An Exploration Of The 21 Taras
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“A feeling of stillness permeated the space, beckoning me to sit down, to breathe. My mind relaxed into a state of reflection and clarity.” fro ‘Embodying Tara’ by Chandra Easton.
Tara is the female Buddha of compassion, mother of all Buddhas, she comes in 21 manifestations, some peaceful some fierce. Each Tara has a specific enlightened quality meant to help us through the joys and hardships in our life. The name Tara means star, but is also translated to swift savioress, “She who helps to cross to the other shore”. Chandra Easton gives the beautiful analogy of Tara being our internal North Star that helps us navigate home to our true nature. She is known to be the enlightened nature of our mind.
Tara traditions originated in India and spread to Tibet. She is known to exist beyond gender, sex, name and form, she is our own pristine awareness, innermost nature of our mind “Emerged from the slumber of ignorance that kept her separate from her true nature” Chandra E.
Here is a little about her iconography:
She sits in the posture of ‘royal ease’. Her right leg is stepping into the world symbolizing her compassionate activity within samsara. Her left leg with the heel at perinium as a symbol of being established in her seat in a state of nirvana. This tells us that she exist in samsara and nirvana. There is a fluidity about her, torso swaying, representing she is swift like the wind, ready to come to our aid
Her left hand is in the jewel of protection gesture, her thumb and index finger coming together to represent the union of wisdom & compassion, the other 3 fingers extended downwards representing Buddha, dharma, and sangha - the objects of refuge in Buddhism. She is holding an opened Utpala (blue lotus flower), symbol of an enlightened mind, ripe. Her right hand, facing upwards in a gesture of supreme generosity symbolizes “her unending commitment to. Openly offer compassion and liberation to all beings without distinction.”
Sit-in on or coming out of the Utpala is the symbol of the enlightened activity of that specific manifestation
The color of each Tara represents the Buddha family mandala and her Lineage
The expressions of her face (peaceful or fierce) represents the transmutation of ignorance, attachment, and aversion into wisdom
Each Tara has 3-7 eyes representing her ability to see all the suffering of the world with great compassion
She is always shows wearing jewels which hold a specific importance in Buddhism
She sits on a Lotus throne which represents the human capacity to embody the Buddha nature, to grow from the mud of samsara and bloom into the light. Our potential to be fully awakened Buddhas. The lotus throne sits on a Moon disc which represents boddhichitta.
At her feet are 8 bowls that serve as offerings to her
“Compassion, is the heart that quivers in the face of suffering. As the female buddha of compassion, Tara and her 21 manifestations are expressions of this quivering heart activated by the commitment she made long ago to help beings be free from suffering. Tara is also the heart of compassion within each of us, a heart strengthen and tenderized by life’s challenges and the loving connections we experience in times of need” Chandra Easton. It is with this sentiment at heart that we chose to share these teaching with our Sangha. Our hope is to cultivate compassion in our practice and carry it forth as a community, allowing it to infuse the fabric of our lives.
You can read up on all 21 Taras here.
More resources:
Article compiled by Bibi Lorenzetti. Join us for practice!