Tara

Tara: The Tibetan Buddhist Compassionate Goddess

Background and Significance:

Respected in Tibetan Buddhism, Tara represents compassion, knowledge, and quick action. Many times, she is considered as a rescuer and a shield against hardships and challenges. Tara is especially connected to Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig), the bodhisattva of compassion, and is thought of as her feminine equivalent or emanation.
Her moniker, "Star" or "Savior," captures her function as a lighthouse for practitioners on their path of release. Tara's devotion is strong in Tibet, Nepal, India, Mongolia, and other countries; her practice centers on helping to remove anxiety and further spiritual development.
Tara manifests in several forms; the most well-known being Green Tara, connected with active compassion and protection, and White Tara, connected with healing, longevity, and peace.

Attributes and Iconography:

Usually shown as a young and brilliant goddess, Tara is seated in a graceful and ready to help devotees position. Her main features are:
Often seated in lalitasana—one leg folded, the other extended—she represents both meditation and readiness to help.
Physical gestures:

One hand in varada mudra—a gesture of wishing grantability.
The other in abhaya mudra—that is, the gesture of bravery and protection.
A fully bloom lotus symbolizes her enlightenment and innocence.
Green Tara stands for active compassion, protection, and quick response among colors and forms.
White Tara is a living example of healing, tranquility, and longevity.
Red Tara, connected to magnetism and power,
Blue Tara stands for great sympathy and defense against bad powers.
Yellow Tara represents plenty and success.
Every Tara form is invoked through meditation and linked with particular blessings.

Associated Stories and Beliefs:

• Tara’s Origin as a Bodhisattva Vow – One of the earliest stories describes Tara as a princess named Jnanachandra, who vowed to attain enlightenment as a woman, despite being advised to pray for rebirth as a man. She then achieved enlightenment and vowed to always help beings in female form.

• Tara and Avalokiteshvara – A well-known Tibetan belief holds that Avalokiteshvara, upon seeing the immense suffering in the world, shed tears. From his tears emerged Tara, signifying her role as his compassionate counterpart, ever ready to assist those in distress.

• The 21 Taras – Tibetan Buddhism describes 21 emanations of Tara, each associated with a different form of aid, such as protection, healing, and wisdom. These Taras are invoked in a daily chant called the "Praises to the 21 Taras."

Tara remains a central figure in Tibetan Buddhist practice, embodying boundless compassion and swift intervention in tim