Goddess Tara: history, role in religion

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

In Buddhism there are many divine patrons whom people value, respect and idolize. One of them is the goddess Tara, who is referred to in translation from the ancient Sanskrit language as a star. Let's find out the story of Tara, why she is divided into several colors and what role she plays in religious belief.

Main Goddess

The Hindu goddess is called both Merciful and Savior. She was not made of flesh and blood, but she was beautiful and incredible. The famous patroness appeared from the tears of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, who made the only decision in life - to renounce worldly goods and other joys for the sake of liberating other people. To do this, the bodhisattva often thought about the world and suffering, mourned all the troubles and pain. One day Avalokiteshvara was on the shore of a lake, and a tear fell to the surface. Imagine this wonderful moment when a lotus first arose from one drop, and then it grew into the beautiful goddess Tara. After that, in accordance with the history in Buddhism, she became the wife of a bodhisattva and people began to call her the Merciful.

As in Buddhism, so inIn Hinduism, Tara is referred to the main Mother of all living things, which can both create a unique inimitable world and destroy it. The manifestation and presentation of the patroness can be traced in 21 images, where there is White, Red, and Green Tara. Therefore, a new question arises: "How do they differ from each other?".

Essence of the Divine Mother

The tears of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara created the female manifestation of the worldly sufferer. However, the essence in this incarnation went a completely different way - the goddess began to travel the world and enlighten people. That is why Tara is revered throughout the East: in Tibet, and in India, and in Mongolia, and in Buryatia, and in some regions of China and Nepal.

The main task of the Merciful is to convey to people that there are no differences between a woman and a man on a spiritual level, so all people can achieve rebirth. Accordingly, karma, as a causal relationship, is accumulated over a lifetime, and each merit (negative, positive) will affect future reincarnation. Tara also said that there is a wheel of Samsara where all souls will be reborn regularly until they all leave the endless cycle. Until then, the Savior will be present in the lives of all people, enlighten them and teach them how to move into the true and immortal world of Nirvana.

We can safely say that the goddess Tara is the eternal reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara, because it was his tears - pure and sincere - that could create a divine image in a female form.

Image of the Merciful Mother

No wonder the goddess Tara means "star" in Sanskrit. It literally glows with bright rays that can guide lost souls in a dark abyss. She is depicted as a woman, sitting in a lotus position. The main feature of the statue or icon is that the Merciful has seven eyes. We see three eyes on the face (one of them on the forehead, personifying providence), two on the palms on the inside, two more on the feet. The eyes are a symbol of the fact that Tara sees everything, wherever she is. Therefore, the goddess will help everyone who really needs her.

The icons also depict a female silhouette in a naked guise, where the upper part is completely open and the chest is bare, and the legs in the lotus position are covered with a light veil or even decorated with numerous decorations. Among all the divine beings in Hinduism and Buddhism, Tara has a truly beautiful image. When drawing her, many flowers, algae and, of course, lotuses are added to her, which gave birth to the wise Savior.

However, the images of the Mother may not coincide and differ from each other, because in the iconography there are 21 different manifestations of the goddess. Of these, the female essence most often takes five forms, which differ in color. In other words, these five forms are depicted each in their own color, which are considered sacred in Buddhism - these are white, red, yellow, blue and green. The reasons for such changes are simple: each shade represents one of the universal forms, for example, red is the sun, and white is the ocean. In any case, this is how the poets and philosophers of the East interpret them.

White Goddess

White Tara is a symbol of longevity. She patronizes those who regularly engage in spiritual practices such as meditation and yoga. In Buddhism, this manifestation is believed to represent the spiritual conjugal relationship between the Bodhisattva and the Merciful One.

Represents a female image, sitting either in a lotus position or with a dangling left leg. Sometimes in the iconography you can see a divine being dancing. It is not difficult to distinguish White Tara from her other manifestations - a blooming lotus will be visible on all images and statuses, and her throne, as a rule, is decorated with these flowers.

The goddess still has 7 eyes, the location of which does not change depending on her images. Another feature of the Merciful is the gesture of the left hand, which is complex in the form of the mudra of knowledge (jnana mudra), that is, the thumb and forefinger lightly touch each other, forming a circle, and the remaining fingers are freely straightened. This gesture proves that White Tara is a preacher who shows that it is possible to prolong life and remove all obstacles.

In Buddhism and Hinduism, the mantras of a female image help to recover from serious illnesses and sometimes even avoid death. The reason is simple: reading the cherished words allows you to accumulate energy that can suppress the disease. The only condition is the strict fulfillment of the requirements during the reading of the mantras, therefore a Lama is often invited to help invoke the mercy and wisdom of White Tara.

Red Goddess

Red Tara represents love and magic in many of hermanifestations. She is both a healer and a sorceress. It is an image of an energetic entity in a female form, the skin of which is depicted in bright red. In Eastern religions, such a manifestation is sometimes called Kurukulla, which means "source of wisdom".

Red Tara has four arms and two legs. Kurukulla is never depicted without her arrows and bow, which are always pointed in some direction. Sharp arrows do not cause fear, because they are decorated with bright and colorful flowers. Often this is interpreted as follows: where the arrow hits, everything will flourish and become richer.

Sometimes the image of Kurukulla can be frightening: on the head of a female form is a crown of skulls, hair black as pitch, flying in different directions and raised as if in flames. A huge knee-length necklace hangs around her neck, which, like the crown, is made of human skulls.

Red Tara is seductive, often showing the femininity of the goddess. In Buddhism and Hinduism, such an image personifies good and evil, which replace each other in the wild movement of chaos. That is why Kurukulla symbolizes attraction, and charm, and love, and sympathy, and joy, and wisdom, and compassion, and negativity. The main feature of the manifestation of the Merciful is that the Red Tara was able to overcome the ego, thereby opening the way to enlightenment and self-realization.

Yellow Goddess

Often, Yellow Tara is depicted in orange, which also represents wisdom. In religious beliefs, the goddess is called Vasundhara -in a way that gives the world prosperity, and we alth, and longevity, and glory, and happiness.

In the iconography, we also see a female image, which already has six arms. He, like all manifestations of the Merciful, has seven eyes, which proves her vigilance. Yellow Tara is able to protect a person from fears and problems, scaring away with its bright and rich color. And in the most difficult times, the goddess will come to the rescue and guide you on the true path.

Vasundhara is active, and the brighter it is depicted, the more energy it transmits to all living things. This manifestation gives a chance to reveal their talents, so the recitation of mantras improves intelligence and eloquence. Vasundhara is a symbol of the fact that happiness and abundance can be found not only in the physical manifestation, but also in the spiritual world. That is why we must destroy rudeness, poverty and anger in order to experience far from material we alth. The goddess also tells us about karmic laws, where our actions predetermine our future rebirths. It is Yellow Tara that teaches us to share, to give away material things and not be attached to them.

Blue Goddess

Blue or Blue Tara, perhaps the most powerful of all manifestations of the Merciful. She helps the soul get out of the eternal cycle - the wheel of Samsara, so she is often called the Savior.

In iconography, it appears to us as a female form, the color of which is from blue-black to blue. She personifies not only wisdom and activity, but also the other side of thesefeelings - anger. The main task of Blue Tara is to release the soul from the wheel and stop this cycle of illusory existence. The power of the goddess is enough for her to warn, and sometimes save a person from dangers. The manifestation of the Divine Mother directs to the true path, illuminating the road in pitch darkness and protecting from troubles and misfortunes.

It is believed that the Blue Goddess personifies the family hearth, which she guards. This image helps to cope with anger, fights for injustice. Reading mantras allows you to improve your life, especially if you ask the wise and strong goddess to protect you. Philosophical treatises of the East say that the Blue Tara helps to change lives, improving karma, which in the future allows a person to gain spirituality and get out of the wheel of Samsara.

Green Goddess

Green Tara is sometimes referred to as Droljang. She, like all manifestations of the goddess, personifies wisdom and protection. However, Green Tara is also a comforter who listens to human prayers. The Goddess renders compassion, helping those who really need her. She appreciates the love of family and caring for children. Droljang in religious belief is a female image that has achieved enlightenment and was able to reach Nirvana. This once again proves that Tara in all her manifestations was able to prove that there is no difference between a man and a woman, representatives of both sexes are able to open their souls and free their minds.

Represents an image in greenthe form that sits on a lotus throne. In the iconography, you can see that such a Tara lowered her right leg, and with her right hand calls and wishes good to everyone. This is shown by her gesture - varada mudra, which looks like an open palm, laid and relaxed with the inside up. But the left hand says that Green Tara protects. This is indicated by the abhaya mudra gesture, which looks like an open palm directed at you, inside out. The gesture looks like the hand is showing "Stop!" Distinctive features of the image - a lotus in the process of flowering or a beautiful lily, whose petals are painted in a delicate blue color.

Mantra praising the Merciful and sacred signs

If you want to invoke the patronage of the goddess Tara, then it is important to understand: each of her manifestations is accompanied by the reading of certain mantras. For example, to invoke the White Goddess, you need to read the cherished words in Sanskrit: "Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Mama Ayuḥ Punya Jñānā Puṣtiṃ Kuru Svāhā". Do not be afraid of the ancient language, because it can be easily transliterated and will sound like this: "Om Tare Tuttare Toure Mama Ayur Punya Gnana Pushtim Kuru Svaha." Each word in the mantra invokes the Merciful One, asking for wisdom, longevity, happiness in life.

• The green face of the goddess: "Om Tare Tutare Ture Soha".
• Mantra to Goddess Tara in all 21 manifestations: "Om Chom Den De Ma Lha Mo Dro Ma La Chag Tsel Lo Chag Tsel Drol Ma Tare Pal Mo Tuttara Yi Ji Kun Sel Ma Toure Den Nam Tham Che Ter Ma Swaha Yi Ger Chae La Rab Doo Om".
• RedTara: "Om Tare Tam Soha".

The signs of the goddess Tara are distinctive objects or colors that you should surround yourself with, following Feng Shui, in order to attract the attention of a powerful and wise Mother. Basically it is a lotus (living flower, image). In the iconography, you can see that the container often uses powerful and effective mudras - yoga of the fingers, personifying protection, longevity, and knowledge.

If you want to start practicing a spiritual practice like meditation, you can include mantras in audio recordings. This is useful for those who have not yet memorized all the words from the prayer. At this time, surround yourself with purity and harmony, remove excess tight clothing.

Tara at the Vedas

The patroness and powerful goddess is found not only in Buddhism and Hinduism, but also in the ancient Vedas. Unlike the Merciful, the Tara in charge is the daughter of Perun, who protects the forests. It also represents a female image - pure and immaculate, which with its rays illuminates even the darkest thicket of the forest.

Tara in the Vedas is a strong goddess of nature, who teaches us that we are all part of a single whole, connected by an invisible thin thread. She does not personify either a woman or a man, but, on the contrary, all living things that are around. Tara teaches us how to properly understand the Universe and be in harmony with it. Surprisingly, this goddess proves the unity of peoples, because in completely different corners and cultures they worshiped and asked for protection from Tara. Both Buddhists and the Vedas call this female image the Savior, onlypresented in different interpretations.

The Divine Mother teaches us that we should not build boundaries, separate men and women. It shows that it is possible to stop the eternal wheel of Samsara, to comprehend Nirvana through self-consciousness. It is only important to give up worldly goods and direct our forces to positive activities that would cleanse our karma. Until then, the wise and strong Tara will always protect and guide, help and liberate, love and inspire.