In the vast tapestry of Buddhist and Hindu mythology, few deities captivate the imagination quite like Goddess Tara. Her name, meaning "star" or "she who ferries across," evokes images of celestial light guiding lost souls through turbulent waters. But who is this enigmatic goddess, and how did her worship spread across the spiritual landscapes of Asia? Let's embark on a journey through time to discover the origins and rich mythology surrounding this beloved divine mother.
The Birth of a Goddess: Multiple Stories, One Divine Essence:
The origins of Goddess Tara
are as varied and colourful as the lands where she's worshipped. Unlike deities
with a single creation story, Tara emerges from multiple mythological
traditions, each adding layers to her mystique.
- The Tear of Avalokiteshvara:
Perhaps the most poignant
origin story comes from Tibetan Buddhist tradition. According to this
narrative, the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara—the embodiment of infinite
compassion—gazed upon the suffering of all sentient beings. Overwhelmed by the
magnitude of pain in the world, tears streamed from his eyes. From his right
tear emerged the peaceful White Tara, while from his left tear arose the fierce
Green Tara. Both aspects of the goddess made a solemn vow: they would work
tirelessly until every being achieved liberation from suffering.
This beautiful story speaks
to something deeply human—the idea that even divine compassion can be moved to
tears, and from those tears, salvation itself is born.
- The Princess Who Became a Star:
Another captivating legend
tells of a devout princess who practiced meditation and virtuous acts for
countless lifetimes. When monks suggested she pray to be reborn as a man in her
next life (reflecting the gender biases of ancient times), she firmly refused.
Instead, she declared that she would attain enlightenment in a female form and
continue to manifest as a woman to liberate beings throughout the ages.
This princess became Tara,
establishing her as a powerful feminist icon in Buddhist spirituality—a goddess
who proudly maintains her feminine identity while achieving the highest
spiritual realization.
- The Hindu Connection:
In Hindu tradition, Tara
appears as one of the ten Mahavidyas, or Great Wisdom Goddesses. Here,
she's often associated with the fierce aspects of the Divine Mother, linked
with Kali in her protective and transformative powers. Some scholars believe
that Buddhist Tara may have been influenced by or evolved from this Hindu
goddess, suggesting a beautiful cross-pollination of spiritual traditions that
occurred over centuries in the Indian subcontinent.
An intriguing aspect of
Tara's mythology connects her with Neel Saraswati (Blue Saraswati), also known
as Ugratara or Neela Tara in certain tantric traditions. While the
classical Saraswati appears dressed in white, symbolizing purity and knowledge,
her esoteric form as Neel Saraswati takes on a darker, more mysterious blue or
black complexion—much like Tara herself.
This identification reveals
the hidden tantric dimensions of the goddess. In some Bengali and Assamese
traditions, devotees worship Tara and Neel Saraswati as essentially the same
divine force, representing the secret, transformative aspect of wisdom that
goes beyond mere intellectual knowledge. Where white Saraswati represents
conventional learning and the arts, Neel Saraswati embodies transcendent wisdom
that destroys ignorance at its root.
The connection makes
symbolic sense: both goddesses guide seekers across difficult
passages—Saraswati across the river of ignorance, and Tara across the ocean of
existence. This merging of identities in tantric worship shows how different
goddess traditions in India often flowed together, creating rich, multi-layered
understandings of the Divine Feminine.
The Many Faces of Tara: A
Rainbow of Divine Forms:
What makes Tara particularly
fascinating is her appearance in twenty-one distinct forms, each representing
different aspects of her divine nature and serving specific purposes for
devotees.
Green Tara
stands as the most popular manifestation, depicted in a posture of
readiness—one leg extended as if prepared to leap into action at any moment.
She embodies swift compassion and protection from fears. Devotees call upon her
for immediate help in times of danger or distress, believing she responds
faster than any other deity.
White Tara,
serene and motherly, represents longevity, healing, and serenity. Often
depicted with seven eyes—three on her face, one on each palm, and one on each
sole—she sees and responds to suffering wherever it exists. Her presence brings
peace to troubled hearts and healing to sick bodies.
Other forms include Red Tara
(magnetizing and subjugating), Black Tara (protecting against negative forces),
Yellow Tara (increasing wealth and prosperity), and Blue Tara (transmuting
anger), among others. Each colour carries symbolic meaning, and each form
addresses different human needs and spiritual challenges.
The Geographical Journey:
From India to the Himalayas and Beyond:
Tara's worship likely
originated in India around the 6th or 7th century CE, where Buddhism was
flourishing and Hindu tantric practices were developing. As Buddhism spread
along the Silk Road and into the Himalayan regions, Tara travelled with it,
becoming especially beloved in Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia, and parts of China.
In Tibet, her veneration
reached extraordinary heights. The Tibetan people consider Tara their special
protector, and stories abound of her miraculous interventions in the lives of
practitioners. The great master Atisha, who brought Buddhist teachings to Tibet
in the 11th century, was said to have had a particularly close relationship
with Tara, receiving teachings and guidance directly from her.
Interestingly, when Buddhism
declined in India, Tara's worship diminished there but continued to thrive in
the Himalayan regions, where it remains vibrant today. Nepalese Buddhists and
Hindus alike revere her, and in Mongolia, she became integrated into the local
spiritual landscape so thoroughly that she's considered a national deity of
sorts.
The Symbolism That Speaks
Volumes:
Every aspect of Tara's
iconography carries profound meaning. Her green or white colour speaks to her
life-giving and purifying nature. The lotus flowers she holds represent
spiritual unfolding and the ability to remain pure while emerging from the mud
of worldly existence.
Her ornaments and jewels
symbolize the spiritual qualities and virtues she embodies. When she's depicted
with multiple arms, each hand gesture (mudra) represents a different blessing
or protection she offers—abhaya mudra for fearlessness, varada
mudra for generosity, and so on.
The very posture of Green
Tara tells a story. While her right leg extends downward, ready for action, her
left leg remains in meditation posture—a perfect balance between contemplative
wisdom and active compassion. She doesn't simply sit in detached enlightenment;
she's perpetually ready to step into the world to help those who call upon her.
Within tantric traditions,
Tara holds a uniquely powerful position as a deity of direct spiritual
realization. Tantra sadhana involving Tara isn't merely devotional worship—it's
a transformative practice where the practitioner seeks to merge their consciousness
with the goddess herself, embodying her enlightened qualities.
The tantric approach to Tara
involves elaborate rituals, visualizations, and mantra recitations performed
with precise guidance from a qualified guru. Practitioners engage in nyasa
(placing divine energy in the body), mudras (sacred hand gestures), and detailed
meditations where they visualize themselves as Tara, dissolving the boundary
between devotee and deity. This isn't considered pretense but rather the
recognition of one's own inherent divine nature. In tantric philosophy, Tara
represents the primordial shakti—the dynamic energy that both creates and
liberates. Her sadhana is particularly recommended for practitioners seeking
rapid spiritual progress and protection from obstacles on the path. The
practice is said to awaken dormant spiritual energies, purify karma, and grant
siddhis (spiritual powers), though the goal remains enlightenment itself.
What makes Tara sadhana
especially accessible within tantra is her reputation for being a nurturing,
responsive deity who readily assists sincere practitioners. Unlike some tantric
deities requiring years of preparation, Tara is often described as immediately
available to those who approach her with genuine devotion and pure intention.
Her tantric worship remains alive today, particularly in Bengal, Assam, Nepal,
and Tibet, where lineages of Tara sadhana have been carefully preserved and
transmitted across generations.
Tara in Contemporary
Practice: A Living Goddess:
What distinguishes Tara from
many mythological figures is that she remains vibrantly alive in contemporary
spiritual practice. Thousands of people worldwide recite her mantras daily,
particularly the famous "Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha," believed to
invoke her swift protection and blessings.
Meditation practitioners
visualize her form, seeking to embody her qualities of compassion, wisdom, and
fearless action. Pilgrims travel to sacred sites associated with her, and
artists continue to create beautiful representations of her in paintings, sculptures,
and mandalas.
In Western Buddhist circles,
Tara has found resonance among women practitioners who appreciate her as a
fully enlightened female deity. She offers an alternative to predominantly male
representations of Buddhahood, proving that the highest spiritual realization
isn't bound by gender.
The Eternal Relevance of
Tara:
In our modern world, filled
with anxiety, fear, and rapid change, the message of Goddess Tara feels more
relevant than ever. She represents the possibility that compassion can be both
gentle and fierce, that wisdom includes the willingness to act, and that
spiritual attainment doesn't require abandoning the world but rather engaging
with it more fully.
Her mythology teaches that
tears of compassion can become sources of liberation, that refusing limiting
identities is itself a spiritual practice, and that help is always available to
those who seek it with sincere hearts. Whether viewed as an actual deity, an
archetypal force, or a representation of our own potential for awakened
compassion, Tara continues to ferry countless beings across the turbulent
waters of existence.
As we face our own
challenges and fears, perhaps we too can call upon that star-like quality
within ourselves—the light that guides, the compassion that acts, and the
wisdom that liberates. In doing so, we honour not just an ancient goddess, but
the timeless truth she represents that love and wisdom, when combined with
courage, can transform our world.
May all beings find refuge
in the compassionate embrace of Tara, the mother of liberation.
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