The Supreme Saviouress – White Tara
White Tara (Main figure)
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(Top to bottom): Ushnishavijaya (Namgyalma), Amitayus, White Tara, Dorje Shugden
Tara is known as Jetsun Drolma in Tibetan and she is a very important figure in Tibetan Buddhism. She is known as the ‘saviouress’ and is also considered the embodiment of the activity of all the Buddhas. According to the Tara Tantras, she was a young Bodhisattva princess who inhabited a different world system in a distant past. Her name was Yeshe Dawa and she had deep faith in the Buddha of that world system and made tremendous amounts of offerings to him. She also went to receive teachings and engaged in deep meditations as well. At one time, she received a special teaching on the development of Bodhicitta – the infinitely compassionate mental state of a Bodhisattva.
After the teachings, some monks approached her and suggested that because of her level of attainment she should next pray to be reborn as a male to progress further in her next life. She contemplated their words and told the monks that it is only the “weak minded” who would see gender as a barrier to attaining enlightenment. Nevertheless, she realised that there have been few who have developed the aspiration to work for the welfare of sentient beings in a female form. Therefore, she made the aspiration to be reborn in a female form again and again to work tirelessly to liberate all beings until samsara is emptied. She then remained in a state of meditation and perceiving her supreme aspiration, the Buddha prophesied that she would manifest enlightenment and be known as the Goddess Tara.
In the ancient text known as the Praise to the 21 Taras, Tara is said to have emanated in 21 main forms. The most popular of these forms are the Green and White Taras. White Tara is white in colour and unlike her green counterpart, she sits in full meditation. Nevertheless, she makes the same sacred gesture as Green Tara, though she also holds the stem of an Utpala flower in her left hand. She has seven eyes – three eyes on her sacred face, one on each hand and one on the soles of each feet. They represent her ability to look into each realm of samsara along with her clairvoyant ability to look into the past, present and future simultaneously with great compassion. White Tara is the healing emanation of Tara and her white colour represents her ability to purify illnesses. This is achieved by the practitioner’s generation of merit by relying on her and the purification of previous negative karma of harming others. Hence, her practice is also considered to be a long life practice as well.
White Tara is popularly placed together with Ushnishavijaya and Amitayus and together they are known as the Three Long Life Deities. They are often depicted together on thangka paintings and statues. Usnishavijaya is an eight-armed goddess of purification and long life while Amitayus is the Bodhisattva of Boundless life. Amitayus appears in princely form and bestows merits, long life and all necessary resources to practice the Dharma. Finally, Dorje Shugden is a powerful Dharma Protector who clears all obstacles to our long and healthy life and practice of the Dharma. That is why all these Buddha figures are depicted in this thangka with the primary focus on White Tara.
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White Tara is the healing emanation of Tara and her white colour represents her ability to purify illnesses. This is achieved by the practitioner’s generation of merit by relying on her and the purification of previous negative karma of harming others. Hence, her practice is also considered to be a long life practice as well. Thank you Rinpoche and blog team for sharing about White Tara practice. May White Tara blesses Rinpoche to live long and healthy and remain with us to spread dharma in all directions.????☘️??
Beautiful art paintings of White Tara , Ushnishavijaya (Namgyalma), Amitayus, Dorje Shugden. In Tibetan Buddhism, White Tara is also known as Jetsun Dölma as a Buddhist saviour-goddess with numerous forms, widely popular in Nepal, Tibet, and Mongolia. She is the protective, helpful and comforting mother who shows limitless kindness, generosity and protection to all who rely on her.
Thank you Rinpoche for this wonderful sharing.