), the Dharma (Teaching), and the sangha (Community). Hindu legends tell of Tara’s abduction by Soma, the moon-god. A war was fought for her recovery, and after her return she gave birth to Soma’s child. Tara means “star” in the Hindu language.

Thirteen hundred years ago, Songtsen Gambo, powerful king of the area now known as Tibet, fell into a dilemma rather typical of his times. He had succeeded, through force and intrigue, in securing for himself the entire plateau between the Chinese empire and the vast Himalayan chain that formed the ambiguous northern border of Nepal. He was king of all he surveyed for the moment, but alliances changed quickly in those days.

Not wishing to be swallowed up by the larger kingdoms around him, Songtsen Gambo devised a strategic tribute. He demanded one princess from each of two neighboring realms, to serve as his wives. Having such “hostage” brides from Nepal and China in his court wouldn’t permanently forestall hostilities, but they were unlikely to be a concern during his own lifetime.

Songtsen Gambo was clever; the Nepalis and Chinese even more so. Well aware of the persuasive powers of their women, each ruler sent over a princess of extraordinary beauty. Both were thoroughly schooled in the sexual secrets of Tantra (a religious sect specializing in the control of human sexuality to achieve spiritual enlightenent), as well as in the more esoteric delights of Buddhism. Between the two of them, the mighty Songtsen Gambo was converted to Buddhism in a very short time – and the Taras were justly rewarded by being reincarnated as bodhisattvas of compassion. The princess Bhrkuti from the verdant Kathmandu Valley came to be known as the “green” Tara. Her colleague from the north, Tang princess Wen Cheng, was the “white.”

The being Tara has been worshipped throughout the Buddhist world. Not only in Tibet, but also in traditional India, China, Japan, everywhere. Wherever Buddhism has traveled – whether as sutrayana alone or in combination with tantra – Tara has been worshipped. Even today in India we find the physical shape of Tara carved in stone or wood everywhere. She has become so popular that antiques-dealers throughout the world have those female figures. She may have a slightly different posture here and there, but that indicates she has been popular.

Popular means commonly accepted. ‘Commonly accepted’ gives you one more criterion, because when a lot of people accept it, it cannot be wrong. It cannot be that everybody is wrong. In Tibet she is called Drölma, in China Kuan Yin or Kuan Shi Yin. In the Chinese tradition Avalokiteshvara and Tara are combined together and have become a female figure. In the Tibetan tradition and in the Sanskrit tradition in India Avalokiteshvara is seen as a male figure and Tara as a female figure [both being the embodiment of the compassionate activities of all buddhas]. In Mongolia and the areas around half the Tibetan and half the Chinese way is followed; depending on whether it is outer or Inner Mongolia. The Japanese tradition calls her Kannon.

The Canon-company is named after Tara. They once invited the Dalai Lama to Japan and took him to their treasury house. The Japanese have so many strict rules! When they invited the Dalai Lama to the treasury house on the way a number of vice-presidents had to be dropped at the different doors. True! At each door the Japanese dropped a vice-president and they told the Tibetans that one of them must stay behind too. It is said that when they were inside, the only people that remained among the Japanese were the president and his executive director, and among the Tibetans His Holiness and his brother. Then they opened this huge safe and what was inside was an image of the secret Avalokiteshvara, red, with consort. And they said, ‘This is Kannon!’ So even in Japan she is very popular. All the Canon cameras throughout the world are named after her.

Whether or not there is a division between the male, Avalokiteshvara, and the female, Tara, I think is cultural. One thing about Buddhism is that it is always adaptable to the different cultures.

Where does this Tara come from? What is she? How does she function? There are a number of different stories by different masters but the most reliable and commonly accepted source is The origin of the Tara tantra written by Taranatha. That says: At first Avalokiteshvara was very active and busy helping beings.

He got almost overwhelmed, worried to the extend of shedding tears. So he said, ‘I need help’. It is said in a Hindu-Buddhist mythological story that Avalokiteshvara seeking help and crying, pinched a tear out and threw it away and suddenly Tara appeared out of the tear-drop and said, ‘I am here to help you’. It is a long story, but that is what it boils down to.

It is also told that Tara is a human being like we are, who has committed:
to help other beings,
to help through the physical form of a female,
to remain a female throughout.

Why did she choose to remain female? Because of the importance of the feminine energy and because a lot of cultures treat females as inferior, as being of lower quality. That is true throughout the world, like it was true here in the West in the medieval period.

I remember, the first year I came here late Hélène van Hoorn took me sightseeing in Holland and we visited a place where they used to weigh females and give you a certificate ascertaining that you had a certain weight, thus stating you were not a witch. That was done in your own country, just a couple of miles from here and a couple of centuries ago. It is like that in the east, in India, in China, in Tibet, everywhere. Somehow the world-culture in a certain period decided that the female body was inferior.

Whatever the reason may be, culture or not, it is there. That is why Tara made the decision that she would like to remain a female and function as an enlightened being in female form. Maybe Tara was the first feminist.

So Tara is very special and particularly very effective. It does not take millions of years to have effect.

The second verse of The praise in twenty-one homages, a praise to Tara, you find, ‘Homage! Tara, swift, heroic! With regard like instant lightning!’ That is her quality of quickness, it does not need a million years to be effective. Therefore it is very special that we can work through Tara.

There are different physical appearances of Tara; some are green, some are white, some are yellow, some are red and they carry different implements. These are what we call manifestations of Tara. One of the twenty-one manifestations of Tara is called ‘Swift One’. That does not mean she is the only manifestation that is swift, it means that each manifestation of Tara manifests a different quality.

These different manifestations, Wrathful Tara, Powerful Tara, Peaceful Tara, etc, are all one Tara with different qualities and a different effect on the individual practitioner. This is why these manifestations are there. Red Tara, White Tara and Green Tara and so on are not separate personalities, but at the same time they are not the same personality either. It is the same Tara, but different aspects of her quality have taken different physical forms. We call these nirmanakayas, meaning manifestations and remanifestations and re-remanifestations.

The word manifestation gives you the meaning and message of oneness as well as separateness. Take for example the big rivers. You have big rivers here, right? At some places they go together and at some places they are separate. When you look at them from a certain place you can say there are two different rivers – e.g. the Maas and the Waal – but in some areas you cannot say that this is the Maas and this is the Waal, because there they are going together. When two rivers join, like Maas and Waal join at Maasbommel, then from the point of view of the water you cannot really say: this is water of the Maas and this is water of the Waal; only when they separate you can identify them separately and they will function separately. This is a rough example, but it gives you an idea of a base and its manifestations.

White Tara is an emanation of Tara who is connected with longevity. One calls on her for health, strength, and longevity.

Her white colour indicates purity, but also indicates that she is Truth complete and undifferentiated.

She wears the Bodhisattva ornaments.

She has seven eyes: the two usual eyes, plus an eye in the centre of her forehead and eyes in her hands and feet. These indicate that she sees all suffering and all cries for help, even in the human world, even in the worlds of pain, using both ordinary and psychic or extraordinary means of perception. She carries day lotuses.

White Tara is also known as Samaya Tara, meaning Vow Tara. This refers to Tara’s vow to save all beings and also to our vow, which is a Bodhisattva vow like Tara’s.

Whereas the Green Tara is a young girl and has a mischievous or playful nature, the White Tara is represented as a mature woman, full-breasted and wise.

Some practitioners comment that the energy of the two main Taras feels a little different. Green Tara is very immediate and quick. One calls to her for immediate assistance, and also often for help with worldly things like lover, wealth and so on, as well as spiritual things. She feels very close.

White Tara seems to help more with longer-term problems, particularly problems of physical or mental health. It sometimes seems as if she is more distant, harder to contact at first. Then it is as if she sends us healing energies and mystical power and understandings.

Often one sees, in pictures of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Tib: Chenrezig), the two Taras in front of him – the White Tara to his right, and the Green to his left.

Similarly, Padmasambhava (Tib: Guru Rinpoche) is depicted with two of his consorts. The Indian princess Mandarava, with whom he accomplished; the Rainbow Body practice, is identified with White Tara. The Tibetan princess Yeshes Tsogyal, his consort and a source of many important lineage teachings (for example the Kandro Nyin-thig), is identified with the Green Tara.

White Tara is Buddha family (some also consider her to be partly in Lotus family), whereas Green Tara is in the Action family and is the consort of Amorgasiddhi, the Buddha of that family. The practices of both are very important: White Tara is especially important in the Sakya teachings.

White Tara has her own mantra. It is: OM TARE TUTARE TURE MAMA AYURPUNYE JNANA PUTIN KURU SVAHA.

White Tara Sadhana
Venerable Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, Translated by Barry Clarke
The brimming nectar of immortality borne on the continuum of Wish-Fulfilling Wheel Holy White Tara. Refuge and Generating Bodhicitta (three times)

I take refuge until I am enlightened in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. By the positive potential I create by practicing generosity and the other far-reaching attitudes, may I attain Buddhahood in order to benefit all sentient beings.

The Four Immeasurable Thoughts
May all sentient beings have happiness and its causes,
May all sentient beings be free from suffering and its causes.
May all sentient beings never be separated from sorrowless bliss.
May all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free of bias, attachment and anger.

The Seven Limbs
Reverently I prostrate with my body speech and mind,
And present clouds of every type of offering, actual and mentally-transformed
I declare all my negative actions accumulated since beginningless time
And rejoice in the virtues of all holy and ordinary beings.
Please remain until cyclic existence ends
And turn the wheel ofDharma for sentient beings
I dedicate all the virtues of myself and others to the great enlightenment.

Outer Mandala
This ground, anointed with perfume, flowers strewn,
Mount Meru, four lands, sun and moon,
Imagined as a Buddha land and offered to you
May all beings enjoy this pure land.

Inner Mandala
The objects of attachment, aversion and ignorance – friends, enemies and strangers, my body, wealth and enjoyments – I offer these without any sense of loss. Please accept them with pleasure and inspire me and others to be free from the three poisonous attitudes.

idam guru ratna mandala kam nirya tayami
(I send forth this jewelled mandala to you, precious gurus)

Emptiness meditation
om sobhawa shuddha sarva dharma sobhawa shuddho ham
(I am the embodiment of the purity of all subjective and objective phenomena.)

From the sphere of emptiness appears a white lotus and on it a moon disc. On that appears my own mind in the form of a white syllable tam which transforms into an utpala flower marked by tam. This transforms into the self-generated, life-granting Arya Tara with one face and two arms. Her right hand holds a utpala flower. In youthful aspect, she is adorned with all the major and minor marks of a tathagata and is endowed with seven eyes.

Screened by a full moon behind her, her three places are marked by three syllables om ah hum. From the seed syllable at her heart, light is emitted, inviting the wisdom beings and initiating deities.

The wisdom beings merge inseparably with me; Tara, and the initiating deities confer empowerment. By the overflow of nectar, my crown is adorned with Amitayus. From the tam at my heart light is emitted, activating the infinite nectar of longevity from beyond cyclic existence and dissolving back into my heart.

Mantra Recitation and Visualization
From the red hri at Amitayus’ heart, rays of red light shine out into the ten directions, hooking back the essence of long life from all samsaric and non-samsaric beings and from the four elements and also hooking back all the life previously stolen by black magic and so forth. All this is drawn into the nectar in the long life vase in Amitayus’ lap. The nectar increases endlessly and overflows into my crown and completely fills my body

At my heart, in the tigle on the white tam, sits my own guru (or anyone whose long life you want to pray for). Surrounding him on a moon disc, are all sentient beings: enemies, friends and strangers. Surrounding them, on the edge on the moon disc, are the letters of the mantra:

om tare tuttare ture mama ayur punye jnyana

pushtim kuru ye soha

The nectar flowing through my body completely elminates from my guru (or for whomever you are doing this practice) all hindrances to his/her long life, (which are in fact my own karmic vision*). The nectar also purifies the hindrances to life and the black karmic vision of all sentient beings. At the same time, light from the letters of the mantra fills my own Tara body and the bodies of all the sentient beings at my heart, especially of those practicing virtue in the three worlds

*This applies only to the appearance of sickness in regards to the guru.

While doing this visualization, repeat the mantra

21 times: om tare tuttare ture mama ayur punye jnyana pushtim kuru ye soha

Then as often as you like: om tare tuttare ture soha

Think strongly: the hindrances that cause my guru to appear sick or that prevent his holy wishes from being fulfilled are all purified. All sentient beings are purified, and all human beings who are accumulating virtue by just even taking refuge or by repeating om mani padme hum achieve long life.

Upon seeing the signs of untimely death instantaneously, by clearly beholding the holy body of the Wish-Fulfilling Wheel Tara, may I intrepidly conquer the lord of death and swiftly attain the rank of an immortal master of knowledge.

Dedication of Positive Potential

Due to this merit may I soon
Attain the enlightened state of Arya Tara
That I may be able to liberate
All sentient beings from their suffering.
May the precious bodhi mind
Not yet born arise and grow;
May that born have no decline,
But increase forever more.

 

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