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The word Tara is etymologically rooted in the word "star", but the most popular meaning of "Tara" is "she who saves", or "saviouress". As a popular Buddhist deity in the Mahayana tradition--especially in Tibet--Green Tara is compassionate, wise, and quick-acting. If one needs Tara and recites her mantra (above), it is said that Tara will quickly come to assist. Mythologically, the Green Tara came into being when the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara cried upon seeing all of the suffering in the Universe. He cried so much that a pond grew out of his tears. Out of this pond grew a blue lotus flower, and on this flower appeared a beautiful woman. Her translucent green color was luminous with a great energy. She held a deep blue lotus, symbolizing limitless giving and refuge. The color green is said to symbolize her quick action, and also her role as a forest deity. Tara is usually depicted with her right leg
extended, ready to spring into action, while her left
leg is folded in the Buddhist contemplative
position. The right leg symbolizes compassion
and the left leg wisdom. These are the two
virtues that, when developed together, lead one to
enlightenment.
Tara's Bodhisattva Vow Tara was once just an ordinary person, but after many lifetimes of practicing the Bodhisattva Path, she attained perfect enlightenment and vowed to stay and help all other creatures on their paths to enlightenment. The interesting thing about Tara is that she vowed not only to be a bodhisattva, but to do this in the form of a woman. Typically, in Buddhist thought, a Bodhisattva takes the male form. Tara's vow is striking because it went against traditional teaching. Her inspiring independence, along with many other qualities, has lead her to be perhaps the most popular Bodhisattva in the Buddhist tradition besides Avalokitesvara. The story of Tara's origin, according to the Tara Tantra, recounts that aeons ago she was born as a king's daughter. A spiritual and compassionate princess, she regularly gave offerings and prayers to the ordained monks and nuns. She thus developed great merit, and the monks told her that, because of her spiritual attainments, they would pray that she be reborn as a man and spread Buddhist teachings. She responded that there was no male and no female, that nothing existed in reality, and that she wished to remain in female form to serve other beings until everyone reached enlightenment, hence implying the shortfall in the monk's knowledge in presuming only male preachers for the Buddhist religion.
Tara's Qualities as a Bodhisattva Another characteristic of Tara is her title "Mother of All the Buddhas". This represent her perfect wisdom, and also symbolizes the feministic quality of wisdom. (In Buddhist tradition wisdom is represented by the female while compassion by the male.) And, as we are all to be Buddhas eventually, Tara is also our Mother. Thus we should think of Tara lovingly. The last characteristic of Tara as a Bodhisattva is her role of saviouress. She leads all beings across the river of samsara to the shore of enlightenment. She is also called "She Who Leads Across". Tara herself says, "I, O Lord, shall lead beings across the great flood of their diverse fears..." So not only does Tara help those who seek Nirvana; actually a major role she plays, and the reason for her major popularity, is the protection she offers from the eight great fears. These are the fears of lions, elephants, fire, snakes, robbers, imprisonment, drowning, and demons. Of course in modern times we rarely fear snakes and elephants, so these outer fears are only symbolic of the eight inner fears, which affect us all. The inner fears are: pride, delusion, anger, envy, wrong views, avarice, attachment, and doubt. Tara will help all those who suffer from these inner negative emotions.
Sources of information: excerpts from Ven. Thubten Chodron's Pearl of Wisdom, Book II |
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