Green Tara
Tara is the most beloved of all the Tibetan feminine
meditation deities. She represents fearlessness, the swift ability
to save beings from danger, and protection from suffering. In the
beautiful myth of her creation, Tara is said to have sprung from the
tears of Chenrezig, the great bodhisattva of compassion. So great
was the scope of suffering he saw around him that Chenrezig shed
tears in despair at not being able to help everyone, and from the
lake of tears that grew at his feet sprang Tara in two forms: White
Tara and Green Tara. With their help, we believe Chenrezig's wish
to liberate all beings from suffering can be fulfilled. Tara is also a bodhisattva, someone who has vowed to attain
enlightenment for the sake of liberating all beings, but she took a
special vow: to attain enlightenment in a female body and so always
to be reborn as a woman until this was fulfilled. Tara's vow has,
consequently, given hope and inspiration to countless generations of
women.Green Tara is perceived as giving powerful help to remove obstacles. These obstacles may be external or within our own mind - anything that causes us suffering or prevents us from being happy. People pray to Tara for help with worldly problems as well as for help with progress along the spiritual path. Images portray her as quick and fearless in her activity, for example, her outstretched right leg shows her readiness to spring into action whenever she is needed and she is often described as youthful, playful and dynamic. Green Tara is particularly associated with the quality of fearlessness and her special role lies in helping beings to overcome all kinds of fear and the suffering associated with fear.
Despite her youth, Tara is often given the title "Mother". This is because her compassion is so great that every being is as precious to her as a child is to its mother. She is also described as the "Mother of all the Buddhas". In this instance, it refers to her association with the quality of wisdom. To fully attain enlightenment it is first necessary to perfect primordial wisdom, which gives birth to liberation. Compassionate, fearless and dynamic, Tara is the embodiment of perfected wisdom.
Green Tara Puja Dates