The Heroic Red Tara
Red Tara (Main figure)
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(Top to bottom): Green Tara, Red Tara and Dorje Shugden.
Deity: Red Tara (English)
Alternative name: Rakta Tara (Sanskrit)
Tara 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 “ignorant 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.
Red Tara is a particularly popular form of Tara, whose practice emphasises the activity of control and magnetism. Red Tara is also known as Kurukulle or Rigjema and she has the supreme ability to attract people, resources and circumstances for our Dharma practice to flourish. Her practice also allows one to have the special ability to influence others positively especially in relations to pacifying the mind and bringing them to the Dharma.
Deity: Arya Tara (Sanskrit)
Alternative names: Green Tara (English); Shyama Tara (Sanskrit); Drolma (Tibetan); Droljang (Tibetan)
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. Green Tara is considered the main emanation and associated mainly with enlightened activity and protection, and White Tara is associated with the pacification of inner and outer illnesses. She is known to have been particularly close to a large number of great Indian and Tibetan masters like Atisha, Shakya Shri Bhadra and so forth. With her right leg extended in her ever-readiness to assist, Tara is known for swift action and manifests many miracles through her sacred images in both India and Tibet.
Deity: Dorje Shugden (Tibetan)
Alternative name: Vajra Rudra (Sanskrit)
Dorje Shugden is an emanation of the Buddha of Wisdom, Manjushri. He took the form of a Dharma Protector in order to safeguard the Buddha’s teachings, especially the important teachings on the Middle Way View. Reminiscent of Manjushri’s form, Dorje Shugden carries a meandering sword and rides a snowlion that represents the fearlessness of a fully enlightened Buddha. Thus, he has great strength to overcome obstacles of the body, speech and mind, and create suitable conditions for our spiritual practice to flourish. Furthermore, he carries a jewel-spitting mongoose and a vajra hook to symbolise that he has the tremendous ability to bestow wealth and resources.
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This is a beautiful and powerful thangka. These enlightened beings that represents compassion and wisdom are there to bestow bliss regardless of background, believes, or races. Within Tibetan Buddhism, Tara has 21 major forms. There are in certain color and iconography that represents her energy of ultimate benefit to the spiritual aspirant who asks for her assistance. The main form of Tara is green in colour. Green colour is regarded as the combination of all colours and all activities, hence Green Tara also called the Mother of All Activities. Whereas, red colour represents powerful activities to magnetize all good things. It is interesting to know that Red Tara is also known as Kurukulle. Furthermore we have Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden the emanation of Manjushri, the Buddha of Wisdom. Dorje Shugden safeguards Buddha’s teachings, assists those who need helps in many ways and most important creating conditions for dharma to grow.