Tara (Buddhism)

Tara(Sanskrit:तारा,tārā;Standard Tibetan:སྒྲོལ་མ,dölma),Ārya Tārā(Noble Tara), also known asJetsün Dölma(Tibetan:rje btsun sgrol ma,meaning: "Venerable Mother of Liberation"), is an important femaleBuddhainBuddhism, especially revered inVajrayana BuddhismandMahayana Buddhism. She may appear as a femalebodhisattvain Mahayana Buddhism.InVajrayanaBuddhism, Green Tara is a female Buddha who is a consort ofAmoghasiddhi Buddha. Tārā is also known as asaviouresswho hears the cries of beings insaṃsāraand saves them from worldly and spiritual danger.
In Vajrayana, she is considered to be aBuddha, and theTārā Tantradescribes her as "a mother who gives birth to the buddhas of the three times" who is also "beyondsaṃsāraandnirvāṇa."She is one of the most important female deities in Vajrayana and is found in sources like theMañjuśrīmūlakalpa, and theGuhyasamāja Tantra.Key Indic Vajrayana texts which focus on Tārā include theTantra Which is the Source for All the Functions of Tārā, Mother of All the Tathagatas(Skt.Sarvatathāgatamātṛtārāviśvakarmabhavanāmatantra) andTārā’s Fundamental Ritual Text(Tārāmūlakalpa).
Both Green and White Tārā remain popularmeditation deitiesoryidamsinTibetan Buddhism, and Tara is also revered inNewar Buddhism. Tārā is considered to have many forms or emanations, while Green Tara emanatestwenty-one Tārās, each with different attributes—colors, implements, and activities such as pacifying (śānti), increasing (pauṣṭika), enthralling (vaśīkaraṇa), and wrathful (abhicāra).The Green Tara (or "blue-green", Skt.Samayataraorśyāmatārā) remains the most important form of the deity in Tibetan Buddhism.A practice text entitledPraises to the Twenty-One Tarasis a well known text on Tara in Tibetan Buddhism and in Tibet, recited by children and adults, and is the textual source for the twenty-one forms of Green Tārā.
The main Tārāmantrais the same for Buddhists and Hindus alike:oṃ tāre tuttāre ture svāhā. It is pronounced by Tibetans and Buddhists who follow theTibetan cultureasoṃ tāre tu tāre ture soha. The literal translation would be "Oṃ O Tārā, I pray O Tārā, O Swift One, So Be It!"
Tārā(Devanagari:तारा) is a feminine noun derived from the root√tṝ, "to cross."It iscausative, and as such means "to cause to cross," i.e., "to rescue."
This is why the name is sometimes translated as "savioress" or "rescuer". For example, in Tibetan, she is known asJetsunDrölma(རྗེ་བརྩུན་སྒྲོལ་མ།།, སྒྲོལ་མ, Wylie: rje btsun sgrol ba), meaning "Venerable Saviour" which is derived from the Tibetan verbsgrol bameaning "to save, rescue, liberate; to carry, transport, or cross; and to expel or drive away [evil]".
The nameTārāmay also mean "star" or "planet" (since they are celestial bodies which cross the sky and are thus literally "crossers").
InEast Asian Buddhismshe is known as多羅菩薩(Pinyin: Duōluó Púsà), withPúsàindicatingbodhisattvastatus. In Japanese she is多羅菩薩 たらぼさつTara Bosatsu.The name means "Bodhisattva who catches many" or "Bodhisattva who collects numerous [sentient beings]", derived from thecharacters:羅, "to catch, gather, collect, sift," and多"many; much; a lot of; numerous".
Buddhist studies scholars generally agree that the worship of Tārā began growing in popularity in India during the 6th century.Evidence fromNalandashows that her cult was established by the sixth century.In the earliest sources, Tārā is seen as the personification ofAvalokiteśvara'scompassion.She often appears as part of a triad, with Avalokiteśvara and Bhr̥kuṭī, as can be seen in theKānherī cave90 (sixth-century ce).Another early identifiable image of Tārā is found at cave 6 within the rock-cut Buddhist monastic complex of theEllora CavesinMaharashtra(c.7th century CE). Her worship was well established by the onset of thePala EmpireinEastern India(8th century CE).
One of the earliest textual references to the goddess is theMañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa(c.5th–8th centuries CE), which calls her the noble goddess who is the compassion of Avalokiteśvara (devīmāryāvalokiteśvarakaruṇāṃ).This text also goes on to call her “the mother of the illustrious Prince Mañjughoṣa”, giving her the title of a mātā devī (mother goddess) and associates her withPrajñāpāramitāandPrajñāpāramitā Devī.
The origin of Tārā is unclear and remains a source of inquiry among scholars. Mallar Ghosh believes her to have originated as a form of the goddessDurga.Tārā is worshiped both in Buddhism as well as inShaktism(Hinduism) as one of the tenMahavidyas. According to Beyer, the enlightened feminine makes its first appearance inMahayanaBuddhism asPrajñāpāramitā Devi, the personifiedPerfection of Wisdom, who is also called mother of Buddhas.
Tara eventually came to be considered the "Mother of all Buddhas" by Indian tantric Buddhists, taking on this epithet from Prajñaparamita. The term mother of Buddhas usually refers to a transcendent awakened wisdom, though it also echoes the ancient Indian motif of theMother Goddess(DeviMata).
With the composition of theTārā-mūla-kalpa, the main Buddhist tantra associated with the goddess and mahāvidyā, Tārā became a very popularVajrayanadeity in north India. Tārā worship also spread to other parts of India, as well as toNepal,Sri LankaandIndonesia, where depictions of the deity have been discovered by archeologists. With the movement of Indian Buddhism into Tibet, the worship and practices of Tārā became incorporated into Tibetan Buddhism as well.
As the worship of Tārā developed, various prayers, chants and mantras became associated with her. These came out of a felt devotional need, and from her inspiration causing spiritual masters to composesadhanas,stotras, or tantric meditations.
Independent of whether she is classified as a deity, a Buddha, or a bodhisattva, Tārā remains very popular inTibet(and Tibetan communities in exile in Northern India),Mongolia,Nepal,Bhutan,Sikkimand is worshiped in many Buddhist communities throughout the world (though inEast Asian Buddhism,Guanyinis the most popular female deity). In Tibet, Green Tārā was also considered to have manifested as the Nepalese Princess (Bhrikuti),and White Tārā's manifestation as the Chinese princess Kongjo (Princess Wencheng).
Tārā has manyorigin storieswhich explain her origin as abodhisattva. According to one story, Tārā arose fromAvalokiteshvara'scompassionate tears when he wept on seeing all the suffering of all the beings insamsara. His tears turned into a lotus, out of which Tārā arose.
The Indian master Sūryagupta explains this myth as follows:
Another tale begins with a youngprincesswho lives in a different world system, millions of years in the past. Her name is Jñanachandra or Yeshe Dawa, which means "Moon of Primordial Awareness". For quite a number ofaeonsshe makes offerings to the Buddha of that world system, whose name was Tonyo Drupa. She receives special instruction from him concerningbodhicitta—the infinitely compassionate mental state of a bodhisattva. After doing this, some monks approach her and suggest that because of her level of attainment she should next pray to be reborn as a male to progress further.
At this point she lets the monks know in no uncertain terms that it is only "weak minded worldlings" who see gender as a barrier to attainingenlightenment. She sadly notes there have been few who wish to work for the welfare of sentient beings in a female form, though. Therefore, she resolves to always be reborn as a female bodhisattva, untilsamsarais no more.She then stays in a palace in a state ofmeditationfor some ten million years, and the power of this practice releases tens of millions of beings from suffering. As a result of this, Tonyo Drupa tells her she will henceforth manifest supremebodhias the Goddess Tārā in many world systems to come.
A similar story is told by the14th Dalai Lama:
Tārā, then, embodies certain ideals which make her attractive to women practitioners, and her emergence as a Bodhisattva can be seen as a part ofMahayanaBuddhism's reaching out to women, and becoming more inclusive even in 6th-century CEIndia.
Tārā's name literally means "star" or "planet", and therefore she is associated with navigation and travel both literally and metaphorically as spiritual crossing to the "other side" of the ocean of existence (enlightenment).Hence she is known literally as "she who saves" in Tibetan.In the108 Names of the Holy Tara, Tara is "Leader of the caravans ..... who showeth the way to those who have lost it" and she is named asDhruva, the Sanskrit name for theNorth Star.Due to her association with navigation and travel, she is thus popular as a savior and protector from danger. In modernTibetan Buddhism, Tārā is one of the most popular deities which are appealed to by laypersons and monastics alike for aid.
Tara's main form is depicted as dark green in color, which is associated with awakened activity. In Himalayan Buddhist iconography, each color is typically associated with a specific kind of activity (for example white is pacification and red is power). Because dark green is seen as a combination of all other colors, the main form of Tārā, Green Tārā, is considered to be the source of all beneficial activities.
Within Tibetan Buddhism, Tārā appears in many forms, each tied to certain colors, symbols, and beneficial activities. As Green Tārā she offers succor and protection from all the unfortunate circumstances one can encounter in the world of suffering. As White Tārā she expresses maternal compassion and offers healing to beings who are hurt or wounded, either mentally or psychically. White Tara is further associated with longevity, countering illness, and purification. Red Tārā meanwhile is associated with power, controlling and influencing others as well as with the transformation of desire into compassion. The manifestation of Blue Tārā (Ekajati) is a ferocious female protector whose invocation destroys all obstacles.
Tārā is also a forest goddess, particularly in her form asKhadiravani, "dweller in the Khadira forest" and is generally associated with plant life, flowers, acacia (khadira) trees and the wind. Because of her association with nature and plants, Tārā is also known as a healing goddess (especially as White Tārā) and as a goddess of nurturing quality and fertility.Herpure land, Paradise Arrayed in Turquoise Petals,inMount Potalaka(Avalokiteshvara's Pure Land) is described as "Covered with manifold trees and creepers, resounding with the sound of many birds, And with murmur of waterfalls, thronged with wild beasts of many kinds; Many species of flowers grow everywhere."Her association with the wind element (vaayu) also means that she is swift in responding to calls for any aid.
According toMiranda Shaw, "Motherhoodis central to the conception of Tara".Her titles include "loving mother", "supreme mother", "mother of the world",  "universal mother" and "mother of all Buddhas".As such, Tārā embodies many of the qualities of feminine principle. She is known as the Mother of Mercy and Compassion. She is the source, the female aspect of the universe, which gives birth to warmth, compassion and relief from bad karma as experienced by ordinary beings in cyclic existence. She engenders, nourishes, smiles at the vitality of creation, and has sympathy for all beings as a mother does for her children.
Tārā is most often shown with the blue lotus or night lotus (utpala), which releases its fragrance with the appearance of the moon and therefore Tārā is also associated with the moon and night.
In general, Tārā is especially seen as a savior who provides salvation and protection from the eight fears (aṣṭabhaya) or eight dangers (aṣṭaghora). This is a common theme in hericonographyand she is sometimes depicted in a specific iconographical style called "Tara who protects from the eight dangers" (Tārāṣṭaghoratāraṇī).
According toThe Noble Sūtra “Tārā Who Protects from the Eight Dangers”(*Āryatārāṣṭaghoratāraṇī­sūtra), the eight dangers (aṣṭaghora) are: lions, elephants, fire, snakes, robbers, waters, infectious diseases, and demons. This sutra also contains an incantation (dharani) which is chanted to invoke Tārā's protection.
In Tibetan Buddhism, each of these outer dangers is also associated with an inner psychological meaning. As such, lions represent pride, wild elephants represent delusion, fires represent anger, snakes represent jealousy, bandits represent wrong views, bondage represent avarice, floods represent desire and attachment, and evil spirits and demons represent doubts.
With the development of esoteric ortantric Buddhism, two main ways of approaching Tara developed. In one, common folk and lay practitioners continued to directly appeal to her for protection and aid in worldly affairs, often chanting prayers,dharanis, or mantras to her and doingpuja(worship rites). Tara's mantra and her twenty one verses of praise are widely learned and chanted by Tibetan laypersons.Tara also became atantricdeity whose secret practices and tantricsadhanaswould be used by monks and yogis in order to develop her awakened qualities in themselves, ultimately leading toBuddhahood.
Another quality which Tara shares with feminine spirits (such asdakinis) is playfulness. AsJohn Blofeldexplains inBodhisattva of Compassion,Tārā is frequently depicted as a young sixteen-year-old girlish woman. She often manifests in the lives ofdharmapractitioners when they take themselves, or the spiritual path too seriously. There are Tibetan tales in which she laughs at self-righteousness, or plays pranks on those who lack reverence for the feminine. InMagic Dance: The Display of the Self-Nature of the Five Wisdom Dakinis,Thinley Norbuexplores this as "playmind".
Applied to Tārā one could say that her playful mind can relieve ordinary minds which become rigidly serious or tightly gripped by dualistic distinctions. She takes delight in an open mind and a receptive heart then. For in this openness and receptivity her blessings can naturally unfold and her energies can quicken the aspirants spiritual development.
Tārā as a focus for tantricdeity yogacan be traced back to the time period ofPadmasambhava. There is a Red Tārā practice which was given by Padmasambhava toYeshe Tsogyal. He asked that shehide it as a treasure. It was not until the 20th century, that a great Nyingma lama, Apong Terton rediscovered it. It is said that this lama was reborn asSakya Trizin, present head of theSakyapasect. A monk who had known Apong Terton succeeded in retransmitting it to Sakya Trizin, and the same monk also gave it toChagdud Tulku Rinpoche, who released it to his western students.
Martin Willson inIn Praise of Tārātraces many different lineages of Tārā Tantras, that is Tārā scriptures used as Tantric sadhanas.For example, a Tārā sadhana was revealed toTilopa(988–1069 CE), the human father of theKarma Kagyu.Atisa, the great translator and founder of theKadampaschool of Tibetan Buddhism, was a devotee of Tārā. He composed a praise to her, and three Tārā Sadhanas. Martin Willson's work also contains charts which show origins of her tantras in various lineages, but suffice to say that Tārā as a tantric practice quickly spread from around the 7th century CE onwards, and remains an important part of Vajrayana Buddhism to this day.
The practices themselves usually present Tārā as a tutelary deity (thug dam,yidam) which the practitioners sees as being a latent aspect of one's mind, or a manifestation in a visible form of a quality stemming fromBuddha Jnana. As John Blofeld puts it inThe Tantric Mysticism of Tibet:
The various systems of Vajrayana Tārā practice contain numerousmantrasfor Tara. Technically speaking, a Tārā mantra is termed a "vidyā" (the proper term for a mantra of a female deity).The main vidyā mantra of Tārā is: Oṃ tāre tuttāre ture svāhā. This is the most popularly recited mantra of the deity and is her root (mula) mantra.Tāre tuttāre tureis in thevocative case.Tāreis the basic name of the deity ("O Tara").Tuttāre(prefixed by ud-) refers to Tara as "the one who helps [beings] to cross" the ocean of saṃsāra, and who "pulls [them] up" (ut-tārā).Turā,the third epithet, means "swift."
Many Tārā mantras build off this base vidyā mantra by adding various mantric words which activate different functions of the deity, such as pacification or subjugation.As Beyer notes, one way to do this is to add a phrase like "sarva ____ śāntiṃkuru" (pacify all ____ ) in between ture and svāhā. Different terms may be inserted into the blank here, depending on what activity is required, such as grahān (evil spirits), vighnān (hindering demons), vyādhīn (diseases), upadravān (injuries), akālamṛtyūn (untimely deaths), duḥsvapnān (bad dreams), cittākulāni (confusions), śatrūn (enemies), bhayopadravān (terrors and injuries), duṣkṛtāni (evil deeds).Thus, for example, if one wanted to pacify evil spirits, one could recite: Oṃ tāre tuttāre ture sarva grahān śāntiṃkuru svāhā.
Other appendixes may be added to the mantra in the same manner. For example, sarvapāpaṃ āvaraṇa viśuddhe (cleanse all evil and obscurations), or dhanaṃ me dehi (give me wealth).Other extensions of the basic vidyā mantra include a common mantra for wrathful forms of Tārā: Oṃ tāre tuttāre ture hūṃ phaṭ, and a common mantra for White Tārā used to increase lifespan is: Oṃ tāre tuttāre ture mama ayuḥ punya jñānā puśtiṃ kuru svāhā.
Tara's seed mantra (bijamantra) is tāṃ.This seed syllable is often visualized in Tarasadhanas(meditative rites. spiritual practices). This seed syllable may also appear in longer Tārā mantras. For example, there is a common Red Tārā mantra which goes: Oṃ tāre tāṃ svāhā.
Some traditions also contain a mantra for each of the twenty one Tārās, which are used to invoke a specific activity of Tara, likeAtiśa'slineage of Tara practice, which is one of the most popular systems in Tibetan Buddhism. The main source for this system is Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna’s (982–1054 CE)Sādhana of the Twenty-One Tārās(sgrol ma nyi shu rtsa gcig gi sgrub thabs).
Thus, in Atiśa's tradition, the mantra of Swift and Heroic Tārā (used for subduing enemies and hindrances) is Oṃ tāre tuttāre ture vāśaṃ kuru svāhā, the mantra of White Tārā (for healing and longevity): Oṃ tāre tuttāre ture śāntiṃ kuru svāhā and the mantra of Golden Tara (for increasing and wealth): Oṃ tāre tuttāre ture puṣṭīṃ kuru svāhā.
Other Atiśa tradition Tārā mantras require one to insert a specific name into it. For example, the mantra of Tārā who utters hūṃ allows you to influence or seduce a person, and thus is structured as follows: Oṃ tāre tuttāre ture [name of person] ākarṣaya hrī svāhā.
There are various prayers, odes (stotras) anddharanisassociated with Tara. The most famous is certainly thePraise to Tara in Twenty One Verses(Namastāraikaviṃśatistotra)which is found in numerous sources, including in theTara Tantra(Tohoku no. 726), which calls the prayer adhāraṇī.This prayer is recited daily by many monastics and laypersons of the Himalayan Vajrayana traditions.There are numerous commentaries to this praise, including three commentaries attributed to Sūryagupta.
One popular short prayer or dhāraṇī is often found coupled together with thePraise to Tara in Twenty One Verses.This is called the "praise rooted in mantra" since it contains the basic Tara mantra. This is also a popular prayer in Vajrayana Buddhism. This prayer is:
An esoteric sūtra titledTārā Who Protects from the Eight Dangers(*Tārāṣṭaghoratāraṇī) teaches the following dharani which can be recited as an aid to liberation:
Another Tārā dhāraṇī is found inThe Hundred and Eight Names of the Goddess Tārā(Tārā­devī­nāmāṣṭaśataka). This text also contains a set of verses that give one hundred and eight epithets of the deity.
Sadhanasin which Tārā is theyidam(meditational deity) can be extensive or quite brief. Most all of them include some introductory praises or homages to invoke her presence and prayers of taking refuge. Then hermantrais recited, followed by a visualization of her, perhaps more mantra, then the visualization is dissolved, followed by a dedication of the merit from doing the practice. Additionally there may be extra prayers of aspirations, and a long life prayer for the Lama who originated the practice. Many of the Tārā sadhanas are seen as beginning practices within the world ofVajrayana Buddhism, however what is taking place during the visualization of the deity actually invokes some of the most sublime teachings of all Buddhism.
In this case during the creation phase of Tārā as a yidam, she is seen as having as much reality as any other phenomena apprehended through the mind. By reciting her mantra and visualizing her form in front, or on the head of the adept, one is opening to her energies of compassion and wisdom. After a period of time the practitioner shares in some of these qualities, becomes imbued with her being and all it represents. At the same time all of this is seen as coming out of Emptiness and having a translucent quality like a rainbow. Then many times there is a visualization of oneself as Tārā. One simultaneously becomes inseparable from all her good qualities while at the same time realizing the emptiness of the visualization of oneself as the yidam and also the emptiness of one's ordinary self.
This occurs in the completion stage of the practice. One dissolves the created deity form and at the same time also realizes how much of what we call the "self" is a creation of the mind, and has no long term substantial inherent existence. This part of the practice then is preparing the practitioner to be able to confront the dissolution of one's self at death and ultimately be able to approach through various stages of meditation upon emptiness, the realization of Ultimate Truth as a vast display ofEmptinessand Luminosity. At the same time the recitation of the mantra has been invoking Tārā's energy through itsSanskritseed syllablesand this purifies and activates certain energy centers of the body (chakras). This also untangles knots of psychic energy which have hindered the practitioner from developing a Vajra body, which is necessary to be able to progress to more advanced practices and deeper stages of realization.
Therefore, even in a simple Tārā sadhana a plethora of outer, inner, and secret events is taking place and there are now many works such asDeity Yoga, compiled by the present Dalai Lama,which explores all the ramifications of working with a yidam in Tantric practices.
The end results of doing such Tārā practices are many. For one thing it reduces the forces of delusion in the forms of negative karma, sickness, afflictions ofkleshas, and other obstacles and obscurations.
The mantra helps generate Bodhicitta within the heart of the practitioner and purifies the psychic channels (nadis) within the body allowing a more natural expression of generosity and compassion to flow from the heart center. Through experiencing Tārā's perfected form one acknowledges one's own perfected form, that is one's intrinsic Buddha nature, which is usually covered over by obscurations and clinging to dualisticphenomenaas being inherently real and permanent.
The practice then weans one away from a coarse understanding of Reality, allowing one to get in touch with inner qualities similar to those of a bodhisattva, and prepares one's inner self to embrace finer spiritual energies, which can lead to more subtle and profound realizations of the Emptiness of phenomena and self.
As Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, in hisIntroduction to the Red Tārā Sadhana,notes of his lineage: "Tārā is the flawless expression of the inseparability of emptiness, awareness and compassion. Just as you use a mirror to see your face, Tārāmeditationis a means of seeing the true face of your mind, devoid of any trace of delusion".
There are several preparations to be done before practising the Sadhana. To perform a correct execution the practitioner must be prepared and take on the proper disposition. The preparations may be grouped as "internal" and "external". Both are necessary to achieve the required concentration.
Termateachings are "hidden teachings" said to have been left byPadmasambhava(8th century) and others for the benefit of future generations.Jamyang Khyentse Wangpodiscovered Phagme Nyingthig (Tib. spelling: 'chi med 'phags ma'i snying thig, Innermost Essence teachings of the Immortal Bodhisattva [Arya Tārā]).
Earlier in the 19th century, according to a biography,Nyala Pema Dündulreceived a Hidden Treasure, Tārā Teaching and Nyingthig (Tib. nying thig) from his uncle Kunsang Dudjom (Tib. kun bzang bdud 'joms). It is not clear from the source whether thetermateaching and thenyingthigteachings refer to the same text or two different texts.
There are many forms of Tārā, including various popular lists of 21 different forms or emanations of Tārā. "Green Tārā" (Skt. śyāmatārā), who is associated with peacefulness and enlightened activity, is the most depicted form of the goddess in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. This is generally considered Tārā's main form, out of which the other twenty one forms arise.One common variation of Green Tārā is known as Khadiravaṇi-Tārā (Tārā of theacaciaforest) and appears in a forest with flowers in her hair while accompanied by her two attendantsMārīcīandEkajaṭā.
Another popular form is White Tārā (Sitatārā), often shown with two arms seated on a white lotus and with eyes on her hand and feet, as well as a third eye on her forehead (thus she is also known as "Seven eyed"). She is known for compassion, long life, healing, and serenity.Red forms of Tārā are also quite common, and their main activity is power and enthrallment or magnetizing (Skt. vaśīkaraṇa, the "power to control and subjugate").
Tārā is generally considered to have many forms, all of which are various adaptations to the needs of all living beings.According to Dharmachari Purna:
There are numerous lists of "twenty one Tārās" found in Tibetan Buddhism, a tradition which is found in the Indic sources as well, beginning with the tantricThe Praise in Twenty-one Homages(Skt.Namastāraikaviṃśatistotraguṇahitasahita, in full:The Praise to Tara with Twenty-One Verses of Homage, and the Excellent Benefits of Reciting the Praise, Derge no. 438). Indian authors like Sūryagupta (a.k.a. Ravigupta, c. 7th-8th century),CandragominandAtishaalso wrote texts discussing "twenty one Tārās" and the Tārā lineages of these figures are still found in Tibetan Buddhism. Another different list is found in the IndianSadhanamala.
These Indian lineages have lists which contain different forms of Tārā. There are also other Tibetan lineages with different lists of twenty one forms of Tārā, including that ofLongchenpa,Jigme LingpaandChoggyur Lingpa.
TheTārā Tantracontains amandalaof nine Tārās, each one is a different color, but all are depicted as young women covered in jewels, with earrings and ornaments. The nine Tārās are:
Sūryagupta was a devotee of Tārā and wrote at least five commentaries on thePraise in Twenty-One Homages. His explanation of various forms of Tārā is the earliest one in the Indian tradition.In his tradition, which has been widely studied by scholars, each form of the goddess has different attributes, color and activity (such as pacifying, magnetizing, longevity, subduing enemies, etc).
Each form of Tārā also goes by slightly different names. The Sūryagupta list of Tārās actually contains twenty two forms, with one main or central deity, which is Green Tārā, Khadiravaṇī, who is blue-green, and the twenty one Tārās. The order of the list below follows Sūryagupta's commentary:
One notable form of Tārā is the dark Ugra Tārā (Ferocious or Terrible Tara) also known as Mahācīnakrama Tārā (Tib:gya nag gi rim pa drol ma, Tara in the Tradition of Greater China).This form of Tārā is notable because it was later imported into Hindu tantra from Buddhist sources like theSadhanamalaand theSadhanasamuccaya.ThisHindu Tararemains an important deity in HinduShaktatraditions, where she is one of theten Mahāvidyāgoddesses.
Ferocious Tārā is dark / black (nīla) with one face and four arms.She stands on a corpse, and holds a sword, a cutter (kartri), a blue lotus and a skullcup.She sports a single knot of hair with Aksobhya Buddha on her head.
Iconographically, Ferocious Tara is almost identical to one form of another goddess, Ekajaṭā (also known asEkajaṭīor Blue Tara).As such, some authors identify the two forms.
According to Shaw, there is a later trend of Tārā buddhology that began to see all other female divinities as aspects or emanations of Tārā or at least as being associated with her. Apart from her many emanations named Tārā of varying colors, other Mahayana female divinities that became associated with mother Tara include: Janguli,Parnashabari,Cunda,Kurukulla,Mahamayuri,Saraswati,Vasudhara,Usnisavijaya, andMarici. Based on the principle of Tārā as the central female Buddha, all otherdevisanddakiniswere thus seen as emanations of her.
Other forms or emanations of Tārā include:
Tārā's iconography such as the lotus also shows resemblance with the Hindu goddessLakshmi, and at least one Tibetan liturgy evokes Lakshmi as Tārā.