WHITE TARA : THE DIVINE MOTHER
"Upon the orb of a moon in the center of the anthers of a soft and tender lotus, its petals full blown, the body of the goddess, sensuous, ravishing, mother of all the Conquerors: there I direct my prayers." So wrote the Fifth Dalai Lama in praise of the goddess Tara, described in her liturgies as the "mother of all Buddhas." Originating in Indian cults of Shakti worship, Tara was assimilated into the Tibetan tradition where, through multiple emanations, she functions as saviors and supreme protectors. In her white form, Tara confers longevity and fulfills earthly desires through the activities of pacifying, increasing, and subjugating. In her left hand she holds a lotus, a symbol of the mind's innate purity. Her right hand is stretched outward in a gesture of bestowing boons. On both palms, as well as on the soles of her feet, are eyes of transcendent wisdom, symbolizing that all her activities are conducted with omniscient awareness. An inverted eye on her forehead similarly indicates her enlightened vision.
The initiatory rites of White Tara are said to prolong the recipient's life, removing "diseases, sins, obscurations, and untimely death." Reciting the sadhana, the practitioner invokes the qualities of the goddess within his own being: "Holy blessed Tara ... May we all quickly attain the fruit of great enlightenment; may the sufferings of all beings, infinite as space, quickly be exhausted; may we attain the unobstructed strength to save the unsaved, rescue the un rescued, banish the sights of the careworn, and place all beings in the stage of Nirvana.... May the holy Tara ever protect us un weakened and unerring through all our future lives!" Unlike goddess associated with fertility, Tara is approached primarily as a protector and preserver of life. Twenty - one emanations surround the central figure, responding in varying ways to the needs of sentient beings. In the sky above, a dragon emerges from the clouds clutching a whish - fulfilling gem. In the Buddhist tradition, this pearl without price symbolizes the wisdom of selflessness, of great compassion, - "the one force benefits both self and others." A Buddhist stupa modeled on Swayambhunath emerges from cloud banks at the top of the scroll, clearly indicating the painting's provenance in the Kathmandu valley of Nepal .
The qualities of White Tara are ultimately inseparable from our own. Her loving kindness reflects an innate altruism that arises spontaneously from recognizing our oneness with all creation. Awakening is not solipsistic retreat compassion. If we see through to Tara 's essence, she frees us from self – serving thoughts and encourages us to act selflessly, and wisely, for the benefit of all beings: the surest prescription for a long and fulfilling life.
White Tara represents the enlightened and liberating activity of all the Buddhas. She embodies the motherly aspect of universal compassion. Her compassion for living beings and her desire to save them from suffering is said to be even stronger than a mother's love for her children. White Tara, the Mother of all Buddhas, is known for her swiftness in responding to the prayers of those who invoke her name. Her right hand is open towards us in the gesture of supreme generosity, signifying her ability to fulfill our spiritual and material needs. Her left hand is in the gesture (mudra) of bestowing blessing, refuge, and protection. White Tara meditation practice is said to grant health, long life, fearlessness, patience, and peace. As Manjushri is the celestial Bodhisattva who represents the wisdom of all Buddhas and Avalokiteshvara is the one who represents all their compassion, Tara is the Bodhisattva who represents the miraculous activity of all the Buddhas of past, present, and future.
White Tara has seven eyes - one in each hand and foot, and a third eye on her face - to show that she sees and responds to suffering throughout the universe; and she sits in full lotus in Vajra posture. Like the solitary form of the deity, the right hand is in Varada Mudra (gesture) of giving symbolizing supreme generosity, with the left hand holding the stem of a white blossoming lotus in a gesture signifying the Three Jewels.
On the top panel of the painting, in the center, we see Buddha Amitabhaa, and in the bottom register Bodhisattva Ratnapani is in the left corner while Manjushri is in the right corner. In the middle part of bottom register lays the offering substance along with auspicious symbols.
The fraction of White Tara is basically performed in the order to prolonged lift as well as for healing purpose. It is said that because Arrya Tara is the collective manifestation of the enlightened activity of all Buddhas, Sadhana is easily accomplished. The recitation of her Mantra merely a hundred thousand with the motivation of Bodhicitta will cause aversion of hindrances. |
