Tara: The Tibetan Female Bodhisattva
My Muse…
I’ve had a somewhat complicated relationship with religion. Faith inspires me but I’m a natural-born skeptic. Science is still my first love. I was raised Sikh, but at thirteen years of age, I turned towards atheism. It was the hypocrisy of my own culture dealing with gender norms along with my first taste of Christianity that did it. While attending church with a friend the announcement that I was going to hell because I refused to embrace Jesus made my analytical mind want to laugh out loud. Even at the time, I remember recognizing the fear-mongering as a power play. My intuition and mind have often been at odds when it comes to spiritual pursuits but life and experience have softened my position tremendously.
After a short stint with atheism, I realized there are phenomena that I will never explain with my rational mind. In actuality, there are things I will die not understanding. For a curious person like me, that’s a blow. The essence of transcendent experiences requires a dissolving of the ego and a substantial amount of faith. This is a truth that can be said by many but is hard to live. As a result, I turned to Zen Buddhism and explored a range of topics that enhanced my understanding of the nature of reality and truth. Concepts belonging to Sufi mysticism, goddess worship, ancient mythology, yoga, meditation, and Vajrayana Buddhism, have me feeling my way around the spiritual world with much stronger footing. Kids and life have gotten in the way, but meditation, yoga, and female deities (predominantly from Asian cultures) feel the most like home to me. I guess you could say they call me somehow. I have an especially loving affinity towards Tara, a female Bodhisattva.
Over time I have come to understand that a ‘path’ towards spiritual awakening does exist. In fact, it is my strong belief that many exist. However, aspects of religions that have never appealed to me are the idea of receiving merit, or gifts for good behavior. Marcus Aurelius said this best and I try to structure my moral life around this philosophy regarding daily conduct:
“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.” — Marcus Aurelius
Perhaps this is why strict adherence to church or religious leaders doesn’t appeal to me. If all ‘paths’ lead to god and a path does indeed exist for each individual to the divine, then many roads to enlightenment must come in all shapes, sizes, colors, forms, and religions. This brings me to a loose set of practices that have enhanced my path towards compassion, and spiritual awakening. Some are taken from Sikhism, Hinduism, and finally Buddhism. The manifestations of Tara and my meditations are a step on my path.
The origin of Tara has a few possible roots. She may have evolved from the Hindu goddess Durga as Buddhism found its way into Tibet and Asia from India, or she may have been a devout princess that embodied the traits of the Buddha. Perhaps there is another origin myth that is just as inspiring. The myth is tied to Avalokiteshvara, the masculine earthly reincarnation of Amitabha. Avalokiteshvara is considered the most compassionate of the bodhisattvas and broadly revered across Asia in many forms. Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings that delay their transcendence to assist in the liberation of all beings. It is said that upon looking at the suffering of sentient beings, Avalokiteshvara, who sees in all directions, shed tears. Those tears formed a lake and from that lake, a lotus opened revealing Tara.
In Vajrayana Buddhism, the third branch associated with Tibetan Buddhism, Tara is a meditational deity that invokes, shunyata (emptiness), and karuna (compassion). She comes in twenty-one forms associated with different colors representing different manifestations and archetypes. The common thread of goddess worship is woven in a tapestry that spans the globe. Tara has a special appeal to me because she expresses the expanse of human emotions including rich symbolism, ritual, and nuance. Tara can be wrathful in her blue form, she is seductive in her tantric red yogic form, she is protective and infinitely nurturing in her green form. She is the full expression of the human condition while still enabling the enlightenment of all sentient beings.
The most common forms of Tara are the Green and White Tara. Images of Green Tara like the one above are filled with symbolism in art. There is meaning in the gesture of her hands, or mudras, how she sits, how she is bejeweled, and the items she holds. Green Tara is often depicted with her left leg tucked in the posture of meditation and her right leg ready to spring off of her lotus to assist those that call her into action. Her right hand rests on her knee in a gesture of generosity and her left hand sits in a refuge giving mudra in front of her heart. The Bodhisattva is said to protect devotees from the eight fears — pride, hatred, jealousy, greed, attachment, ignorance, doubt, and illusion, (or wrong views).
Tara in her white form is sought by devotees looking to increase health and longevity. White Tara is said to have the ability to heal sickness when the mantra is repeated and she is visualized in meditation. She is similar in appearance to the artwork shown above with a few adjustments. The most remarkable feature about the Bodhisattva is her seven eyes. Each hand and foot and the brow chakra have the power of sight. In this case, White Tara’s seven eyes enable her to see clearly and with motherly compassion all those that suffer.
While all of Tara’s incarnations fascinate me, I seem to have a fondness for her red form. Perhaps it’s her apparent ties to yoga and tantra (think philosophy, not sex). Red Tara is also known as Kurukulla and chanting this mantra is said to bring the fulfillment of desires. (Which seems at odds with the expression of non-attachment but that’s a whole other philosophical argument!) Red Tara is often depicted in her semi-wrathful form adorned with bone ornaments. She is synonymous with enchantments, power, and destruction of the ego. While some depictions of Red Tara seem aggressive, she is in a state of continuous bliss. Even in her exquisite other-worldliness, there is ever-present, the essence of humanity. I find that very appealing.
In the origin stories where Tara originates from a devout princess, she makes a solemn oath to return in female form as a Bodhisattva. Monks had recognized the potential of the princess as a devotee but suggested she return in the male form to achieve enlightenment. This suggests that somehow her femininity is a hindrance to spiritual awakening. Her response is to state that form/gender is not a limitation to achieving enlightenment. This is very significant for several reasons. Female archetypes don’t often have the luxury of being fully fleshed out. You have the Madonna or the whore, the youthful yogini, or the crone. Women are objects of desire without reverence or restraint or to be ridiculed. Tara chooses her path and in doing so benefits all of humanity. Her manifestations and physical representations are of no real consequences. There is an important distinction here beyond the trite feminist cliches.
The twenty-one manifestations of Tara are representative of the gambit of feminine archetypes that exist in the world. I’m just beginning to explore Vajrayana Buddhism and how it relates to my meditation and yogic practices. Given my upbringing, it’s the closest system of beliefs that allows my spiritual journey to progress. I was always taught and still believe that these bliss states and a sense of unity in our common humanity can be found in Islam, Judaism, Christianity, or any other system of beliefs. It’s just a matter of finding a home, path, and practice. I hope we can all find such a muse. The world could use an abiding sense of motherly compassion.
Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha (Green Tara Mantra — I prostrate to the Liberator, Mother of all the Victorious Ones.)
This doesn’t do the mantra justice but it’s a start.
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Go forth and break bread: Soup Season is here! White bean and cauliflower with garlic is delicious.
My dream soundtrack is diving into 90’s throwback: Sweet Surrender by Sarah McLachlan. My husband and I had our first date at one of your concerts so many moons ago and I loved Lilith Fair!
