Sunday

Green Tara

Tara represents the entire enlightened activities of all Buddhas and hence she is called the mother of the Buddhas of three times. It is said in the sutra that Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva saved an ferried over countless suffering beings from the sea of birth and death. It happened one day when Avalokiteshvara looked at the misery of the world he shed tears out of great compassion from his eyes. The tears turned into a lotus flower from which appeared white and green Tara who said to him, "Please don't be sad. We will assist you in liberating living beings, although they are countless, in number the power of our vows is also immeasurable".
Since then we had been liberating countless number of living beings daily. The name of Tara was thus known to all Buddhas in ten directions.
There are 21 forms of Tara. In reality, they are all the transformed bodies of Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of compassion.
Green Tara appears as young beautiful maiden. Her body is green in color. She has one face and two arms, she wears a crown bedecked with five Buddha images. She wears all kind of Bodhisattva ornaments studded with jewels and celestial garments of varied colors. She sits on a lotus throne in Lalita attitude in half lotus posture. Her left hand shows the gesture of refuge vows and right hand the varada mudra because she is quick to answer the petitions of those who seek her aid. Tara is known as the great liberator from 8 kinds of dangers or fears. The cultivation of Tara sadhana will eliminate all demoniac and karmic obstacles, eradicates disaster and lengthens one's lifespan.

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