Tara: The Buddha in All of Us and The Human Conscience
(Tara’s Dual Role as Inner Guide and Protector Against Eight Dangers)
Tara, an important deity in Mahayana Buddhism, serves a unique dual function: she is both an inner guide and a protector against eight symbolic dangers. While some deities are restricted to specific roles like imparting wisdom or offering protection, Tara effortlessly bridges the gap between the spiritual and the existential aspects of life.
As an inner guide, Tara is envisioned as a radiant light within the human heart, guiding individuals through the complexities of life and spiritual growth. It is believed that her inner light directs people from moment to moment, steering them away from negative influences and helping them make ethical choices. Her guidance is seen as highly intuitive and insightful, like a star that illuminates even the darkest paths.
Tara is also referred to as the “pupil of the eye,” a metaphor highlighting her omnipresent watchfulness over human endeavors. She is ever alert to the challenges faced by individuals, serving as a celestial guardian who keeps an eye out for dangers both physical and spiritual. It is as though she bears witness to all her experiences, offering silent counsel and support.
Apart from serving as an internal compass, Tara acts as a protector against eight specific dangers that are both literal and metaphorical. These eight dangers include lions symbolizing Pride; wild elephants representing delusion and ignorance; forest fires depicting hatred; snakes indicating jealousy; robbers referring to wrong views including fanatical perspectives; prisons mirroring greed and miserliness; floods embodying desire and attachment; and demons exemplifying doubts caused by delusion.
These dangers are not just physical threats but represent profound psychological challenges that humans face in their journey toward enlightenment. For example, the ‘lions of Pride’ aren’t just animals in a forest but symbolize the ego and self-importance that prevent spiritual advancement. Tara serves as a safeguard against these hindrances, helping individuals overcome them to continue their path toward enlightenment.
In her role as protector, it’s believed that Tara shields individuals from these eight dangers through her enlightened activities, often interpreted as blessings or even miraculous interventions. People turn to Tara in times of peril, physical or spiritual, with the belief that she will steer them safely to the “shore of Liberation.”
In summary, Tara’s dual role as an inner guide and protector against eight dangers offers a holistic approach to spiritual growth. While her inner light serves as a beacon for ethical and spiritual navigation, her protective qualities ensure that the journey is free from the existential threats that could derail one’s path to enlightenment.
The Importance of Gender and Spiritual Perception in Buddhist Tradition
In the Buddhist tradition, the concepts of gender and spiritual perception are complex and multilayered, intersecting at various points to offer nuanced perspectives on spiritual identity, enlightenment, and the nature of existence.
The role of gender in Buddhism is historically complicated. While the Buddha himself was revolutionary in allowing women into the monastic order, the later institutionalization of Buddhism introduced many restrictions and inequalities for female practitioners.
For instance, traditional viewpoints often deemed the female form as less advantageous for spiritual pursuits, leading many female spiritual aspirants to wish for rebirth in a male form. This perpetuated the idea that enlightenment was more readily accessible to men, further marginalizing women in the spiritual landscape.
However, Mahayana Buddhism presents a more fluid and transcendent perspective on gender. In Mahayana texts, gender is often described as a psychological and social construct, with enlightened beings like Buddhas and Bodhisattvas existing beyond the confines of male or female identity.
The story of Shariputra’s encounter with a goddess in a Mahayana Sutra illustrates this: when he asks why she doesn’t transform herself out of her female state, she replies that she doesn’t even perceive herself as female. This indicates a level of spiritual perception where categories like male and female become irrelevant.
In certain Buddhist practices, deities embody a blend of both masculine and feminine traits, pointing to a holistic and integrated view of spiritual qualities. Tara, a highly venerated deity in Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions, serves as a strong example of how enlightened qualities aren’t limited to a specific gender. Tara is unique in that she deliberately chose to manifest in a female form to challenge the prevailing notions of gender-based limitations on spiritual prowess.
The concept of spiritual perception is equally critical in understanding Buddhist cosmology. According to Buddhist teachings, deluded perception is a fundamental obstacle to enlightenment. As long as one perceives reality through the lens of duality and discrimination — including discrimination based on gender — true understanding cannot be achieved.
Enlightened beings perceive reality as it is, without the distortions of ego, attachment, and social constructs. This form of perception isn’t simply an intellectual understanding but an experiential awareness that transcends ordinary cognitive functions. And it’s in this state that categories such as gender lose their limiting power, and individuals can interact with existence in a more genuine, compassionate manner.
In conclusion, the interplay between gender and spiritual perception in Buddhist tradition offers a rich tapestry of perspectives on the nature of existence and the path to enlightenment. While historical and institutional practices have often reflected gender-based limitations, the deeper philosophical teachings of Buddhism present a far more flexible and inclusive view. At the level of ultimate reality, distinctions based on gender — or any other arbitrary categorization — dissolve, highlighting the boundless and interconnected nature of all beings.
Symbolic Elements of Tara’s Appearance: Green Color and Lotus Flower
Tara, a revered figure in Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, is often depicted with specific symbolic elements that are rich in meaning and purpose. Two of the most significant are her green color and the lotus flower she holds. These elements are not merely artistic choices but deeply rooted symbols that convey complex philosophical concepts and teachings.
Starting with her vivid green pigment, this color carries multifaceted significance. In some mythologies, it’s said that Tara was given her name by Amoghasiddhi Buddha, who is also depicted as green. This color association connects her to the element of air in the Five Buddha Mandala, which is also represented by green.
The element of air is symbolic of the mental realm and the quality of all-encompassing compassion. As a forest goddess, Tara’s green coloration further aligns her with nature, the environment, and life force. Her pure land is imagined as a realm filled with lush, verdant vegetation, a symbolic representation of her qualities of compassion, rejuvenation, and spiritual growth.
Moreover, Green Tara specifically is often associated with spiritual progress and abundance. The color green in many cultural contexts signifies growth, harmony, and balance, which can be extended to spiritual growth and emotional equilibrium in the context of Tara’s symbolism.
Now turning to the lotus flower, often a blue utpala, that Tara holds. The lotus is a powerful symbol in many Eastern traditions, not just Buddhism. It signifies purity, enlightenment, and rebirth. The lotus grows in muddy water yet rises above the surface to bloom, remaining unstained by the mud — paralleling the idea that it’s possible to rise above suffering and ignorance to achieve spiritual enlightenment. The blue utpala lotus that Tara holds is a night-blooming flower, which can be interpreted as a symbol of her protection against the metaphorical darkness of ignorance, fear, and suffering.
The specific mudra or hand gesture with which she holds the lotus also matters. It’s often depicted in the Vitarka Mudra, or the teaching gesture. This can be interpreted to mean that while Tara herself can guide beings towards enlightenment, those who follow her teachings can also learn to save themselves. The dual capability to both guide and teach emphasizes her role as a compassionate deity dedicated to the welfare of all sentient beings.
Furthermore, in the context of Tara, the lotus flower often signifies her untainted nature. Just like the lotus remains pure even in muddy water, Tara’s compassion and wisdom are believed to be uncontaminated by worldly suffering or illusion.
In sum, every aspect of Tara’s depiction is laden with rich symbolism that extends far beyond aesthetic choices. Her green color and the lotus flower are integral to understanding her role, her qualities, and the spiritual teachings she embodies. These symbols offer devotees and practitioners a way to connect more deeply with Tara’s energy and to explore complex spiritual truths through meditation and contemplation.
Historical Evolution and Different Forms of Tara
The figure of Tara has evolved significantly over time and has been embraced in various forms across different Buddhist traditions. Her historical evolution can be traced from early Brahminical roots to being one of the most venerated deities in Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. Understanding her historical progression and her different forms sheds light on her wide-ranging influence and the complex set of teachings and meanings she embodies.
Historically, Tara didn’t appear in Buddhist records until around 500 CE. Before this, she had links to the early Brahminical goddess Durga, with whom she shares many attributes. Over time, Tara’s worship evolved from the Brahminical tradition into a distinctively Buddhist form. She first appeared prominently in Mahayana Buddhism and then became a central figure in Vajrayana or Tibetan Buddhism. In Tibet, it is said her mantra is the second most used next to Avalokiteshvara’s, displaying her significance in Tibetan spiritual life.
One theory about Tara’s origin suggests she emerged from the tears of compassion shed by Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. As the story goes, Avalokiteshvara was so moved by the suffering of sentient beings that his tears formed a lake from which Tara emerged. This mythological narrative establishes Tara as a manifestation of compassion, linking her closely with Avalokiteshvara and laying the foundation for her role as a protector and guide.
As for her different forms, Tara is known to have 21 manifestations, each with unique spiritual abilities and symbolic colors. Among these, White Tara and Green Tara are the most popular. White Tara is associated with longevity, healing, and compassion, often depicted with seven eyes to symbolize her vigilance and ability to see all the suffering in the world. Green Tara is usually linked to protection and is invoked for her ability to remove obstacles and grant wishes. Her green color is symbolic of her association with the elemental air and with a form of active, engaged compassion.
In addition to these, there are other forms like Red Tara, who is associated with the power to magnetize all good things, and Yellow Tara, linked to wealth and prosperity. Each of these Taras can be understood as a different aspect of the same ultimate reality, embodying different qualities needed on the spiritual path.
Tara also stands out for her gender. While many early Buddhist sects had a male-centric view, Tara, as a female deity, attracted a following that cut across gender lines. She is revered as a female Buddha in Tibetan traditions, offering a model of enlightenment that challenges traditional gender roles in spiritual practices.
In Mahayana Buddhism, Tara is understood to be beyond gender, reflecting advanced Buddhist views that consider gender as a social and psychological construct. This makes her a fascinating subject in gender studies within the context of spiritual and religious history.
In summary, Tara is not a static figure but a dynamic and evolving symbol of compassion, protection, and enlightenment. Her historical roots, multiple forms, and the progressive views on gender she embodies make her one of the most complex and intriguing deities in Buddhist tradition.
The Journey to Buddhahood and Reuniting with Tara
The journey to Buddhahood is an arduous spiritual path filled with obstacles, lessons, and revelations. It’s a transformative process aiming to overcome suffering, gain wisdom, and achieve ultimate enlightenment. Tara, in the Buddhist tradition, plays a crucial role in aiding practitioners on this journey. Understanding the concept of reuniting with Tara upon achieving Buddhahood offers a multidimensional perspective on the spiritual journey itself.
In Buddhist thought, every sentient being possesses a Buddha nature, often called Tathagatagarbha, the seed of enlightenment. This intrinsic quality signifies that enlightenment is not an external acquisition but an uncovering of what’s already within. Tara embodies the qualities of compassion, wisdom, and skillful means that aspirants aim to cultivate on their path to enlightenment.
Traditionally, Tara is regarded as a protector and guide, helping sentient beings navigate the sea of suffering that is Samsara. She specifically offers protection against the “Eight Great Dangers,” symbolic and literal threats like pride, delusion, hatred, and jealousy. In serving this role, Tara represents the ideal qualities one must cultivate to achieve Buddhahood. Her compassion is akin to the Bodhisattva vow, a commitment to attaining enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. Her wisdom reflects the ultimate understanding of Emptiness, the non-dual nature of reality as described in Mahayana Buddhism.
Moreover, Tara isn’t just a figure to pray to but also an inner quality to be actualized. When practitioners engage in Tara meditation, they visualize themselves as Tara, implying that her enlightened qualities are innate potentials within everyone. It’s a practice of identification that helps to transform the practitioner’s mind and actions, aligning them more closely with the enlightened state.
In Buddhist practices, especially in Vajrayana, there are also specific rituals and practices dedicated to Tara that are considered powerful means to accelerate one’s journey towards Buddhahood. This includes mantra recitation, visualization practices, and sadhanas (spiritual exercises) that are meant to invoke Tara’s blessings and embody her qualities. Such practices are often considered advanced and are undertaken under the guidance of a qualified spiritual teacher.
Upon attaining Buddhahood, it is said that one is “reunited” with Tara. This doesn’t imply a meeting with a separate entity but signifies the realization of Tara’s qualities within oneself. The term “reunion” is metaphorical, emphasizing that the aspirant has achieved a state of consciousness that is free from dualistic notions like self and other, subject and object. In this state, the practitioner is Tara, embodying the same compassion, wisdom, and skillful means that characterize her. In essence, one doesn’t just meet Tara; one becomes Tara.
In conclusion, the journey to Buddhahood is one of self-transformation, where the aspirant transcends limitations, cultivates virtues, and awakens to their true nature. Tara serves both as a guiding light and a representation of the goal itself. Reuniting with her symbolizes the ultimate achievement of Buddhahood, where the aspirant and Tara are no longer separate but are manifestations of the same ultimate reality.