Tara The Feminine Divine PDF
Tara The Feminine Divine PDF
Bokar Rinpoch e
Tara
The Feminine
Divine
Immanent nature of samsara and nirvana
the clear light.
The saintly Lama shaws the mode of being
the clear light.
May the fortunate ones who practice
the mahamudra-clear light
become buddhas in the heart of awakening
the clear light.
BOKAR RlNPOCHE
To Juanita Hall
May the reflection of her kind heart shine and benefit all
beings.
Publisher's Acknowledgement
The publisher gratefully acknowledges the generous
help of Rosemary Gilpin, Karen Graham, Derek Smith,
Elson Snow, Carolyn Sumrall, Isao and Sets Tanaka.
Tara
The Feminine
Divine
Bokar Rinpoche
English Translation
Christiane Buchet
ClearPoint Press
San Francisco, California
Tara the Feminine Divine
Published by:
ClearPoint Press
PO Box 170658
San Francisco, CA 94117
2- Tara's Tantra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
What Is a Tantra? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Encrypted Language of the Tantras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Origin of the Tara Tantra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Uttering of the Tara Tantra by Shakyamuni Buddha . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Tantras among Human Beings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Hayapala's Lineage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Atisha and Tara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Miraculous Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Choosing Ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
How to Make Amends for a Fault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
The Yogini's Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Tara's Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
-5-
3- Invocation of Tara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Function of Rituals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Tara Ritual ......................................... . 65
Outer Practice 66
Inner Practice ....................................... . 70
Secret Practice ....................................... . 71
The Simple Prayer ............... ·..................... . 74
Empowerments ...................................... . 79
Tara Empowerment ................................... . 80
6-lconography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
The Twenty-one Taras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Taras Who Protect from the Eight Fears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
-6-
Introduction
A DIFFERENT WAY OF THINKING
This work is not a study of Tara and the context of the deity as they
would be envisioned by a Western scholar but rather a presentation of
the way a Tibetan understands things. To understand will require some
effort on the reader's part.
Our approach to history and what science tells us about the reality
of the world instill habitual ways of thinking that dare not go beyond
what our senses and reason allow us to perceive. The Tibetan traditional
mind moves in a larger world. According to it, perception of senses and
intelligence have some value but are too limited to sufficiently describe
reality. Thousands of years of history form only a split second in relation
to the infinity of time. The Earth is only a grain of sand among the
immensity of worlds; and beings that we see-human and animal-are
only a small part of the possibilities of existence. It easily envisions as
real what we consider without hesitation as belonging to the domain of
myth and legend. For the traditional Tibetan mind, historical truths and
mythical truths are not contradictory, they are intertwined and complete
each other gracefully.
Who is right? Westerners and their belief in what can be seen or
Tibetans and their belief in what cannot be seen? It is perhaps an endless
debate in which we will not participate here. It is certain that readers not
used to the Tibetan way of thinking will be surprised and possibly
distressed at the manner in which things are presented in this book.
Without any doubt, they will have the feeling of completely wandering
in mythology or in fairy tales, in a universe with which they are not
directly concerned. However, if the readers make the effort to enlarge
their vision of the -world, it will not be without benefit; not only will
they be able to understand how a thought other than theirs functions,
but they will gain entry to larger, more diverse, and mysterious worlds.
Where is reality? Who knows?
-7-
wall facing Bokar Rinpoche, there is a representation of Green Tara in
silk applique from Tibet. But above all, on Bokar Rinpoche's left (the
visitor's right) there is a vast and magnificent shrine containing many
statues of Tara gathered in tiers. The central statue is the size of a
human being and adorned with precious and fine ornaments. In its
heart, Bokar Rinpoche has placed a small Tara statue that he inherited
from his previous incarnation. This statue, carved out of a meteorite, is
famous for not having been made by human hands but dropped from
the sky.lt is supposedly traced to the ancient Nalanda University which
sheltered several thousand monks when buddhism was blooming in
India, more than 1500 years in the past. When Bokar Rinpoche visited
the Nalanda and Sarnath museums, he noticed statues dating from this
time, and they were very similar to his statue.
Bokar Rinpoche carries a reliquary, as all Tibetan lamas do, which
contains another Tara statue from the 18th century that he considers
very precious. It was given to his previous incarnation by the 11th Situ
Rinpoche, a great lama who had his monastery in Kham. When Bokar
Rinpoche travels, he always takes this reliquary with him, and it is not
unusual for him to use it to give blessings while reciting Tara's praise.
Finally, in the recently constructed retreat center of his monastery,
Bokar Rinpoche has also reserved a special shrine to Tara, which
contains many beautiful statues.
When Bokar Rinpoche speaks of Tara, he does not merely impart
intellectual knowledge. While keeping in his deepest heart the secret of
his relationship to the deity, he cannot hide the beauty of the pure love
that links him to her.
-8-
1 - Tara the Divine
-9-
Let us suppose that in a dream we meet a deity.
We would be sure of the individual existence of that
deity. Also, we would be sure of the reality of the "I"
who, upon seeing the deity, would feel joy and
devotion. However, in truth, the person perceiving the
deity and the deity would both be manifestations from
the same inexpressible essence, the mind itself. In the
same way, for those who live on a relative level, the
deities appear on a relative level without being
separated from their essence, which is none other than
the essence of the mind.
To understand the true nature of deities, we must
always remind ourselves of the two levels of reality:
-Ultimate truth, beyond notions of subject and object,
I and other, beyond concepts and words, truth is
always present and always "true," but it is not
experienced by ordinary beings.
- Relative truth, "false" in essence but "true" for the
people who experience it, a truth founded on the
fallacious perception of subject and object, of an "I"
and another.
If, from our point of view, there is an "I" and the
"deity," from the point of view of the deity, there is
neither an I nor another, neither subject nor object.
This does not imply the absence of manifestation, but
that this manifestation is without duality. It lacks a
"center and circumference."
The true nature of the mind is the nature of the
mind as it is, free from any psychological elaboration
and free from all mistakes and illusion, subject and
object.
Why is the nature of the mind called "divine"?
This is because it is without suffering, pure of any
disturbances, and because it is superior bliss. This
- 10-
happiness is different from the relative happiness that
we experience in the ordinary world. It is not a
transitory happiness depending on objects or
depending on relationships of an "I" and "another,"
but a happiness inherent to the mind itself, beyond all
duality. This happiness cannot be altered by any fear
or suffering. This genuine and immutable happiness is
itself the deity.
- 11-
From the point of view of the path leading to
awakening, these deities appear as external to our
mind, as an expression of the buddhas to help us in
our progress, because of our dualistic thinking.
From the point of view of fruition-that is, once
we have fully realized the nature of the mind-deities
are no longer seen as external but as the
manifestation of the Absolute Body, beyond duality,
beyond any notion of "I" and "another," the Absolute
Body with which our mind has merged.
- 12-
our point of view, it is true. However, from the point
of view of a buddha, there is no I and no other. This
means that a buddha does not think he or she must
produce Bodies of Enjoyment or must help others. As
we have seen, the Body of Enjoyment is a spontaneous
expression of the Absolute Body. The activity that is
exerted is spontaneous, lacking will and effort, lacking
also the notion of a reality inherent to the
manifestation, and the idea of an "I" who helps and
"another" that is helped.
That the deity may first appear as external, then
reveal itself as inherent to the nature of the mind
without idea of external or internal, may seem difficult
to understand. The difficulty comes from a dualistic
conceptual approach. For us, there is an "I" or another,
external or internal, and if we cannot imagine that it
can be otherwise, we cannot really understand what
matters. Only the realization of the nature of mind
will give us direct experience of this reality.
- 13-
Question: The Body of Enjoyment manifests in extremely
various aspects that we see represented in the form of
various deities. Is the diversity necessary?
Answer: On the one hand, this diversity derives from
the nature itself of things. The possibilities of
expression of a buddha or clarity of the nature of
mind are infinite. This is why the forms of the Body of
Enjoyment are infinite. Nothing can limit them. For
this reason, it is also called "Body of All Forms." All
forms are possible. All colors, all ornaments, and all
attributes are possible. It is also said that limitations of
an ordinary body do not apply to the Body of
Enjoyment. The hand of a Body of Enjoyment cannot
only touch objects but it can also see, hear, experience
taste, think, and so on. This applies to any part of the
body.
From the point of view of practice, on the other
hand, the diversity that is proposed to us is a means
to fight our strong tendency to believe in the reality of
phenomena as we are able to perceive them. The
multiplicity of forms tends to show us that what they
really are is bigger than our understanding. If there
were only one deity, only one form of the Body of
Enjoyment, this would lead us, without any doubt, to
implicitly accord to the deity a level of reality similar
to ours. We conceive ourselves as an entity limited to
a body and we would probably conceive the deity as
an entity limited to a body. The diversity of forms and
the understanding that they all are the various
expressions of the unique nature of the mind, the
Absolute Body, help us not to fall into this flaw in
understanding.
- 14-
THE DIVINE COMING FROM THE HUMAN
We have explained that, to benefit beings, fully
awakened beings, such as the buddhas, spontaneously
assume, in a nonintentional way, various forms on the
level of pure manifestation normally inaccessible to
ordinary human beings. They are called the Body of
Enjoyment. These forms can be diversified: male,
female, peaceful, wrathful, and in several aspects.
These deities come directly from the compassionate
activity of the buddhas. If the deities have a feminine
appearance, they are called goddesses.
From a relative point of view, however, some
deities are considered the result of a human ascending
to the divine. There are men or women who have
embarked on the dharma path, rid themselves of all
imperfections of the ordinary state, and have seen the
qualities of the awakened state bloom within
themselves. They have reached a divine state and
become "gods" or "goddesses."
Tara may be seen as belonging-at least from the
point of view of pedagogical truth-to the latter
category. As we will see, she was first an ordinary
being, then she passed through all of the levels of the
path, and she finally attained the result and became a
goddess.
- 15-
presented in masculine or feminine forms to which we
attribute certain characteristics. However, from the
point of view of the reality of the Enjoyment Body,
means and knowledge are always indiscriminately
united to the essence of the deity.
- 16-
having discerned a special connection, gives a
particular yidam to a disciple to practice.
This was the case for Birwapa who first began
practicing Chakrasamvara. After some time, he had
such bad dreams that he preferred to give up all
practice. He was then requested to practice Hevajra, a
practice through which he quickly attained realization.
This does not mean that Chakrasamvara was a bad
yidam, but that Bi~apa in his past lives had a weak
connection with Chakrasamvara whereas he had
already acquired a great practice of Hevajra. This
made the result happen sooner. It was then necessary
for him to give up Chakrasamvara to practice Hevajra.
Generally, connections are not that obvious.
ABSOLUTE TARA
What we have s'!-id about deities in general also
applies to Tara. Tara's identity, as with that of other
deities, may be envisioned from two different points
of view, that of "pedagogical truth" and "certain
truth." Pedagogical truth complies with our ordinary
mode of thinking and certain truth goes beyond that.
- 17-
This double identity of Tara is not a contradiction:
One does not negate the other.
From an absolute point of view, because of her
nature itself as an awakened deity, Tara could not be
other than the nature of our own mind.
Let us clarify what this nature of the mind is. It is
beyond any concept, beyond any mental elaboration,
and beyond notions such as:
- existence and nonexistence
- nothing and something
-material and immaterial, and so on.
Beyond concepts does not mean nothingness. The
nature of mind is the domain of awareness itself, of
the experience itself of pure awareness. No intellect,
no reasoning, no word can grasp it or express it.
However, it is present and cannot be negated.
This awareness, inherent in everyone beyond any
mental elaborations, also is Tara in the ultimate
domain.
Other names are used to designate the ultimate
Tara. She is notably called "perfection of knowledge"
(prajnaparamita).
The perfection of knowledge has no form, it is
emptiness of the Absolute Body (Dharmakaya). This
emptiness, however, as we previously explained, has
the capability to manifest itself purely as the Body of
Enjoyment (Sambhogakaya). It is on the level of the
Body of Enjoyment that feminine deities such as Tara,
Vajravarahi (Dorje Pamo), and many others appear.
All of them are in essence the perfection of knowledge
or the nature itself of our mind.
It is also said that Tara is the "Mother of all
Buddhas," which refers also to her essence. The nature
of mind, perfection of knowledge, and emptiness are,
- 18-
in fact, equivalent terms. All past buddhas have
attained buddhahood by realizing emptiness (or
realizing the nature of the mind). It is the same for
present buddhas and it will be the same for future
buddhas. Thus, Tara- the Tara beyond time, space,
and all concepts-is the mother of all buddhas.
- 19-
Wisdom Moon, distressed by their narrowness of
mind, answered them from the point of view of the
ultimate nature of all things:
Here, no man, no woman,
no I, no individual, no categories.
"Man" or "woman" are only denominations
created by confusion of perverse minds
in this world.
She added that there were many who followed the
path in a man's body, few in a woman's body. "As for
myself," she said, "as long as samsara is not emptied,
I will benefit beings appearing in a female body."
Such was her promise.
Her practice then allowed her to realize ultimate
truth. Having become a goddess, she has placed
millions of beings on the path of awakening each day.
Dwelling for some time in a particular state of
concentration called "concentration that frees beings
from samsara," she was known as "Savioress," or
"Tara" in Sanskrit. It is said that she liberated an
infinite number of beings in the morning and an
infinite number in the afternoon.
In another cosmic era, the kalpa of Perfect Victory,
when Buddha Amoghasiddhi lived, Tara entered
another state of concentration to protect beings from
danger, fears, and demons. This state is called the
"concentration that completely vanquishes demons."
Again, she benefited many beings, providing help as
soon as they called upon her. Because of the swiftness
of her activity, she was known as "Swift and
Courageous."
Later, during the kalpa Without Beginning, there
lived a monk called Stainless who received the
empowerment of compassion of all the buddhas'
-20-
mind. He became the deity Avalokiteshvara
(Chenrezig). The five Victors, the buddhas who reign
over the five families of awakening, gave him a special
empowerment. This caused Tara to arise from his
heart, coming through this mode of manifestation to
accomplish the buddhas' wishes and work at
benefiting beings during that kalpa. (In some versions,
Tara appears from Avalokiteshvara's tear drop.) For
this reason, Tara also has the name of "Daughter of
the Worlds' Sovereign," that is, daughter of
Avalokiteshvara.
Tara, the Swift and Courageous Daughter of the
Worlds' Sovereign, has been benefiting beings during
many kalpas by manifesting in various ways and
accomplishing various activities through particular
states of concentration.
Such is Tara's story in the domain of manifestation.
- 21-
What is fear? How does Tara help deal with it? It
is what we will try to rmderstand now.
During our existences, we face two kinds of fear.
-The first fear is not obtaining what we wish.
- The second fear is not being able to eliminate
danger, threat, or circumstances painful for us.
Because of one or another of these reasons, we
often find ourselves afraid at various levels, from
worry to fright.
If we look closely, we see that the real cause of fear
is none other than the ego itself, or more exactly,
attachment to the ego, the "1." The greater this
attachment, the more numerous are the fearful states.
All that threatens "me" in one way or another
engenders fear. All that "I" risks to lose engenders
fear. Fear and a belief in the reality of "I," fear and
attachment to oneself are very closely related.
On this proformd cause, various factors are grafted
such as circumstances of existence but also some
karmic predispositions. The karmic predispositions
sometimes engender fear apparently without reason,
or a state of almost permanent worry that no outer
event can justify.
The correlative to any feeling of fear is the desire
to find help and protection. However, the outside
world is often impotent to provide us any of the help
we want, to such an extent that fear leads to despair.
What the world cannot give us, the reality that
transcends this world, incarnated by the buddhas and
bodhisattvas, can give us. Particularly, the activity of
all the buddhas directed toward elimination of fear
and danger is formd within the divine person of Tara.
-22-
Tara has the power to help us. However, this
power is effective only if we trust it. For Tara to help,
we must pray to her and call upon her from the
bottom of our hearts without reserve or doubting her
intervention. The deity's response depends on the
strength of our trust. If doubt inhabits our mind, there
is a small probability that Tara's blessing and
protection will come to us, whereas a trust without
reserve and a complete conviction, will insure that
they will certainly come.
In reality, all worldly appearances are a
manifestation of our mind. Fear, apprehension, and
danger are also a manifestation of our mind, just like
in a bad dream the mind creates both the threat and
the one who feels it.
-23-
The creative faculty of our mind is very strong. It
is this strength that exerts itself in the fervent prayer
addressed to Tara. Together with Tara's immense will
to help beings, this strength makes possible the
protection. The help that we receive is the fruit of the
meeting of these two factors, the force of our devotion
and Tara's compassion.
We must understand that if phenomena had reality
in themselves, no change would be possible. By the
fact that they are empty in nature, they are only
expressions of the deep conditioning of our mind that
can be changed. This explains the efficiency of our
prayer and Tara's answer.
It is also why, when the nature of the mind is
realized, all fear disappears.
-24-
THE EIGHT GREAT FEARS
Traditionally, it is said that Tara protects against the
eight great fears or eight great dangers such as
elephants, lions, snakes, fire, water, thieves, fetters
(imprisonment), and demons. These eight dangers
were certainly the greatest challenge one could meet
in ancient India. Nevertheless, the list is not
exhaustive. Tara protects against all dangers whatever
they are when we call upon her to help us and pray
to her with confidence.
There is another interpretation of the eight great
fears. Firstly, they may refer to physical dangers in
our life, secondly, they designate the afflicting
emotions in our mind, which are major dangers
because they may lead us to accomplish negative acts.
They are the causes, because of the karmic
consequences of these acts, of all our future suffering.
The following equivalences have been established:
- elephants = blindness
- lions = pride
- fire = anger
- poisonous snakes = jealousy
- thieves = erroneous philosophies
- imprisonment = greed
-water =desire and attachment
- demons = doubts
To protect us from inner fears, Tara dissipates the
afflicting emotion itself, which is the cause of, as well
as the suffering that is the result.
Many stories from ancient times report Tara's
intervention to save a person from a threatening
snake, another from the danger of fire, another from
the demons' attacks, and so on. However, for those
who pray to her, the helping activity of Tara remains
- 25-
today what it was in the past. Some contemporary
stories illustrate that.
-26-
Darjeeling and Kalimpong areas to her at a cheap
price. The wealth of Amala's family was, and still is,
well-known in Darjeeling.
Later, the validity of the property rights was
contested, resulting in litigation. Amala was an
educated woman, a lawyer, who could speak and
write fluently in English even better than in Tibetan,
which she could write phonetically when needed.
However, during these trials, Amala relied more on
Tara's protection than on her skills as a business
woman. She gladly admitted that she prayed to Tara
before every court trial, and never lost a single one.
One of the trials, in particular, concerned a great
sum of money, 100,000 rupees held by a bank
(equaling at that time 10,000 US dollars, which was a
considerable amount in India). Amala spent several
months in Calcutta awaiting the trial. The day before
the judgment, a young woman appeared to her in a
dream and told her, "Do not worry, tomorrow
everything will be fine." .
The next day, not only was the judgment favorable
but because of a procedure she was never able to
explain, she received not 100,000 rupees but 300,000!
For her, there was no doubt that the young woman
who came to comfort her in the dream was none other
than Tara, and that the multiplication of rupees was
also due to the deity's astuteness.
- 27-
I
~
I
Tara's torma
The deities' tormas (or tentor) are symbolic figures made of
dough or clay, adorned with circular ornaments chiseled in
colored butter. They represent the deity's presence on the shrine.
-28-
In Sonada, Kalu Rinpoche's monastery in ·India
near Darjeeling, Amala donated a great Tara statue
surrounded by smaller representations of twenty-one
Taras that can still be seen in the temple. Her devotion
to Tara was so exclusive that, Kalu Rinpoche, having
a Padmasambhava statue placed above them for a
while, was told by her that this was not acceptable.
For six years, Amala was the benefactor of the two
Sonada retreat centers, providing food and .all that
was necessary for the twenty or thirty meditators
there. She herself stayed in retreat for three years in a
small house at the foot of the monastery. There, she
assiduously prayed to Tara. She would sit, not facing
the shrine, but perpendicularly to it. One day, she
came to see Khenpo 6 and myself requesting that we
quickly go to her retreat house. As she would talk a
lot about unnecessary things, we doubted the
importance of what she wanted to communicate.
However, we followed her. She ushered us inside,
asked us to close the door and said, "Look at my
shrine!" In fact, something extraordinary had
happened. Tara's torma, instead of remaining in its
normal position, had spontaneously turned very
slowly toward Amala.
Amala died at an old age while visiting her
daughter who was working at the Indian Embassy in
Madrid.
Amala's story is filled with teachings. Most of her
life, she was a woman attached to worldly wealth and
money, praying ceaselessly for Tara to conserve or
increase what she owned. Her motivation was neither
deep nor generous. She was not thoughtful of others
or her future destiny. However, by continuous
devotion to Tara and by keeping the deity in her
- 29-
heart, she received Tara's blessing, and her mind
changed little by little. Toward the end of her life, she
met Kalu Rinpoche. She had no lama to guide her
until then. She detached herself from material
belongings, sincerely turned to the dharma, and
remained in retreat. Up to that time she was tied up
with her wealth, but then she made large offerings to
the Sonada monastery and retreat centers.
Such is Tara's blessing, that it turns her devotees
toward their own good beyond their limited wishes.
-30-
unsuccessful. Were they killed? Were they made
prisoners by the Chinese? No one knew.
One year later, after much difficulty, Khenpo
Gyurme Tsultrim, his father, and his sister finally
arrived in India where they obtained refugee status.
For twenty years, they heard nothing of the mother
and sister who remained in Tibet. They believed them
to be dead.
Actually, they had been arrested by the Chinese
and led back to Kham. Without any protection, they
lived as best as they could working for almost nothing
for people who needed their services. The Chinese law
against religious practice at that time was extremely
severe. Anyone caught whispering prayers or reciting
mantras was immediately punished. Khenpo Gyurme
Tsultrim's mother, however, had great faith in Tara.
As often as she could, she secretly recited Tara's praise
and mantra. Notably, when she watched over sheep
and yaks, she arranged to give something to eat to the
children who went with her and asked them to watch
the animals grazing nearby. As soon as she was alone,
she recited prayers and humbly asked Tara to find her
lost husband and children. At night, while others were
asleep, she prayed even more.
After months and year:s of supplication, a young
woman appeared in her dream and told her, "Have no
fear, you will find your husband and children."
Time passed. At the beginning of the eighties, the
Chinese loosened the shackles imposed on Tibet a
little. They opened the borders and allowed exiled
Tibetans who wished to visit their motherland to
return. Khenpo Gyurme Tsultrim and his father
learned through other relatives that the mother and
sister were still alive and lived in a certain place.
- 31-
As soon as they could, they went to Tibet and
returned to India with the two women who had been
lost for so long. Prayers had been heard and the
young woman's prophecy in the dream had been
realized.
Surrounded by their family, Khenpo Gyurme
Tsultrim's mother and father passed away seven or
eight years later.
-32-
Khampas troops who were fleeing with no other
means of subsistence than to take flocks, horses, and
food by force, when they were passing a nomad
encampment or caravan. Given all the animals in our
caravan, as well as food, clothes, and valuable objects
that we carried, we represented an ideal prey for the
Khampas, an encounter beyond their expectations!
To obey the Karmapa, it was indispensable that we
go to Tsurphu however dangerous it might be. Who
could protect us better than Tara? To be assured of
her help, I asked the monks of the monastery, the
nuns of the neighboring nunnery, and the lay people
to come together if they could and recite 100,000
praises. A hundred people showed up, and it took us
about ten days to accomplish the recitation.
Then, we left. On our way, on several occasions,
we could not avoid crossing the route used by
Khampas' troops. By changing our itinerary, we were
able to avoid them most of the time. Nomads that we
met were warned of their coming. They tried as much
as possible to save their belongings and herds by
hiding them farther away. Generally, it had no effect
because the Khampas violently forced them to reveal
their hiding places. Talking with the nomads, we also
knew that horsemen from the East would soon arrive.
Although we had been warned, it was impossible
for us to evade them. We went off the path to set up
our encampment but it was not sufficiently hidden to
avoid being seen. From where we were, we could see
clearly the Khampas coming, menacing, and
demanding ransom from the nomads who had given
us a warning. It should have been inevitable for them
to see us. Our white tents, impressive number of yaks,
mules, and horses could only attract attention. For
- 33-
inexplicable reasons, however, they did not see us!
Certainly we were scared but we never ceased to pray
to Tara and recite her praise.
We took advantage of night to continue on our
way. We finally reached our destination without
further incident.
Even now, when I recall this road to Tsurphu, I am
convinced that our safe journey was due to Tara's
blessing and her kind protection.
TARA'S SNOW
Because of the troubles caused by the Chinese, I did
not stay in Tsurphu to accomplish the three-year
retreat as had been previously decided. I resigned
myself to return to my monastery and prepare to flee
Tibet. Before leaving, again I asked people to recite
100,000 Tara praises.
We took the path to Nepal. About sixty people,
monks and laypeople, accompanied me with horses,
mules, yaks, goats, sheep, and as much luggage as we
could carry.
After three days on the road, and having set up
camp for the night, some men from our caravan
informed me of the presence of Chinese troops ahead
of us. They had just been warned by fleeing Khampas
who had to turn back after an encounter with the
Chinese during which they lost many horses and yaks.
What were we to do? Were the Khampas telling the
truth? Would the Chinese remain in their position? An
alternative road was possible, but was it safer than the
original one?
We accomplished the ritual of Tara and of the
protectors. I then decided to proceed to a "divination
by the dough." In this method, the various
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possibilities are written on small pieces of paper and
rolled into some dough balls of the same shape. Then,
a ritual is held during which one holds in one hand a
saucer upon which the balls are placed and makes the
balls turn until one falls on the ground. That ball gives
the answer. In this case, we had written two answers
referring to the route we should normally follow,
"danger" and "no danger." The ball containing
"danger" fell first.
Therefore, we had to take the other road, which
was longer, required going through a very high pass,
but was apparently less risky. When we reached the
pass, snow began to fall, causing us many great
difficulties. We had trouble moving forward and many
animals died. We lost several bags. In spite of this, we
were able to get over the pass and finally arrived at
Mustang, a small kingdom of Tibetan culture within
Nepal.
Later, I learned that the Chinese were really
pursuing us and we were close to being caught. Only
the snowstorm hindered them from overtaking us. For
us, the storm made everything difficult. Just after we
passed through, the route was impassable. If the snow
had not fallen or had fallen slightly earlier or slightly
later, we might have been caught.
I could not help thinking that this timely
snowstorm could only be Tara's blessing; Tara, whose
help we did not cease to invoke.
Many Tibetans think that they owed their safety
only to Tara's protection when they were forced to flee
their country. The savioress' intervention in favor of
those who pray to her is not a rare incident
concerning isolated cases. Many people report the help
they have received from her.
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Question: Tara's activity is to protect. There are also
"protectors" like Mahakala and others whose function is
also by definition to protect. What is the difference between
them?
Answer: The protection that happens is slightly
different in the two cases. Mahakala and other
protectors have as a main activity to specifically brush
away obstacles to the practice and diffusion of the
dharma, whatever outer or inner circumstances that
would harm the dharma. Tara's protection is more
personal if we can say that. She watches over us in all
difficult circumstances in our lives.
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During a teaching Kunu Lama was gtvmg in
Bodhgaya,S he told the following story. In the mid
forties, he was living in Kham where he was in
retreat. His residence was a two-story house. He lived
on the first floor, and the second floor was occupied
by a Westerner who also practiced buddhism. At this
time, that was a very rare occurrence. Both were
receiving instructions from a Nyingmapa lama called
Khenpo Shenga. Kunu Lama and the local people
habitually called the foreigner "Sahib," using the
respectful term used by Indians for Westerners.
Who was this sahib? From where did he come? I
do not know if Kunu Lama ever precisely answered
this. Maybe he was someone who fled from India
during World War IT, maybe he was a
missionary-there were a few of them in Kham-who
had entered Tibetan buddhism.
It happened that no one had seen the sahib for
several days. Finally, someone noticed rainbows
stemming from his window. Puzzled, Kunu Lama and
a few others went to the second floor, opened the
door, and sure enough, in the sahib's place, they saw
only rainbows. They shook his clothes from which
more small rainbows escaped falling like rain! Of the
sahib, only nails and hair were left.
It is what is called obtaining the "rainbow body,"
an extraordinary result of the practice that ends with
the dissolution of the body in rainbows at the time of
death.
If a sahib from the twentieth century was able to
obtain a rainbow body, then access to Tibetan
buddhism is not limited by cultural barriers. From the
very moment they practice diligently, Westerners can
certainly obtain results. Especially, they can pray to
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Tara being certain to be heard. Tara's blessings do not
know any borders.
WONDROUS REPRESENTATIONS
In Tibet, many stories relate of Tara's statues or
paintings that miraculously have spoken out.
One of the most famous stories is that of a fresco
representing White Tara painted on the wall of the
main temple of Tashi Lhunpo, the residence of the
Panchen Lamas in the city of Shigatse.
Following the passing away of one of the Panchen
Lamas, monks were performing rituals in his honor.
Their throats choked with sadness, they had
difficulties uttering his name when it occurred in the
text of a praise concerning him. It is said that Tara's
fresco, taking over and encouraging them, uttered
very loudly the name of the Panchen Lama every time
it was required.
Another extraordinary phenomenon linked to Tara
is the appearance of "spontaneous sculptures," that is,
representations of the deity, which appear by
themselves on rock walls without intervention of a
human hand.
One of them is very recent. It is in Nepal, west of
Kathmandu, beneath Yanglesho cave (famous for
having sheltered Padmansambhava).
The first time I went on a pilgrimage to Yanglesho,
in 1972, Tara's appearance on the rock wall had not
yet begun. Now, after a slow unexplained process, the
form of the deity thirty centimeters high appears more
and more clearly, exiting out of the rock. A small
temple has been built to protect and honor it.
Why does this statue produce itself today? Maybe
it is a kind of response to the prayer that many
-38-
buddhists address to Tara requesting her protection in
these difficult times.
-39-
Bhrikuti.
Bhrikuti, "the One who frowns her eyebrows," appeared at the same
time as Tara from Avalokiteshvara's (Chenrezig) teardrop and is often
considered as an aspect of the deity.
-40-
WHITE TARA
Among various Taras, White Tara occupies a special
place beside Green Tara. She enjoys great popularity
because of her activity, which is to provide a long life.
That is the reason why her empowerment is sought
and her practice performed when one's health is
threatened. Also, a thangka or a statue of White Tara
is offered to a lama as a prayer for his or her long life.
White Tara is not a deity different from Tara. There
is no separate story recounting her origin, and her
activity is only a particular aspect of the protection
granted by the deity.
Her mantra is also the same as Green Tara's, OM
TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA, even if we add to it an
ending particular to the request of long life, MAMA
AYU PUNYE JNANA PUTRIN KURU SOHA.
White Tara is also called Chintamattra Chakra, the
"Wheel Accomplishing All Wishes." This name comes
from the way the root mantra is placed in her heart.
The ten letters are effectively placed vertically on the
ten spokes of a wheel placed horizontally, eight of
them going from the hub to the rim as the spokes of
an ordinary wheel, the other two exiting
perpendicularly on each side of the hub. On the
highest spoke, there is the syllable OM, under the
lowest spoke, the syllable HA, on the other spokes the
eight other mantra's syllables, TA RE TUT TA RE TU RE
so.
WHITE TARA ORDERS STATUES
The following story illustrates the specific activity of
White Tara.
A Kadampa Geshe dreamed that he saw the sun
rise in the West and set in the East. He mentioned the
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dream to a lama who told him that the dream was
nnauspicious, that it was a sign of death. Worried, the
Geshe consulted a palm reader. Observing the lines of
his hands, the palm reader declared to the Geshe that
he had only three years to live.
Fearful of this prediction, the Geshe thought that
from now on he had no more time for studying or
engaging in other activities and that he must devote
himself exclusively to practice. He went to see a lama,
told him of his dream and the indications of the lines
of his hands, and explained that he wanted to devote
whatever time he had left to live to a practice that will
quickly bring him near awakening.
"Your worry is useless," answered the lama.
"There is a White Tara practice that prolongs life. Do
it, and everything will be fine."
The Geshe followed this advice so well that he
soon had a vision of the deity who declared that he
would live to be sixty years old.
As his sixtieth birthday approached, the Geshe
turned his mind to Tara. Tara again appeared to him
and said that if he was to make a statue of her, he
would add ten more years to his life. So he did. Ten
years later-at the age of seventy-the same process
was repeated. Requested to realize a new statue, he
obtained ten more years.
Finally, on his eightieth birthday, fifteen more
years were all that was left for him, so he lived to be
ninety-five years old before he died.
TARA'S SYMBOLISM
The deity's form, colors, and attributes are associated
with a symbolism called the "pure sense."
-42-
Green Tara
-43-
The symbolism of Green Tara and White Tara are as
follows:
Green Tara
Her green color is that of the awakened activity, active
compassion (Tara is also the consort of Amoghasiddhi
who reigns over the activity family). Green indicates
that Tara acts for the benefit of those who pray to her
with the swiftness of wind.
The left bent leg represents renouncing conflicting
emotions. The right half bent leg shows that Tara is
ready to stand up to provide help to beings. The
symbolism of the legs tells us that Tara, although
totally free from the imperfections of samsara, remains
in samsara to help all those who suffer.
With the right hand, she performs the giving
mudra, signifying that she bestows ordinary
accomplishments (supernormal powers) and sublime
accomplishments (realization of the nature of the
mind). Her left hand accomplishes the refuge mudra,
thumb and ring finger are joined to symbolize the
union of skillful means and knowledge. Her other
fingers are held up to represent the Three Jewels:
Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
The stems of the lotuses she holds with her hands
indicate that all the qualities of realization have fully
bloomed within her.
Her charm and beauty reveal that she is the
mother of all buddhas and her compassion for all
beings is uninterrupted.
The ornaments (silks and jewels) she wears bear
witness of her masterful qualities and activity.
Her straight back shows that her meditation is
similar to the diamond that never falters.
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The moon behind her symbolizes the fullness of
inexhaustible happiness.
White Tara
White Tara differs from Green Tara. Besides the
difference in color, she has seven eyes. Three are on
the face, two on her palms, two on the soles of her
feet, and she sits in the vajra posture. The symbolism
of these particularities is as follows.
• White color: absence of the two veils (conflicting
emotions and dualistic knowledge)
• Seven eyes: She sees reality through the three doors
of liberation (emptiness, absence of characteristics,
absence of wishes) and generates compassion by
means of the four unlimited qualities of the
bodhisattvas (love, compassion, joy, and equanimity).
-45-
White Tara.
On the thangkas, White Tara is recognized at first glance by her color.
When we face a statue or a drawing, it is easy to distinguish White
Tara from Green Tara. Green Tara's legs are in the Bodhisattva Posture
(right leg in front) and she has only two eyes; White Tara sits in the
lotus posture and has seven eyes including one on her forehead.
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2- Tara•s Tantra
WHAT IS A TANTRA?
The word tantra (Tibetan,gyu) means "continuity." In
a literal sense, the term refers to the nature of mind,
the mind beyond any psychological elaboration, in all
its purity. This notion of continuity underscores that
the nature of mind is not something new to obtain,
something that could not exist now and would come
into existence at the end of practice. Continuity is
present at the base (what we are now), path, and
result. Whether it is veiled or revealed, it is always
there without discontinuity, as the union of emptiness
and clarity.
Within the framework of the sutras, the continual
presence of this emptiness-clarity at various stages is
expressed in the following way.
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- at the level of the base: the two truths (relative and
ultimate)
-at the level of the path: the two accumulations (merit
and wisdom)
-at the level of result: the two Bodies (Absolute Body
and Formal Body)
Within the framework of the tantras, it is said,
- at the level of the base: body and mind
-at the level of the path: the creation and completion
phases
-at the level of result: the two Bodies of Awakening
(Formal Body and Absolute Body).
Gyu
Tantra: "continuity"
of the nature of mind
-48-
By extension, the verbal expression of this
continuity and the means to realize it are also called
"tantra." It is why the Vajrayana texts are called
tantras. Traditionally, it is said that there are two sides
to the tantras:
- "tantras of words," which expresses the unchanging
nature of the mind
- ultimate or "real tantra," which is this unchanging
nature.
Buddhas are those who have realized the real
tantra. When they utter the tantras of words in one
way or another, they show how the nature of mind is
found covered by ignorance and various conflicting
emotions (base) for the ordinary beings of samsara,
then they give the means·to purify it (path), and they
describe the qualities of an entirely purified mind
(result).
-49-
Let us take the example of the meaning "with
intention." If we encounter a phrase in a tantra stating,
"Animals must be killed," this really means "make
conflicting emotions disappear."
• the four modes:
- common meaning
- hidden meaning
- literal meaning
-definitive meaning
"Common meaning" signifies that the sense of the
word used is common to the sutras and tantras.
"Hidden meaning" is that which is applied to some
notions inherent in the subtle channels and winds, as
they are used in the practice of the six yogas of
Naropa, for example. "Definitive meaning" implies
that the word must only be understood in the context
of ultimate truth, mahamudra, or maha-ati.
Understanding tantras requires studying them
under a qualified teacher able to decipher their
meaning. Otherwise, even if we grasp the apparent
meaning of the words, our understanding will remain
far from the true meaning. Even a Tibetan scholar who
has done no special study of the tantras cannot
understand them. A khenpo or a geshe very
knowledgeable in grammar and logic who would have
studied all the mysteries in the sutras, the philosophy
of madhyamika, or the epistemology of abhidharma
would not be prepared to know the tantras.
For example, the tantra considered to be the root of
all others is the Tantra of Enunciating Manjushri' s
Names (Manjushri Nama Samgiti Tantra).
The clarification of this text may be done on many
various levels. There are treatises explaining it on the
levels of Kriya Tantra, others at the level of the
-50-
Charya Tantra, Yoga Tantra, the creation phase of
Anuttara-yoga Tantra, the completion phase of the
Anuttara-yoga Tantra, and so on. Without specific
study of these various facets, the text will remain
mysterious to us.
Furthermore, to truly understand a tantra, a mere
intellectual approach is not sufficient. A good personal
Vajrayana practice and the Lama's blessing· are
necessary.
In the Tibetan tradition, studying tantras has been
and remains reserved to a small number of
individuals. In the Gelugpa order, for example, only
the best of the geshes have access to a tantric
university where they may study more particularly
Guyasamaja, Chakrasamvara, and Yamantaka Tantras.
In the Kagyupa order, only a small number of lamas
or khenpos directly study the tantras, mainly the
Hevajra Tantra or the Zamo Nangdon (Profound Inner
Meaning), a tantric text written by the Third Karmapa.
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Our kalpa is divided in four parts:
- totally endowed designates the beginning of kalpas,
when human beings lived an extremely long time,
completely and easily enjoyed all necessary material
goods and experienced great happiness due, notably,
to right thinking and a great love for one another.
- endowed with three-quarters: life duration, material
goods, and happiness start to decrease.
- endowed with two-quarters: decreasing is accentuated.
-endowed with conflicts: the difficult epoch in which we
are (to which belong, in fact, all our history and even
before) when the lifespan of human beings is limited
to one hundred years and there is only a quarter of
the original happiness. '
Avalokiteshvara revealed .the Tara Tantra the first
time in the "totally endowed" epoch in a form
comprising 800,000 stanzas; a second time in 600,000
stanzas in the "three-quarter endowed" epoch; a third
time in 12,000 stanzas during the two-quarter epoch;
and finally, a fourth time in 1,000 stanzas during the
conflict epoch when Shakyamuni Buddha had not yet
appeared in this world.
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placed his mind in a state of perfect meditation and at
dawn attained awakening. After that, he uttered the
Tara Tantra. However, it was not the time when the
tantra was being communicated to human beings.
Many more centuries would be necessary for that to
happen.
When the tantras were uttered by the Buddha, they
were not addressed to human beings but to a host of
bodhisattvas, gods, nagas, and other beings. Most
often, it was not in human places but in other
domains of manifestation like Avalokiteshvara's
Potala. Most tantras, including that of Tara, were
placed under the guard of Vajrapani (Chana Dorje),
who for this reason is called the Guardian of the
Secrets. Before there were human beings, there were
other categories of beings able to receive tantric
teachings and spiritually benefit from them.
Texts for the Tara practice would appear long after
the Buddha's time though divine revelation. Likewise,
the scholar Chandragomin received 108 texts of
practice during visions he had of the deity.
-53-
only to a few predestined disciples. Time was not ripe
for full propagation.
History tells us that the Tara Tantra especially was
communicated to human beings only three centuries
after Shakyamuni Buddha's passing away (around the
3rd century BCE).
If one makes an exception for the brief and
confidential episode of King lndrabhuti, only the
teachings of the Smaller Vehicle were made available.
Without talking about the Vajrayana, even the
teachings of the Greater Vehicle were not propagated.
It is only in this epoch that sutras of the Greater
Vehicle and all the teachings of the tantras, which had
been kept by celestial bodhisattvas, began to reach
especially pure beings. They were transmitted during
visions of A valokiteshvara or Manjushri, or as in the
case of lndrabhuti, through miraculous gifts of a text
presented by a deity.
Revelation of all the tantras began in the same
way, thanks to visions, like that of Vajrapani.
Relatively few individuals followed the tantric path
because transmission was done from a teacher to a
disciple solely in an individual context. Practices were
kept very secret, and no one could say with certainty
that such and such a person was a tantric adept.
Tara was one of a number of deities who were
secretly practiced. Some stories are related to this time,
reporting Tara's intervention to save her followers
from danger. Let us give two examples. The first one
refers to danger caused by enemies and the second to
that of lions.
The son of a king fell asleep in a park when a
group of enemies who had sworn to assassinate the
prince surrounded him. The prince suddenly woke up
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and saw that there was no way to defend himself but
to pray to Tara. From the bottom of his heart, he
called upon her for help. Tara then manifested herself,
emitting from the soles of her feet a mighty wind that
dispersed all the enemies.
In the other story, a man walking in a forest met
with a starving lion (it seems that there were lions in
India up to a certain time). Our man prayed to Tara.
A young woman came by carrying a load of leaves. It
was none other than the deity's emanation and she
protected him from the lion.
HAYAPALA'S LINEAGE
The principal propagation of the Tara Tantra was
done by a Bengali monk called Hayapala who
belonged to the Brahmin caste. After having
assimilated many teachings of the Great Vehicle, he
met the Brahmin Guhyashila who had received
instructions on Tara from Vajrapani directly. From
Guhyashila, Hayapala received the Tara
empowerment, and under his direction performed the
practice of the Liberating One. This led him to his
realization.
Hayapala then went to Uddiyana (northwest India)
where dakinis transmitted various tantras to him as
follows:
- Fundamental Tantra on Tara's Origin
- Violent and Wrathful Tantra
-Secret Tantra of the Sublime Unsurpassable Vajra
- Tantra of Producing Heruka
He then returned to India and stayed in the city of
Tipurar where he built a temple especially to house
these tantras. He transmitted the Prajnaparamita
teachings and the sutras of the Greater Vehicle to his
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ordinary disciples. To the gifted disciples, he
transmitted the Tara practice through which many of
them achieved realization.
Hayapala then transmitted Tara's lineage to his
disciple Hayagosha who passed it on to Nagarjuna. It
is because of the Tara practice that he attained
realization. Then, the transmission went on
uninterruptedly.
The Tara practice was later introduced to Tibet
through many channels. Taranatha, our main source
of information on the origins of the Tara Tantra,
received transmission from a disciple of the Indian
teacher Chiwa Bepa who had also come to Tibet.
Before Taranatha, Atisha, who had bonded with
the goddess, played an important role in the
propagation of the practice in Tibet.
Miraculous Transformation
As soon as Atisha was born, the goddess clearly
indicated that she would protect the child. Atisha was
born in 982 CE, the second son of a royal family from
Bengal. His parents named him Chandragarbha, Moon
Essence. While the newborn was sleeping in his cradle
on the upper floor of the palace, the king and queen
heard mysterious music coming from outside. The
queen saw a lotus fall from the sky and land in front
of the cradle. At the same time, the child's fac~ was
transformed into Tara's face. Everyone concluded from
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this that Tara had been his tutelary deity for many
lifetimes. ·
Choosing Ethics
When Atisha became a teenager, his father, the king,
organized many great parties in which many
princesses and their entourages participated. All of
them, charmed by the beauty and attitude of the
prince, looked upon him with desire. A pale blue
goddess who w~s none other than Tara appeared and
admonished Chandragarbha.
"If, like an elephant sinks deeply in mud, you, a
hero, sink into the quagmire of desire, would not this
stain the robes of ethics you have worn for 552
previous lifetimes in which you were always a scholar
without defect, a perfect monk? Like the swans
looking for lakes adorned with lotuses, you must seek
ordination in this life!"
Having become a monk at the age of 29, Atisha
ardently devoted himself to study and practice.
In time, his fame spread and he was invited several
times to Tibet where the persecutions against
buddhism by King Langdarma had created a critical
situation. However, Atisha was reluctant to abandon
his monastic responsibilities as Vikramashila's Abbot
and to go to this reputedly difficult Northern country.
Several interventions by Tara were necessary to
convince him.
-57-
realization was immense. A little later, Atisha had a
dream in which Tara appeared and told him:
"The monk you have expelled is a bodhisattva. It
is not permitted to act against a bodhisattva even
involuntarily. Any one not knowing how to rectify a
mistake like this will be reborn with a body as large as
Mount Meru upon which thousands of birds and
insects will feed."
"How can I avoid that disastrous consequence?"
asked the frightened Atisha.
"You must go to the Northern country and devote
yourself to propagating Mahayana teachings there,"
answered Tara.
Tara's Warning
When the Tibetan King Jangchub 0 sent emissaries to
invite him to his country, Atisha again consulted Tara
on the opportunity to accept. The deity told him. "If
you go to Tibet, it will be extremely useful. However,
your life will be shortened."
"How many years?"
-58-
"If you do not go to Tibet, you will live to be 92
years old. If you go, you will die at the age of 73."
"Twenty years of my life are not really important,"
thought Atisha. "If I sacrifice them, I can work to
benefit beings and spread the doctrine."
Thus, at the age of 59, Atisha left the warm plains
of India to reach the high plateaus of Tibet buffeted by
icy winds. He devoted the rest of his life to teaching
in Tibet and died there.
By this story we see not only how Tara was an
inspiration for Atisha but also we see her ardor in
leading her beloved child to the Land of Snow.
From the eternal omniscience of the buddhas to
their transmission in the Land of Snow, passing
through the celestial worlds and the great realized
yogis of India, such was the path followed by the
revelation of the Tara Tantra.
-59-
not permit the acceptance of the Tibetan vision of
things. From their strict point of view, they are not
wrong. With no belief in the deities' existence, how
could they understand that great practitioners
effectively communicate with deities, receive
instructions from them, and even obtain texts, which
miraculously fall from the sky? What proof is there to
give them? For them, proof would be only what
everyone could see or observe. However, in the
spiritual domain, very subtle experiences depend on
one's own karma and inner development. Such a
practitioner cannot prove to others that he or she
perceives the visions allowed to come because of the
purity of his or her mind. 1
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secret." At the same time, a buddha's body, speech,
mind, qualities, and activity are covered by this
inconceivable secret. "Inconceivable" well means what
it means. The thought of an ordinary being cannot
grasp what it· is. The buddha's reality spreads in an
infinite way and cannot be confined to the limits of
common understanding. Otherwise, it would be
"conceivable."
If the being of a buddha were limited to human
life, it is true that the transmission of teachings in the
celestial worlds and all these extraordinary things
would lack meaning. But the being of a buddha is far
from being locked in simple human appearance.
In fact, it is natural for everyone to hold to one's
own point of view. In buddhism itself, during the
course of time, various philosophical schools have
been opposed to each other. Only a higher point of
view allows us to see that the more narrow
conceptions are not false but partially true. Likewise,
when we study a science, the more subtle subjects
analyzed at the end of the study do not destroy the
validity of more simple things learned in the
beginning.
We really are prisoners of our psychological
constructions, which veil reality. The function of the
Buddha's teaching is· to rid ourselves of illusion
created by thoughts and belief in the reality of
phenomena. To do so, many approaches are proposed
such as the Smaller Vehicle, Greater Vehicle,
Vajrayana, pedagogical truth, definitive truth, and so
on. All have the unique goal of eliminating mental
constructions leading to the false conception of
phenomena as having a reality of their own. Once we
- 61-
are totally liberated from mental elaborations, we are
a buddha.
Outside of a spiritual way, the efforts of thinking
or the exercise of the psyche do not allow us to
achieve this result. They only add new constructions
to the preceding ones. It is true, however, that in the
three vehicles, we find methods which are also
founded on psyche activity, but it is a skillful use of
the psyche leading to the progressive elimination of
these elaborations.
-62-
3-Invocation of Tara
FUNCTION OF RITUALS
A ritual is a means to accomplish a deity practice and
to develop a deep bond with this deity. It is
comprised of various phases, which are elements
allowing us to establish this relationship, such as deity
visualizations, making offerings to the deity, prayers,
recitation of the deity's mantra, and so on. Through
the ritual, our mind is imprinted with the deity's
presence and blessing.
In buddhism, there are many types of rituals
corresponding to various levels of practice.
The sutra tradition likewise possesses its rituals,
such as those addressed to Shakyamuni Buddha or
Baisajaguru (Sangye Menla, Medicine Buddha).
The Vajrayana tradition is divided into four groups
of tantras, each having its own rules as to
accomplishing rituals.
Rituals may be extremely long or very brief,
collective or individual, but their function remains the
same: recalling the deity to mind and allowing the
deity to leave a profound and beneficial imprint on us
through deity meditation, mantra recitation, and other
components.
This imprint is formed by using all elements of our
personality, body, speech, and mind.
- Physically, we prepare the shrine, place the
offerings, and make sure that the shrine room is clean
- 63-
and orderly: our body takes the meditation posture
and is put to use in doing the mudras (hand gestures
symbolizing offerings, inviting deities, and so on). It is
also the body which makes music offerings by playing
the bell or other instruments. These various physical
acts have no goal other than to increase the immersion
of our mind in the ritual by the complete involvement
of our person.
-Our speech recites the text and mantras, which serve
as support to the activity of the mind. Words allow us
to evoke what is conceived by the mind.
- Our mind, the main agent of the ritual, remains
concentrated and present to what it does during all
the phases: taking refuge, developing motivation of
awakening, consecrating the offerings, inviting the
deity, visualization, offerings, praising, reciting
mantras, asking forgiveness for errors made during
the ritual, the departure of the deity in his or her
support, dissolving the visualization, and dedicating.
Understood in this way, the ritual acts upon our
mind. On the one han~ it helps us to purify ourselves
from the veil of ignorance and other veils. On the
other hand, especially through the offering and praise,
it allows us to accumulate merit and to create a
positive karmic potential. Finally, it prepares the
manifestation of the Body of Enjoyment, the
manifestation of the true deity, inseparable from our
own mind.
-64-
the Tara practice. What is the function of these various
approaches?
Answer: In the beginner's mind, the belief in an "I"
really existing is strongly anchored. This leads to the
belief in the real existence of "another." This duality
1/ other rules all our perceptions. Imagining that we
are the deity and visualizing the deity in front of us at
the same time is a first step, a means to progressively
rid ourselves of this dualistic tendency. When we
attain a very good level of practice through
meditation, at that time, although the deity appears in
two different forms, both are perceived as unique in
essence. We finally arrive at a stage where it is no
longer necessary to imagine two forms of the deity, it
is sufficient to consider ourselves as the deity, an
essence in which all manifestation participates.
Rituals in the sutra tradition or in the first or
second group of tantras, the Kriya Tantra and Charya
Tantra, only contain the deity visualized in front of us;
whereas rituals of the third group, the Yoga Tantra,
most often imply the deity visualized in front of us
and ourselves in the form of the deity.
Finally, rituals of the fourth group, the Anuttara-
yoga Tantra, propose either the deity visualized in
front of us and ourselves as the deity perceived as
inseparable or only ourselves in the form of the deity.
TARA RITuAL
There are many Tara rituals, which the various
traditions of Tibetan buddhism use according to their
preference. The one most often used in the Kagyu
tradition is due to Chogyur Lingpa9 who discovered
some termas in the 19th century.
- 65-
Termas are texts uttered by Padmasambhava in the
8th century in Tibet, then hidden to be discovered
later by predestined "terma discoverers/' in an epoch
that would need them. These termas may take the
form of materially written texts, hidden in rocks,
walls, or other places, or directly given to the
discoverer by a deity. They also can be revealed in the
mind. In that case, they are called gongters, as was the
case of the Tara terma received by Chogyur Lingpa.
Chogyur Lingpa dwelled in a cave in Kham called
the Crystal Cave of the; Lotus. At dawn, he had a
vision of Tara who told him three times, "It is good,
it is good, it is good," (Tibetan, lekso, lekso, lekso). This
utterance of the deity was the blessing that opened
Chogyur Lingpa's mind to the inner revelation of
words spoken long ago by Padmasambhava. He titled
this terma Tara's Profound Drop, "drop" meaning here
that which collects the essential in a concise form.
Chogyur Lingpa disclosed what he had received
only to one person, Jamyang I<hyentse Wangpo. The
latter kept it secret for three years, then transmitted it
to Jamgon Lodro Taye who gave definitive form to the
ritual and widely disseminated it.
The terma is comprised of. several texts
corresponding to many stages of outer, inner, and
secret practice. These stages can only be performed
successively. The last two require the practitioner to
be in retreat. We briefly present their characteristics.
OUTER PRACTICE
The outer practice has two main aspects:
- Accumulation of merit accomplished through the
Seven Branch prayer, offerings, and praise.
- 66-
- Attitude of praying: the practitioner requests
protection of Tara, and asks her to grant what he or
she wants. Because of this position of "requesting"
adopted by the practitioner, accent is placed on the
deity's presence in the sky (in the form of 21 Taras) in
front of the practitioner.
The corresponding ritual is usually performed
publicly. Given that it is a terma, it is preceded by
prayers addressed to Padmasambhava. The various
stages are as follows:
• TAKING REFUGE AND RECALLING THE MOTIVATION FOR
AWAKENING. The practitioner places himself or herself
under the protection of the Three Jewels (Buddha,
Dharma, and Sangha), the Three Roots (Lamas,
Yidams, and Protectors), and more specifically of Tara.
The practitioner also renews the will to attain
awakening for the benefit all beings suffering in
samsara.
• SEVEN BRANCH PRAYER. The seven branches are as
follows.
-homage to all buddhas and all bodhisattvas as an
antidote to pride
- making offerings as an antidote to attachment
-confession of faults as an antidote to unwholesome
acts
- joy in thinking of the meritorious acts done by the
buddhas and ordinary beings as an antidote to
jealousy
- request for teaching as an antidote to blindness
- praying for the buddhas to remain present as an
antidote for erroneous views. One of the erroneous
views is to believe that the buddhas' activity could be
intermittent, that while present in a physical body,
buddhas would help beings and when leaving their
- 67-
physical body they would cease to help them. By
requesting the buddhas to remain present among us
with or without a body, we rid ourselves of the
thought that death places an end to the buddhas'
activity.
-dedication. We think that, collecting merit acquired
through the above six branches, we dedicate it to
attaining awakening for the benefit of all beings. This
dedication is an antidote for "unskillful means,"
preventing us from dedicating merit for temporal and
ephemeral goals.
• CONSECRATING OFFERINGS. The consecrated
offerings, both placed on the shrine and evoked in our
imagination, are: water for drinking, water for
cleaning, flowers, incense, light, perfume, food, and
music. Each offering is represented by a mantra and a
mudra.
• SEVEN BRANCH PRAYER. This second Seven Branch
Prayer is in a slightly different context from the first
one. The first prayer, coming just after taking refuge,
took as support the various places of refuge, especially
Tara. The second Seven Branch Prayer refers to the
Three Jewels in general.
• MANDALA OFFERING. Practitioners imagine they offer
to Tara, buddhas, and bodhisattvas the totality of the
universe gathered in the form of a mandala. The
recitation of this section is done with the mandala
mudra.
• MANIFESTATION OF OURSELVES AS TARA AND
INVITATION OF THE 21 TARAS to come take their places
in the sky in front of us. Tara's various aspects take
place in the sky, the principal one being Green Tara.
• RECITATION OF THE PRAISE. The praise is recited in
three successive sequences, first uttered twice, then
- 68-
three times, and finally seven times. Each sequence is
separated by offerings.
-During the first sequence, Tara is visualized in front
of us with her right hand in the mudra of sublime
giving. We think then that she bestows on us the
ordinary (various psychological powers) and sublime
attainments (realization of the nature of the mind).
- During the second recitation, Tara makes the
protection mudra. We think that she protects us
against all fears and dangers.
-During the third recitation, we think that a luminous
nectar coming from her right foot flows into us
through the crown of our head transmitting her
blessing.
• TORMA OFFERING. Practitioners offer the torma to the
deity in order to approach her with requests.
• RECITATION OF TARA'S MANTRA. Tara's aspects who
were in the sky have melted into the practitioners who
continue to imagine themselves in the form of Tara
during recitation of her mantra.
• REQUESTING INDULGENCE for the mistakes made
during the ritual. This request is preceded by the
recitation ofVajrasattva's (Dorje Sempa) One Hundred
Syllable Mantra.
• DISSOLUTION OF VISUALIZATION. The practitioners,
after having dissolved the visualization into emptiness
remain for a moment in silence as the mind settles in
its own nature.
• DEDICATION. The practitioners dedicate the merit of
the ritual saying, "With this virtue, may I swiftly
realize the Noble Tara and may I establish all beings
in this realization."
- 69-
• AUSPICIOUS WISHES. While they recite these wishes,
the practitioners throw rice into the air which
symbolizes the flowers that gods shower on earth.
Other prayers and long life prayers for the teachers
generally conclude the ritual.
Those who wish to perfectly accomplish the outer
practice, must commit to reciting 100,000 mantras as
many times as there are syllables in the mantra OM
TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA, that is, one million
mantras.
INNER PRACTICE
The inner practice places an accent on the creation
phase (Tibetan, kyerim) during which we visualize
ourselves in the form of the deity.
This practice gathers 13 deities in a celestial palace:
• in the center, Green Tara (the practitioner)
• around Tara, the eight Taras protecting from the
eight great fears, sitting in the same posture as Green
Tara, accomplishing the mudra of giving with the
right hand and holding a lotus on which there are
various objects in the left hand.
- Tara protecting from lions, blue, with a vajra on the
lotus
- Tara protecting from elephants, yellow, with a hook
on the lotus
- Tara protecting from fire, white, with a water
crystal10 on the lotus
- Tara protecting from snakes, green, with a sublime
medicine (arura) on the lotus
-Tara protecting from thieves, white, with a bow and
arrow on the lotus
- Tara prote<:ting from imprisonment, green, with a
sword on the lotus
- 70-
- Tara protecting from water, red, with a fire crystal
on the lotus
-Tara protecting from demons, black, with a stick on
the lotus
• Outside the palace, the "four female guardians,"
each guarding a gate of the palace facing the four
directions. They stand up, lunging, their faces marked
by a wrathful expression, each one· holding special
objects in her hands.
-In the east, the white female guardian holds a hook
in her right hand and a bell in her left
- In the south, the yellow female guardian holds a
rope in her right hand and a bell in her left
- In the west, the red female guardian holds a chain
in her right hand and a bell in her left
-In the north, the green female guardian performs the
threatening mudra with her right hand and holds a
bell in her left
SECRET PRACTICE
The inner practice places the accent on the completion
phase (Tibetan, Dzokrim) introducing the work on
subtle energies (channels, winds, and drops). Nine
deities are present:
• In the center of the celestial palace, Samaya Tara,
green, in union with the male deity Hayagriva
(Tandrin)
• Around her, there are four other aspects of Tara
who, as in the inner practice, perform the mudra of
giving with their right hand and hold in the left hand
a lotus on which various symbolic objects are placed.
- In the east, Vajra Tara, blue, with a vajra on the
lotus
- 71-
- In the south, Ratna Tara, yellow, with a jewel on the
lotus
- In the west, Padma Tara, red, with a hook on the
lotus
- In the north, Karma Tara, black, with a sword on the
lotus
• Outside the palace, there are the four female
guardians of the four gates as previously described.
These three levels form a profound succession that
is easy to follow and easily may form the practice of
an entire life.
- 72-
spread, happiness perfect, and may all my wishes be
realized."
Offerings and praise, whatever they are, are not in
reality a favor that we do for the deity as far as she
would be satisfied to obtain them or unhappy not to
obtain them. It is for us that offering and praise are
useful, decreasing our attachment to material objects
and allowing us to accumulate merit.
- 73-
Question: Is there a day devoted to Tara?
Answer: Tara's day is the eighth day of the Tibetan
month, that is, the first moon quarter (eight days after
the full moon).
- 74-
Question: Some people think that, from the perspective of
ultimate truth, our mind and the deity· being inseparable,
the prayer lacks meaning, as though we were calling to
ourselves for help. What is the value of such a point of
view?
Answer: It is true that from the standpoint of ultimate
reality, the deity and our mind are one; but we also
must understand that from this ultimate point of view,
there is neither suffering nor fear. In reality, that
which appears now as suffering, fear, and danger is
nothing else but a manifestation of our mind. Just as
our mind, during a dream, can create appearances that
cause us to suffer, threaten us, or make us afraid.
However, as long as we have not realized ultimate
reality, we are exposed to suffering and fear that we
conceive as real. It is in this relative context that the
deity, who also appears to us momentarily as outside
ourselves, brings us help when we pray to her.
This prayer, in a relative sense, is necessary as long
as we remain in the relative level. The ultimate prayer
is to dwell in ultimate truth, the nature of mind,
beyond any duality, where the mind, appearances,
and deities are revealed to be of a single essence.
Until we attain this level, while we perceive
suffering and fear as real, we also call upon a deity
that we perceive as existing outside of us. However,
she really brings help and protection.
It is necessary to differentiate between the
realization of nonduality and the present state in
which all our experience is lived in a constant
subject/object duality.
- 75-
with what we possess. Whereas other prayers say, for
example, "Bestow on us the absence of need!" the prayer
addressed to Tara seems to say "Bestow on us all that we
desire!" In the text following the recitation of the praise
during the ritual, it is written, "Through this praise recited
two, three, and seven times, if we want a son, we will have
a son; if we want wealth, we will acquire wealth; all desires
will be satisfied."
Answer: Tara answers the prayers of everyone
whatever one's level of understanding. In her
compassion, she seeks to relieve beings from suffering
as it arises. If one's suffering is in a very material
domain, it is a prayer expressing this material request
to which she will respond. If, another person, having
attained a deeper level, understands that the cause of
suffering is the constant renewal of all our desires and
prays for the absence of needs to be born within
himself or herself, it is this absence of need that Tara
will bestow. The person who prays for devotion to
increase within himself or herself or for Mahamudra
realization to be revealed, will also receive a blessing
in accordance with his or her wishes.
Things may be understood on various levels. When
it is said, for example, that the person who wants a
child will get a child, from an ordinary point of view,
it only means a child for a family for which great
suffering would come from not having a child. In this
case, Tara will grant protection against this suffering.
On the contrary, it would be meaningless for a monk
to pray for a child. However, from a deeper point of
view, "child" means "disciple" (in Tibetan, disciple
can be lopma, which simply means "student" or bulop,
which means "student-child"). A lama may have the
desire to obtain good disciples to continue his spiritual
- 76-
lineage, not with the goal of personal satisfaction as
would perhaps be the case with a physical child, but
to assure the continuity of teaching for the benefit of
beings. It is thus legitimate for the lama to pray for
obtaining these spiritual children.
- 77-
everything, love for all beings, and the power to help
them. They help beings not only by love, but they
make no mistake as to the means to accomplish this.
Therefore, Tara answers the wishes of beings only if
they are characterized by bringing them more
happiness from a temporal and spiritual point of view.
She would not respond to a wish leading to negative
acts or further future suffering.
Given that we may be blind to what is· good or
harmful for us, in some prayers we ask the deity to
use discrimination. For example, we say, "H this is
good for me, may my wish be accomplished; if it is
not good, may it not be accomplished," or "If this
wish is not good, may its thought not form in my
mind; even if it is formed, may it not be realized!"
- 78-
profound means related to genuinely awakened beings
or deities like Tara. That is why these means allow
purification to change karma. Besides putting into
work such factors, karma effectively produces its
effects in an infallible way.
The seed of a weed will grow in an infallible way,
unless we pull out the young sprout.
EMPOWERMENTS
We already have the "heart of awakening" (we can
also say the Four Bodies of Awakening11 ), but it is not
presently actualized. It remains in a latent state
covered by various karmic veils. It is, therefore,
necessary to uncover it to reveal it as it is.
The empowerment's function is to open a process
that will allow us to purify the veils and to "awaken"
the four Bodies, in order for them to go from a virtual
state to a real state.
An empowerment can only be conferred by a
vajra-master (vajraclulrya) belonging to the Vajrayana
tradition and possessing certain characteristics:
- Having received the deity empowerment that he or
she is ready to transmit to others
- This empowerment must have been transmitted up
to the master by an unbroken lineage
- He or she must have accomplished the deity
practice.
The empowerment itself is represented in the form
of a ritual with visualizations, recitation of mantras,
the accomplishment of mudras, and the use of various
objects. ·
An empowerment can be given to a large group of
people (as is the case for Tara) with only the condition
that everyone has taken refuge and wishes to receive
-79-
the empowerment, or it can be given to small groups,
even a single individual.
TARA EMPOWERMENT
For the same deity, there are various empowerments
that correspond to various lineages, tantras, or levels
of practice. For Tara, there is an external practice, an
inner practice, and a secret practice each requiring an
empowerment.
The Tara empowerment bestowed in public is that
of the external practice belonging to the Kriya Tantra.
It is comprised of a ritual called, strictly speaking,
"permission," which is divided into three parts:
permission of the Body (of the deity), permission of
the Speech, and permission of the Mind.
• By permission of the Body of the deity, the disciple
is purified of faults and veils of the body (that is, that
which results from negative acts done with the body).
The disciple is then allowed to meditate on the body
of the deity, notably visualizing himself or herself in
the form of Tara. Ritually, permission of the Body is
conferred, besides various visualizations, through the
ritual vase {Tibetan, bumpa) placed on the disciple's
head and from which he or she receives a few water
drops to drink in the hollow of the hand.
• By permission of the Speech of the deity, the
disciple is purified of the veils and faults of speech.
He or she is allowed to recite Tara's mantra. Ritually,
the permission of Speech is conferred by repeating the
mantra, for which a mala is the support.
• By permission of the Mind of the deity, the disciple
is purified of faults and veils of the mind. This
permission is conferred by a representation of the
lotus that Tara holds in her hand. It allows those who
- 80-
receive it to absorb their minds in the contemplation
(samadhi) of the deity.
Given that these three steps give the disciple the
"power" {Tibetan, wang) to visualize the deity, to
recite her mantra, and to accomplish her
contemplation, the ritual is called "transmission of
power" {Tibetan, wang kur), an expression with which
an empowerment is designated in Tibetan.
Tara's other empowerments, especially those
belonging to the higher tantras, can be presented in a
slightly different way and possess a more complex
structure.
- 81-
However, for deities like Avalokiteshvara or Tara,
who represent above all the buddha's activity, we
consider that, even if one has not received the
empowerment and as long as one feels devotion to
these deities, one can pray to them and recite their
mantras. This is beneficial. However, the effect will be
greater when one has received the empowerment.
-82-
4- The Praise
-83-
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-84-
OM, homage to the sovereign, the noble, the liberating one.
Homage to TARE, the swift, the courageous one.
In front of you, who with TUTTARA dissipates all fears,
In front of you, who with TURE provides all benefits,
In front of you, SOHA, I bow down.
- 85-
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-86-
Homage to her who fills the desire, sky, and directions,
With the syllables TUTTARA and HUNG
Who stamps the seven worlds with her feet,
Who possesses the power to summon them.
-87-
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1~~~·~z;·~·~Ool·~::.·~Oolll\l'Ool1
1~'!1·~~·1l\l·Qj~~~ll\l·~·~Q]·~1
10ol~~·~ll\l·~~~·%z;·rc;~ll\l·~ll\l·~~z;·Ool1
1~'!1~::.·o~·~l(~~·~·ij·~ll\11
C'\ ...,... C'\ ......
1::.0ol~·~~·~·~Oolll\l'~'qQjo.lll\l'Ool1
- 88-
Homage to perfect joy, to her whose sparkling tiara
Spreads garlands of light,
Who with great laughter and TUTTARA
Subjugates demons and their worlds.
-89-
~{~ .stil ~ ~~ ~.?~ -;i )i.?~~ Ji.?-"],~ 4i
~~~~ Jll.? Ji ~.? ~ ~ _A, l!::J .:!:I ~.?~ 42! ~
...Ji~~ii Li · E.? ii .l! ~~ .
.I! ~{ .2!.? ~ ~ &, ~) ~ ~ &, 8V ...Ji ;:1 &,
2!4.? .~ ~ ~£:
. ~
. ;:1 .2.
1. ~.?
2 .2 ~.t.J1_9! 1:!~ .2.l!2 _.94 )1 .2
t.E! ~. -1
~ Li .~ .Jti! -=:I )i ;:1 •
~ ~ eli.? .stil t.E! ~ ..E.? (2 ...Ji ..2 )i) ~} 11'~'~ Li{ -~ .....o:i.? ~
• ~ ..E.? 1;.? 2
~{. .-.S>4 • ~. .. ~ ~,~ )i ~ ;]} J1 '} .
1:! ~ . ~
-': n,'} . ...tl .,. ..Q 2
~ -'1 2 ~ ~ ;:!.,~ __o. .2l ~ G::Jt . ~'~ ~'Ji
Li ll Li z; ll/ -....:P.? ll
21 -'1? JI2J ~ ~ ~.?~
~.?.,4 •
~
~.? ~ ~, :fi. .J1i! tE ~~
...tl n,~ ~ . ~.?~ ~ ~
-1. ~~ ~
~'~{~~{
. J l ~ )i
....9i .2 ~
-....:P.?.l!.~.? •
~~_1:: 2 .2l ..E{ cilll - ll _1:: .l! 2 Ji ~ 2 J l __,§!.?
£!. ;:~,
- ~.? ~
:f. AI--~
2.:.0W .l:! -d! . ll ~-_2!~
~ -. ~ ;:~, - ~ .
-....:P.?
1.0
-212
0 2 .2 2...-: --~
- 1:!{ .2! ~ 1:!
~ 2
- - 11
.2!'
Homage to her who is happiness, virtue, and peace
who lives in peace beyond suffering,
Who conquers the greatly harmful deeds
With the purity of SOHA and OM.
- 91-
1~'11·~~-~·~·~r~r!"l"t.l&l
1~~-'11~'-ltf~:rf'r~,z:r'l1"1~~1
,,~-~~"l·~iflart;~'-11
11~·~'11~&·~~~l·~~~1
1~'11·~~~-~l·~~-~~-~l"t.l'-11
,~·qq·~-l~~-l~-~~-~1
1'11~~l~~~"l"'l1~l·~~-~"l"~~"l1
1~"(~"l"t.l-a·~·:z:.q~·~l-~1
1g-qq·~"l"~·q~l"t.l"~~-l~l
,~-~~-q~·~·~g-'11~1
-92-
Homage to her whose two eyes shine
With the radiance of the sun and moon
Who dispels virulent epidemics
With two HARA and with TUTTARA.
- 93-
ORIGIN OF THE PRAISE
The Tara Praise, called the Praise of the Twenty-One-
Fold Homage ·is not a text of human origin. It is
contained in a tantra called The Seven Hundred
Thoughts, The King of the Tara Tantra. 12
We saw earlier that tantras dwell in the
omniscience of the mind of the buddhas beyond all
time and manifestation and that they were revealed in
an epoch when it was necessary. The tantra containing
the praise is said to have been uttered by Vairochana
Buddha, not that he uttered it with his mouth but he
emitted it from his crown protuberanceP
First written in Sanskrit, the praise was later
translated into Tibetan, and, with the tantra containing
it formed a part of the Kangyur, the Tibetan collection
of canonical texts gathering the words of the Buddha.
Many commentaries have been written to elucidate
the meaning of the praise, which would remain
practically incomprehensible without them. Having
various points of view, these commentaries offer very
different interpretations. We follow Taranatha's
commentary here.
A great scholar, famous for his knowledge of
Sanskrit-he wrote a grammar for the use of
Tibetans-Taranatha lived in the 17th century (1575-
1638). He himself did not go to India but studied with
four great Indian scholars whom he hosted in his
monastery. He was seen as having reincarnated in
India in many past lives as a scholar. The tendencies
thus left in his mind explain the ease with which he
studied Sanskrit.
His written works were prolific. He notably
translated tantras, devoted many works to Tara, and
wrote many treatises on Kalachakra, to which the
-94-
lineage he headed (Jonang lineage) gave much
importance.
-95-
EXPLANATION OF THE PRAISE
Preliminary Stanza
~I ~~·~~·a.rqr<1Q]~.r~·il'l.l·~·n.r~Q]·~n.J·i1ij
1~Q]'~I'l.J'1'~'~l\·~·~qq·~
1a7·l\~{'·.rqe:Q]~"t.J.~I'l.l·~~
la~~~C\·\l~·~~·qq·il'l.l·~~
" C'\. ...... ....,..,. ....,..,.
~~~q"'l·Q]·~~·I'l.l·~~·~1
-96-
• LIBERATING ONE, by her activity, she frees all
samsaric beings from their suffering and establishes
them in happiness. Liberating one is also the meaning
of the word Tara.
• TARE, part of the mantra repeating the name of the
deity.
• SWIFT, moved by great compassion, Tara, when she
comes to help beings, does it without procrastinating
or delay.
• COURAGEOUS: Tara shows limitless courage with no
weakness to protect beings from suffering, whether in
a temporal or ultimate way.
• TUTTARA, part of the mantra.
• YOU WHO DISSIPATE ALL FEARS: by protecting them,
Tara eliminates the fears of beings in samsara.
• TURE, part of the mantra.
• YOU WHO PROVIDE ALL BENEFITS: Tara bestows all
benefits, whether temporal or ultimate.
• SOHA, final part of the mantra
• I BOW DOWN, I pay homage with body, speech, and
mind.
Stanza 1
l~~·q$~·i~·~·~~·~·lqr.r~
l~~·~·~l·~·~~·l~·q~·~,
1qa~~~·~~~·~'lf~·~·a~·~~·~,
1~·~~·~,:r~~·~·~~·ts-11
HOMAGE TO THE LID ERA TING ONE, SWIFT AND COURAGEOUS,
WHOSE SIGHT IS LIKE INSTANT UGHTNING,
WHO ARISES FROM MYRIADS OF STAMENS
OF THE LOTUS FACE OF THE PROTECTOR OF THE THREE WORLDS.
-97-
This stanza shows that Tara is worth pra1smg
because she has the three qualities of an awakened
mind: love, power, and knowledge.
• SWIFf, the fact that she swiftly accomplishes the
benefit of beings with compassion is first the sign of
her love.
• COURAGEOUS, her absence of fear and weakness in
protecting beings from all dangers attests to her
power.
• SIGHT LIKE INSTANT LIGH1NING, Tara has the sight
(eye) of primordial knowledge; this knowledge,
instantaneous as lightning, gives her the capabilities to
see and understand all phenomena.
• LffiERATING ONE: because of this love, this power,
and knowledge, Tara liberates beings from the
suffering of samsara and establishes them in
happiness. Therefore, she is called the "liberating one."
The two following lines refer to Tara's origin from a
relative point of view.
• PROTECTOR OF THE THREE WORLDS designates
Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig). The three worlds that he
watches over are underground, on earth, and above
earth existence, that is, all classes of beings.
• LOTUS FACE, the lotus (literally, born of water)
indicates the beauty; the metaphor underlines the
beauty of Avalokiteshvara's face.
• MYRIADS OF STAMENS: continues the metaphor.
These two lines also make allusion to the story in
which Tara would have appeared from a tear drop of
Avalokiteshvara. Beyond this literal meaning,
Taranatha ·also gives an interpretation on the level of
ultimate truth. In this case, the Protector of the Three
Worlds designates the Absolute Body (Dharmakaya),
- 98-
and Tara represents the formal body (rupakaya) issued
from the dynamics of the Absolute Body.
Stanza 2
1~'11·~~-~~·"lq~·l::l·'{1,~~1
~~~·l::l·l::l~·~·l::l~~~"I:Jq"'1rlfo.l1
~~:z:.·o.~·~~-~·l'l]~·q·~o.~~·~~1
J:Z:.l::l·a·~·l::]q:rr,·:z:.l::l·~q:z:.·o.~1
HOMAGE TO HER WHOSE FACE GATHERS
ONE HUNDRED AUTUMN FULL MOONS,
WHO BLAZES WITH THE SPARKLING UGHT
OF A THOUSAND STARS.
- 99-
Stanza 3
~~·~~·~~x_·~~·~~·a~·~,
lq~~·~~·~·~~·qx_·q~~·~,
C'\ - C'\
1~~l;J·q~~·q~~l"1q~q-~·q1
lq:~z;l:J·q~~~~·~z;~~·~z;·~,
- - C'\
-100-
Stanza 4
1~Q]·~~·~·~~~·Q].:Z,Q]~1:J~"~Q]~~1
·1~tjq~~·~~·t.l~·~~·~·~l·~1
1~·~~·r.;r"(~·~~·t.l=ij'~1:J~1
1~nrq~·~~·~~·4~a·q~~·~1
HOMAGE TO THE CROWN OF THE BLESSED ONE,
TO HER WHO ENJOYS THE INFINITE AND VICTORY,
WHO IS TRUSTED BY THE CHILDREN OF THE CONQUERORS
WHO HAVE ACHIEVED ALL PERFECTIONS.
- 101-
mantra on all adverse circumstances]." Taranatha uses
the term "mantra" here but it seems that it is to
designate the praise and not the mantra itself.
• THE CHILDREN OF THE CONQUERORS: they are the
bodhisattvas of the tenth stages, called the Children of
the Buddhas (Conquerors).
• ALL PERFECTIONS: designates the ten paramitas, that
is, the six paramitas we have seen in the previous
stanza (giving, ethics, patience, effort, concentration,
and wisdom) to which are added:
- paramita of skillful means
- paramita of wishes
- paramita of power
- paramita of pristine knowledge (jnana)
Stanza 5
l~·qct~r'·a~·~~l
lq~~·~~~'ll~'~"·~o.~·o.~~q·'ll"'Ooll
lqiE;'Il·~~·~~~(Ojl::l~·~~Ool~~·'l
1~~'/;J·~~'/;J~'q'{l'll~·q~·~~·o.~l
- 102-
ghosts, animals, human beings, demi-gods, and some
categories of gods), the sphere of form (other
categories of gods in more subtle levels), the sphere of
formless (other categories of gods iri even more subtle
levels). "Desire" designates the first of these three
spheres.
• THE SKY: comprises form and formless spheres.
Desire and sky refer to the particular universe in
which we live, our solar system as we would say
today.
• DIRECTIONS: in infinite space, an infinite number of
universes evolves, each comprising a desire sphere, a
form sphere, and formless sphere (therefore there are
many solar systems). Tara's activity occurs in the ten
directions (four cardinal points, four intermediate
points, zenith, and nadir) and applies to all the
universes, not just ours.
• THE SEVEN WORLDS: seven levels of existence
inhabited by seven classes of beings
- nagas: spirits of water and earth currents
- pretas: (hungry ghosts) classes of beings who are
always starving
asuras: (demi-gods) powerful, proud, and
quarrelsome beings
- human beings
- vidhyadharas (knowledge holders): designates here,
it seems, the individuals who, after having developed
psychic powers (yogic powers) live in nonhuman
levels, nonetheless without having attained liberation
- kinnara: beings with a human body and a horse's
head
- devas: gods of the three spheres (desire, form, and
formless)
- 103-
• STAMPS AND POSSESSES THE POWER TO SUMMON THEM:
metaphors signifying that in her might, Tara can easily
exert her influence on the seven worlds. She can
summon these beings and cover them with her
compassionate activity: to ward off the negative
activity they endure, liberate them from suffering, and
establish them in happiness.
Stanza 6
1~~·~nrq~;~·~·~·~~·q1
~z:;.,·~·~·~~·~q~~~·~·a.!1
1~z::..~~z::..~·~=r~a.!~·~=f1
1~~~·~~·l~~·~~·~~·~~·q~~'a.!1
- 104-
• BLOOD DRINKING SPIRITS: spirits having invaded a
corpse and feeding on human blood
• CELESTIAL SPIRITS: musician spirits eating scents
(Sanskrit, gandharva)
• LOCAL DEITIES: classes of beings (Sanskrit, yaksha)
governed by Vairavana (Namthose)
Stanza 7
- 105-
negative spirits to subdue them, right leg folded and
left leg extended.
• BLAZES WITHIN A GLOWING FIRE: Tara's body is
blazing and produces immense flames. This fire first
forces Yama (god of death) and all those who could
harm our lives to flee away; secondly, the fire
surrounds us with protection.
Stanza 8
- 106-
• WHO HAS COMPLETE VICTORY: it is with her wrathful
attitude that Tara vanquishes the demon's warriors,
since a peaceful attitude would not subdue them.
• BY FROWNING HER LOTUS FACE: the preceding lines
meant that Tara's body has taken on a wrathful
expression. The fourth line specifies that this
expression appears to her face, to the point of
wrinkling it.
• WHO KILLS ALL THE ENEMIES: enemies are those
previously designated with the expression "demon's
warriors," those who engage in unwholesome activity
and become obstacles to the dharma. When Tara
"kills" them, this means that she deprives them
physically and mentally of their harmful power.
Taranatha gives a second interpretation for this
stanza, no longer considering outer enemies but inner
enemies.
• THE VERY FRIGHTENING: primordial awareness, union
of bliss and emptiness, frightening for unfortunate
beings.
• TURE: threading swiftly the higher paths, we attain
buddhahood.
• THE DEMON'S WARRIORS: conflicting emotions (desire,
hatred, jealousy, and so on) and the thoughts
stemming from them.
• FROWNING HER FACE: here, symbolizes the creation
phase of deity meditation, that is, the moment when
the practitioner imagines himself or herself in the form
of the deity and develops "divine pride." This divine
pride vanquishes conflicting emotions and allows us
ultimately to obtain the Wisdom Body, bliss-
emptiness, a term used in the tantras as an equivalent
of the Absolute Body.
- 107-
• ENEMIES: the veils of the mind, conquered by
primordial wisdom. These veils are:
- The veil of conflicting emotions that disappears at
the first stage of the bodhisattva.
- The veil of dualistic knowledge that begins to
disappear at the first stage and is completely
eliminated with attaining buddhahood.
Stanza 9
1~Q]·~~·l1fi~·~~·~~·~~·~Q]·~q1
"V" "V"
1~::.·~~~Q]~·,::.·~~::.·~~~~
1~·~~·~Q]~·~·~rr::.·ar-~~~'t.]q1
1::.r_·~:q'l·~·~~·~~~·~Q]:~1
HOMAGE TO HER WHOSE FINGERS IN THE MUDRA SYMBOL
OF THE THREE }EWELS ADORN THE HEART,
WHO BY RADIATING THE RAYS OF HER OWN UGHT,
ADORNS THE WHEEL OF ALL DIRECTIONS.
- 108-
• ADORN THE HEART: The previously described mudra
requires that the hands be placed in front of the heart.
• BY RADIATING THE RAYS OF HER OWN LIGHT: After
Tara places her hands in the lotus mudra, her entire
body radiates infinite rays of light.
• ADORNS: Light radiated by Tara's body illuminates
and beautifies the tmiverse while spreading outward.
• THE WHEEL OF ALL DIRECTIONS: designates all the
tmiverses spread throughout the immensity of space.
It is said that a long time ago, Tara performed the
lotus mudra, consecrated it with her mantra, and
declared that anyone who accomplishes it will
immediately invoke her presence. The light with
which Tara fills the tmiverse ~epresents her
spontaneous arrival when one of her followers calls
upon her with the mantra. 14
Stanza 10
1~~·~nr~z:ra·l~~q·q~l~q1
...,.... "..... .....
~~·~~·ql·~;~~q'tj"''CJ.ll
1q'il~·~q-q'ila1~~~~
1~l·lz::.·q~~ry~lqz::.-a·(J.lgl·CJ.l1
HOMAGE TO PERFECT JOY, TO HER WHOSE SPARKLING TIARA
SPREADS GARLANDS OF UGHT
WHO WITH GREAT LAUGHTER AND TUTTARA
SUBJUGATES DEMONS AND THEIR WORLDS.
- 109-
• SPREADS GARLANDS OF LIGHT: the luminous rays
radiating from the tiara take the form of garlands that
multiply and propagate themselves.
• WITH GREAT LAUGHTER AND TUTTARA: to discipline
demons, Tara uses her laughter and mantra.
• SUBJUGATES DEMONS AND THEIR WORLDS: Some
worlds are ruled by demons or by temporal deities.
Tara has the power to subdue them.
Stanza 11
~~~·~r.IJ·~·~~·~z:;q/tf~~-~~~1
1Il~~-~-~'{l~~"Z:J~·~~-~~i-~1
~~~~~-~~qqUl·ii)·ij·~~1
ffz:.~-z:J'SliJII~·~·~iJII"Z:J~'ir.IJ'iJI!l
- 110-
material belongings, or whatever, including lack of
inner happiness. Tara frees beings from all suffering.
Stanza 12
1~~·~n.J~·qq·~O>l~q·~·q~~1
<\
1q~~~·~O>l~·~·-.,~-a·qq:z:.·O>l1
C'\.-.r' ....,... ......
1:Z:.rl.J~q·f!:l~·~~q~·~t.]~'O>l~'rl.J~1
1i)~~:z:.·1~ailf~·:z:.q·O>ltf~·O>l1
HOMAGE TO HER WHOSE TIARA IS A MOON CRESCENT,
ABLAZE WITH ALL ADORNMENTS,
WHO UNCEASINGLY SPREADS THE LIGHT
FROM AMITABHA smiNG IN HER FULL HAIR.
- 111-
Stanza 13
1~'11·~~-q~~·s:~·~~-~-~:1\1
1~q:z;,·q~·~z::;q~-~~-~-'11~~~1
- -
1'11~~-q~~~-'11~~-q~~~-\l~~~-q~:z;,·~'ll~1
"' "' ~
1~9JV-.1"~~-~-~~~:I\·~e:~~~1
- 112-
Stanza 14
- 113-
- the base of vital essence
- the good base
-the pure base.
Stanza 15
1~~·~nrq~·~·~~·~·~·~1
"...,.- "
1~~·q~~·~·~~~l'l.l·~~·~1
1~~ ·iJ.r~~~~·~~·~~'tl~1
" "...,.-...,.- "
1~~'tl·a;~T.J·qe:~~'tl·~~·~1
- 114-
• CONQUERS THE GREATLY HARMFUL DEEDS: by the
mantras that she utters, Tara dissipates harmful deeds
themselves and the suffering coming from them.
Other interpretations of the commentary refer to
the five wisdoms according to the ultimate truth:
• HAPPINESS: discriminating wisdom
• VIRTUE: mirror-like wisdom
• PEACE: wisdom of equality
• PEACE BEYOND SUFFERING: dharmadatu wisdom
• CONQUERS THE GREATLY HARMFUL DEEDS:
accomplishing wisdom
• SOHA AND OM: Tara's mind, possessing the five
wisdoms, is endowed with a dynamic that manifests
in the form of "fearless sound" or "sound of
emptiness," which is the mantra. The deity's mantras,
symbolized here by SOHA and OM, are the expression
of the Absolute Body. The deity and her mantra are
truly inseparable. The mantra OM TARE TUTT ARE TURE
SOHA is none other than Tara.
Stanza 16
- 115-
• WHO COMPLETELY DEUGHTS HER ENTOURAGE: the
natural effect of Tara's compassion is to provide joy
for the bodhisattvas, the Vajrayana followers having
attained realization, for the practitioners, and her
followers in general. "Completely" means that her
entourage is immense and goes out in all directions. 16
• ENEMIES: those opposed to the practice of the
dharma or also conflicting emotions in the mind of
beings.
• HUNG: the seed syllable from which Tara appears in
her wrathful form described here as blazing with light.
(The seed syllable of Tara in her peaceful form is
TAM.)
e THE UTTERANCE OF THE TEN SYLLABLES: Tara's mantra
OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA is considered inseparable
from Tara herself. From the seed syllable appears the
mantra or the deity herself.
Stanza 17
1~~·qaf~!;·~~·~~~·q~q~~~,
1~·~·~~~~·~q~~l·~1
1~·:z;.q·~~~·l~:qq~~·sl1
1q~~~~~~o.r~~~·~~q·~l·~1
HOMAGE TO TURE WHO STAMPS WITH HER FOOT,
To WHOM HUNG IS THE SEED SYLLABLE,
WHO SHAKES MOUNT MERU, MANDARA,
I<AILASH, AND THE THREE WORLDS.
- 116-
• STAMPS WITH HER FOOT: indicates that Tara dons a
wrathful form here.
• MOUNT MERU: the mountain forming the central axis
of the world in buddhist cosmology.
• MANDARA: a mountain.
• KAILASH: a sacred mountain in Western Tibet,
looked upon as Chakrasamvara's dwelling by
buddhists and as Shiva's dwelling by hindus.
• THE THREE WORLDS: on earth, underground, and
above earth.
Stanza 18
~~~·~~·~~·~~~·~~~·~
1~'1CIJ~-f;CfJ!t'\l'~'~~·~q~~lt'\!'~1
~~·:z:.·~~lt'\l·qrl·~;:"~~·~lt'\11
1~CIJ·~~It'\l·~·~lt'\l't.l:Z:.'~'~~·~1
HOMAGE TO HER WHO HOLDS IN HER HAND THE HARE-
MARKED MOON
IN THE FORM OF THE GODS' LAKE
WHO TOTALLY DISPELS POISON
BY RECITING TWICE TARA AND P'AT.
- 117-
• DISPELS poisons are of two kinds,
POISON:
"immobile" (mineral and herbal poisons) and mobile
(poisonous animals or dangerous animals such as
rabid dogs).
Stanza 19
- 118-
• JOY: this armor gives joy and happiness to the minds
of those who wear it.
• RESPLENDENT: the armor gives a brilliance to the
body and speech.
• DISPELS CONFLICTS AND BAD DREAMS: the other effect
of the armor provided by Tara's mantras and mudras.
Stanza 20
1~~·qaf~·~·~~·~r~~·qq1
1~~·~~~=t:f~~~·~c:r~~~·~1
1?·~·~~~~~~al~~~1
1~~-a·s~'tJq·~~~·~~·~~·~l
- 119-
scares violent beings and burns away negative activity
and suffering like the sun. By the light of her left eye,
comparable to nectar flowing out of the moon, she
gives life, wealth, and happiness.
Stanza 21
1~Q]·~nr~·~l·~~~·~~~·~l"t;J~1
1~qq·~·l~"t;,J~.l~·~~·~1
1~~~·l~~~~·~~l·~~·~~·~~~1
...,... ..... ...,... <'\
1~~~~"t;J~·:z;:_·:z;:.q-c3~~qr~l·~1
Literal Meaning
• THE THREE PRINCIPLES: the three "suchnesses," or the
three qualities characterizing realization
- the base: emptiness
- the path: absence of belief in the reality of
phenomena
-the result: nonaspiration, absence of expectation
• ESTABLISHED: the three principles are established to
lead beings to genuine happiness and perfect
awakening
• FULLY POSSESSES THE POWER OF PACIFYING: thanks to
the three principles, Tara rids beings of the two veils
- 120-
(veil of conflicting emotions and veil of dualistic
knowledge) and establishes them in the peace of
awakening
• SPIRITS: term covering 18 categories of spirits
provoking illness and other difficulties
• BLOOD-DRINKING SPIRITS: represent here the power of
black magic
• LOCAL DEITIES: in Sanskrit, yakshas
• TURE: the swift one
• VICTOR: Tara gains victory over all that causes evil.
Common Meaning
• THE THREE PRINCIPLES: the three syllables OM, AH,
Hl.JNG (essence of the body, speech, and mind) placed
at the three places on Tara's body (forehead, throat,
and heart)
• POWER OF PACIFYING: the power to protect beings
against any obstacle.
Hidden Meaning
• THE THREE PRINCIPLES: appearance, expansion, and
attainment designate here the three steps of the
manifestation of clear light in the six yogas of Naropa
• ESTABLISHED: the succession of the above three steps
• POWER OF PACIFYING: the peace in the instant,
complete emptiness, and clear light stemming from
the three steps
• SPIRITS: subtle channels (Sanskrit, nadi)
• BLOOD-DRINKING SPIRITS: the energy "drops"
(Sanskrit, hindu) that are found or circulating in the
channels at the same time as the subtle winds
• LOCAL DEITIES: thoughts that disappear in the clear
light.
- 121-
Ultimate Meaning
• THE THREE PRINCIPLES: the vajra-body, vajra-speech,
and vajra-mind. "Vajra" here signifies the state of full
awakening, buddhahood.
• ESTABLISHED: these three vajras are the primordial
nature of phenomena
• FULLY POSSESSES THE POWER TO PACIFY: given that the
three vajras are primordially present, that they are
from this time forward the peace of realization, one
establishes oneself by meditating in the state where
one is inseparable from them
• SPIRITS: suffering
• BLOOD-DRINKING SPIRITS: karma
• LOCAL DEITIES: conflicting emotions
• THE SUBLIME: once victory is gained over suffering,
karma, and conflicting emotions, there is the
primordial awareness that is great felicity.
Concluding lines
- 122-
5-Buddhism and Women
- 123-
MEN AND WOMEN: A UNIQUE POTENTIAL
The notion of potential for spiritual development
occupies a fundamental place in buddhism. In fact, it
is considered that without the presence of a potential
effect within a cause, this effect would never appear.
Thus, oil is obtained from a sesame seed or butter
from milk because these ingredients are already
present in them in a latent state. H this were not so, a
seed could be crushed or cream churned for ages
without ever obtaining anything.
H human beings have the possibility to exit
ignorance and attain awakening, it is because they
have what is called the "mind in itself," or the "heart
of awakening," that is, the potential for awakening. In
reality, this potential does not only belong to human
beings, for all beings share this in a universal way,
whether they are animals or are in other conditions of
existence in which beings are not definitively locked.
Shared universally by all beings, it does not belong,
therefore, more to men than women.
This heart of awakening is defined by several
aspects:
- its essence is emptiness, which implies that it
embraces the totality of beings
- it has the quality of dharmata or tathagata, which
means that it is not simply emptiness but that it has
the power to become awakened, just like the seed of
a flower contains the virtual color, perfume, and other
characteristics of the future flower. This potentiality is,
therefore, conurion to all beings without difference in
quality. It is not better in some beings or worse in
others.
- finally, it classifies all beings in the "species" of
awakening. Since they have the potentiality of
- 124-
awakening, they attain awakening, just like a seed of
a carnation can effectively become a carnation whereas
a seed of another flower, of a different species, could
not possibly produce a carnation. This third aspect
implies that it is possible to pass from a latent state to
the result and that spiritual practice makes sense.
The heart of awakening is not, however, sufficient
to attain awakening. If it constitutes a permanent
cause, an ever present foundation, it must be
associated with favorable circumstances. It needs· a
"support," that is, a particular condition of existence
such as a human existence.
It need not only be a human existence but a life
containing a certain number of characteristics without
which a spiritual progression would not be possible.
One counts ten indispensable conditions:
• five conditions inherent in the ,person
- human condition
- being born in a country where the dharma has
spread
-having possession of all senses, that is, the faculties
of communication that allow one to understand the
dharma
- not pursuing an occupation in conflict with the
buddhist precepts
- having faith in the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma,
and Sangha)
• five outer factors
- a buddha must have manifested on Earth
- He or she must have taught the dharma
- the teaching must be alive
- the teaching must be known
- the structures to spread the teaching must be
supported by disciples.
- 125-
It is said that, on the basis of the heart of
awakening and human existence endowed with the
required conditions above, anyone who makes the
effort to attain awakening will. It is interesting to note
that these affirmations were made by the Buddha 2500
years ago, at a time when women's condition-as we
have noted-was socially inferior to that of men. In
this context, the Buddha did not have to spare
people's sensibilities; however, from the point of view
of spiritual possibilities, he made no distinction
between men and women. He did not declare that the
possibility of attaining awakening was reserved for
men, but that anyone (man or woman) making the
effort to walk the path would attain the goal.
In the spiritual domain, the true question is that of
practice. If practice is done, whether one is a man or
a woman, one will obtain a result. If practice is not
done, no result will be attained, regardless of whether
one is a man or a woman, or even if one has a
favorable human existence.
- 126-
Let us mention some of them who later left an
indelible imprint on the long history of Indian
buddhism, like Gelongma Palmo, Mandarava,
Niguma, and Sukhasiddhi.
- 127-
the capabilities to accomplish the activity of the
buddhas of the three times."
Later, Avalokiteshvara appeared to her in all his
splendor, in his form with 1,000 arms and 11 faces, his
body filled with deities of the four classes of tantras,
radiating innumerable pure lands through the pores of
his skin.
Gelongma Palmo was filled with awe. However,
she could not refrain from reproaching the deity.
"Although I have accomplished your practice for a
very long time and with much effort, why is it only
now that you have revealed yourself to me?"
"As soon as you began reciting my name, I was
with you and I never ceased to be with you since that
time. There were karmic veils covering your mind
hindering you from seeing me," Avalokiteshvara
answered.
Receiving new instructions from Avalokiteshvara
directly and continuing her practice, Gelongma Palmo
finally attained the tenth stage of the bodhisattva.
- 128-
lake. The King gained faith in him and relinquished
his kingdom and the princess to him.
When Padmasambhava left for Tibet, Mandarava
stayed behind in India~ However, she miraculously
appeared in the Land of Snow and talked with her
teacher.
- 129-
And she returned the gold that she had thrown
away a few moments before. She then bestowed her
teachings and empowerments to Khyungpo Naljor,
telling him, "Among illusory phenomena, through
applying illusory meditation, illusory awakening arises
by the strength of devotion."
- 130-
moon," an expression of darkest misery in case they
come back empty-handed.
During their absence, a begging ascetic came to the
door and said his name was "Great Black Moon." To
show respect to the monastic and believing that she
was obeying her husband, the mother offered him the
remaining bowl of rice.
At night, the father and son returned home
desperate having obtained nothing in spite of an ali-
day effort. To overcome their exhaustion, they asked
the mother to cook the rice they had in reserve. The
mother told them that Great Black Moon had come,
and in conformity with their instructions, she had
given him the precious food. The two men became so
angry that they threw the poor woman out without
waiting for her explanation.
Wandering along the road, the woman eventually
arrived at the Land of Orgyen, west of Kashmir. She
opened a store in the market place of the village
selling barley beer that she brewed herself. In the
nearby forest, the great yogi Virupa was dwelling. The
yoginis who served him often visited the market and
bought beer from the old woman because their master
liked her brew. Curious about the beer's destination,
the woman once asked them for whom they bought
the beer.
"It is for our master, the yogi Virupa," the buyers
said.
Mysteriously touched by the name she had never
heard before, the woman .refused to charge them any
longer.
Virupa soon asked about the origin of the fine beer
they bought.
- 131-
Sukhasiddhi
- 132-
REMARKABLE WOMEN OF TIBETAN BUDDHISM
The structure of Tibetan society probably did not
allow women equality with men in the practice of
dharma. However, the gates were not closed to
women. Many monasteries all over Tibet were for
nuns, and many women became famous through their
realization. Let us take a look at some of those names
preserved in history.
- 133-
The first spouse, Kunsho, was a Chinese princess
who brought with her as a dowry the venerated and
holy buddha statue presently sheltered in the Jokhang
in I.hassa, which all the Tibetans simply call Jowo, the
"Lord."
The second spouse, the Nepalese princess Tritsun
also brought with her a statue of Akshobya Buddha,
and it is kept in another temple of lhassa, the
Ramoche.
Both of them had many temples built and strongly
supported the development of buddhism.
-134-
Yesbe
Tsogyal
- 135-
MACHIK LABDRON - Machik Labdron was born in
1062 under extraordinary auspicious circumstances.
Besides the fact that the little girl had a third eye on
her forehead and she had on her tongue the red
syllable HRI, she was born among rainbows, celestial
music, and wonderful perfumes. Immediately at birth,
she stood up and asked her mother if she had suffered
too much giving birth. It is understandable why
Machik Labdron was quickly considered as an
extraordinary being, an emanation of the Great Mother
(Prajnaparamita) and of the deity Vajravarahi (Dorje
Pamo).
-136-
From an early age, she showed extraordinary
capabilities. She could read the very long texts of the
prajnaparamita (the perfection of knowledge showing
the ultimate nature of phenomena) faster than
anybody else. She could also explain their meaning
even to the great scholars who were astonished by her
knowledge.
Her knowledge was not limited to the intellect, she
also realized the absence of ego. Consequently this
caused many changes in her life. She abandoned the
beautiful clothes she liked and dressed as a beggar.
She began to appreciate the company of leprous
people and the poor as much as that of scholars and
meditators. She gave importance neither to the quality
of housing nor the taste of food. She did not care
about praise or blame and dwelled in a state of
constant happiness.
She married the Indian teacher, Thopa Badra, with
whom she had several children, and received many
teachings of another great Indian teacher called
Padampa Sangye.
Machik Labdron is also famous for having
composed and taught a meditation
practice-Chod-linked to the prajnaparamita that is
seen as the only practice of Tibetan origin, while other
practices have been transmitted from India. This
initiative appeared suspect to Indian buddhists. They
met in Bodhgaya to discuss this issue and sent three
messengers to Tibet to examine Machik Labdron. She
was able to give them enough proof of her past lives
and her realization to convince them of the
authenticity of the Chod practice.
Machik Labdron lived to the age of 99 years old
and counted among her many disciples four
- 137-
particularly remarkable women who are called the
Four Jewel-Women: Gotsa Jewel, Palden Jewel, Sonam
Jewel, and Rinchen Jewel. In all, Machik had 108
women disciples who ·attained realization.
The great-grandson of Machik Labdron, Donyo
Samdrup who was himself a great teacher, helped 18
of his women disciples, called the 18 daughters, to
attain realization.
In the life of Milarepa, the great yogi of the Land
of Snow, we encounter a great number of women
disciples who attained realization, such as his sister
Peta, the young Paldar Bum, Sale 0, Lekse Bum, and
Rechungma. The four latter ones, called the four
sisters, have attained rainbow bodies.
In all the schools of Tibetan buddhism, Nyingma,
Sakya, Kagyu, and Gelug, numerous women have
illustrated themselves by profound spiritual
accomplishments even if history has not recorded their
names. Their rank was then equal to that of men. They
could teach, give empowerments, and accomplish all
the activities of the dharma.
PERSONAL ENCOUNTERS .
I would now like to talk about three most remarkable
women lamas that I have met in person.
- 138-
offered me food, and so on. U gyen Tsomo had
practically spent all of her life in retreat, devoting
herself exclusively to practice. Even at Tsurpu, she
granted interviews only outside of her strict schedule
of meditation. From time to time, she gave
empowerments to the monks. I received the
empowerment of long life from her. It is said,
although I did not see it personally, that the imprint
of· the sacred letter AH, symbol of the buddha's
speech, spontaneously appeared on her tongue.
Given how highly she was regarded, she was
called Khandro Rinpoche, "Precious Dakini."
After her death, she manifested in the form of a
female tulku. Having again received the title of
Khandro Rinpoche, the new incarnation, after
completing training, also teaches and gives
empowerments in India and in the West.
- 139-
Sangmo, "Excellent Wisdom"), she was a disciple of
Lama Degyal Tsampa who studied with the next to
the last Dujom Rinpoche. She was famous for being
the most accomplished disciple of this lama. She had
left the area of her birth to live in a cave near Mount
Kailash.
When I was 11 years old, I went on pilgrimage to
Mount Kailash. My tutor accompanied me on this
journey, as well as his attendant who was a relative of
the nun in retreat. The attendant asked us to make a
detour to visit her. We went to her cave. Ani Yesang
was very old and lived alone, without any attendant,
in her cave divided into two small rooms. The room
where she was faced her shrine and was lighted only
by a narrow hole from the outside. We made offerings
to her and she offered us tea. I do not remember what
she told us. I only remember the strong impression
she made on me.
I believe that she lived to be 80 years old. She was
a saintly person of great realization.
- 140-
were always limited to the getsulma level without receiving
the major ordination of gelongma. Why is there this
difference?
Answer: For some historical reasons that I do not
know, the tradition of the gelongmas was never
created in Tibet. It exists today in China (Hong Kong
and Taiwan) where some Tibetan nuns go to receive
it. The Dalai Lama has been studying the possibility of
including this Chinese tradition into the Tibetan
institution.
- 141-
Many small retreat centers for nuns existed here
and there. The most renowned center was in Kham in
eastern Tibet in Nangchen, where the Kebcha
monastery enrolled about a hundred nuns. The retreat
center linked to the monastery allowed the nuns to
accomplish three year retreats in which they practiced
the six yogas of Naropa, and particularly tumo
practice whose effect is to produce great physical heat.
The custom was that each year during the full moon
of the first month of the Tibetan year (February-
March), that is, at the coldest time of the year, nuns in
retreat would go out in procession to show their skill
in the tumo technique. At the four comers of the
building, large containers of water were placed with
a stone serving as a hammer to break the ice. that
quickly forms on the surface. With all the people of
the area present, the nuns would set out of the retreat
center in the morning before sunrise, hands on their
hips and dressed in simple cotton clothes. The respect
they inspired was such that people prostrated and
recited prayers when they passed. When the nuns
arrived on the eastern side, they placed cotton shawls
soaked in the icy water on their shoulders as they
continued very slowly toward the south. The heat they
produced was enough to make great steam come from
the shawls that quickly became dry. If their shawl was
dry on reaching the southern side, they would take
another shawl, and so on.
The best tumo practitioners could dry four shawls
like that, others three, or two, or only one. There were
some who could not dry any at all. This procession
was very famous in the area.
- 142-
Question: Were retreat centers for nuns created again in
India?
Answer: In the Kagyupa school, there is one center
attached to Sherab Ling, Situ Rinpoche's Monastery.
Perhaps, there are more in other schools.
- 143-
only on the level of words, something superficial. The
old profound faith has disappeared with few
exceptions. True practice does not attract young
people. Only elderly people continue the tradition as
it was in Tibet.
- 144-
6- Iconography
- 145-
The Twenty-one Taras
Pravira Tara
Chandrakanti Tara
- 146-
Kanakavarna
Tara
Serdokchen Gyi
Drolma
Golden Liberating
One; golden.
10 arms
symbolizing the 10
paramitas. In her
right hands: holding
a mala, a trident, a
vajra, an arrow, and
a sword. In her left
hands: holding a
silk scarf, a lasso, a
lotus, a bell, and a
bow.
Ushnishavijaya
Tara
~:~~~~:~~·r~·~a.rq~-~<1l·q~·
ie1l"(!.l"
Tsuktor Nampar
Gyalwai Drolma
Liberating One with
a Perfectly
Victorious Crown
Protuberance;
golden.
4 arms, her right
hands: holding a
mala and displaying
the giving mudra.
In her left hands:
holding a stick and
a vase.
- 147-
Humsvara-nadini
Tara
Humdradrokpai
Drolma
Liberating One
Producing the Sound
HUM (HUNG); yellow.
2 arms, with her right
hand: protecting mudra.
With her left hand:
mudra of the Three
Jewels and holding a
lotus.
Trailokya-vij aya
Tara
1:{~~-~~-~~~~~-~~~~·q%;
tnrq&-tr~·
- 148-
V a d i
pramardaka
Tara
Golwa Jompai
Drolma
Liberating One
Victorious over
Hostility; black.
Wrathful aspects, 4
arms, her right
hands: holding a
sword and a wheel;
her left hands:
displaying the
threatening mudra
and holding a rope.
Vashitottamada
Tara
Wangchok Terwai
Drolma
Liberating One Who
Gives the Sublime
Empowerment;
golden.
Seated on a makara
(sea monster), 4
arms, her right
hands: holding a
branch of the
ashoka tree and a
jewel; her left
hands: a vase and a
lotus.
- 149-
Varada Tara
Shoka-vinodana
Tara
- 150-
JagadvashiTara
Drowa Gukpai
Drolma
Liberating One Who
Gathers .Beings;
black.
2 arms, she holds in
each hand a hook
(to gather beings).
Mangalaloka
Tara
Trashi Nangwai
Drolma
Liberating One with
Auspicious Light;
golden.
8 arms, in the right
hands: a vajra,
trident, hook, and
sword; in the left
hands: a jewel,
hook, stick, and
vase.
- 151-
Paripachaka Tara
Ufr,~~~~l\·~1{~-qq·
tr~
Yongsu Minparzepai
Drolma
Liberating One Who
Leads to Complete
Ripening; red.
4 arms, in the right
hands: a sword and an
arrow; in the left hands:
a wheel and a bow.
Bhrikuti Tara
- 152-
Mahashanti
Tara
Shiva Chenmoi
Drolma
Liberating One with
Great Peace; white.
6 arms, in her right
hands: a mala,
giving mudra, and a
stick, in her left
hands: a lotus, a
vase, and a cup
filled with fruits.
Raga-nisudana
Tara
Chakpa Jompai
Drolma
Liberating One
Victorious over
Attachment;orange-
red.
2 arms, a trident in
her right hand, a
tree branch in her
left hand.
- 153-
Sukha-sadhana
Tara
Drolma Dedrupma
Liberating One
Accomplishing
Happiness; orange.
2 arms, holds in her
hands a moon disc.
Vijaya Tara
Drolma Namgyalma
Victorious Liberating
One; white.
Seated on a goose, 4
arms, 2 hands above the
head in the mudra of joy
and holding hooks. Other
right hand in giving
mudra, other left hand
holding a lotus upon
which rests a text.
- 154-
Duhkha-dahana
Tara
Drolma Dugngal
Sekma
Liberating One
Burning Suffering;
white.
2 arms, holds in her
hands a triangle
symbolizing fire.
Siddhi-
sambhava Tara
Drolma Ngodrup
Jungma
Liberating One
Source of
Accomplishments;
orange.
2 arms, holds in her
hands a vase
containing the
accomplishments
(supernormal
powers and
realization of the
nature of the mind).
- 155-
Paripurana Tara
- 156-
Mana simha
bhaya trana
"·~nr~z;-~&-r.t:~Q]~·a~:rl
~~<!{
Ngagyal Senge
Jikkyob Jetsunma
Queen who protects
from the danger of
pride and from
lions
Moha-hasti-
bhayatarini-
devi
~~-~~-g)"-~~~~~
~-~
Timuk Langpoi
Jikdrol Lahmo
Goddess who
protects from the
danger of torpor
and from elephants
- 157-
Dves-agni-
prashamani
"~z:;;~~z:;;~~~"l~
:Z:.Cf~"l·
Shetang Mepung
Tsoknam Rab Shima
She who perfectly calms
down anger and blazing
fire
Irsya-sapa-
visapaharani
~Cif~Cif~lll"~~"l·~"l~
ar~~i:lnr~
Tradok Drul Gyi
Duknam Yong Selma
She who completely
removes jealousy and
poisons from snakes
- 158-
Kudristi-cora-
upadravana-
nirvarani
'if~~~·~:z:.~ll'll~·
~~-~
Ta-ngen Kunpoi
Nyertse Le Dokma
She who removes
the violence of false
view and of thieves
Ghora-
matsarya-
shrinkhala-
mocani
~·q=l~~:z:.·~q.~~~~-
~~nr~E("·~·
Mize Sernai
Chakdrok Drolzema
She who liberates
from insatiable
greed and
imprisonment
- 159-
Rag-augha-vega-
varta-shosani
~~,~~~q-~1::\"
~~~~-a(
Dochak Chu-oi Balong
Kem Zema
She who dries up desire
and waters
Samshaya-pishaca-
bhaya-trana-tara
- 160-
ENDNOTES
1. The nature of the mind designates the mind as it is, truly beyond the
veils imposed by the psyche to which the individual identifies himself
or herself. Realizing the nature of the mind means discovering it through
direct experience and dwelling in this nature in a stable WilY·
4. In Tibetan, ~nr~1·
6. Khenpo Donyo is a great scholar and a lama who has lived near Bokar
Rinpoche since his childhood.
10. Tibetans distinguish between two kinds of crystal. There is the water
crystal giving a sensation of freshness when touched by the sun's rays,
and the fire crystal that gives off a sensation of heat.
- 161 -
11. The idea of the buddha's Bodies tries to express various modalities
of the awakened being. Three classifications are proposed. They are the
Two Bodies, the Three Bodies, or the Four Bodies.
- the Two Bodies
• Absolute Body (Dharmakaya): nonmanifested aspect, pure awareness
of awakening
• Formal Body (Rupakaya) manifested aspect of awakening
- the Three Bodies
In this classification, we add the Absolute Body as a division of the
Formal Body into two. Therefore we have:
• Absolute Body
• Body of Enjoyment (Sambhogakaya), the manifestation of awakening
at very subtle levels that can be called luminous
• Body of Manifestation (Nirmanakaya), the manifestation of awakening
at the level of ordinary material reality, for example, in a human form.
- the Four Bodies
• Absolute Body
• Enjoyment Body
• Body of Manifestation
• Body of Essence Itself. It is not, strictly speaking, a fourth Body, but a
way to emphasize that the Three preceding Bodies are not separated but
are one in essence.
14. In the text of the praise used by Taranatha, the word ~-a( (wheel)
in the third line of the ninth stanza in Tibetan, does not have the agent
ending ll<l ; this allows his interpretation. In other texts, the presence of
the agent ending 'I ( ~:~j!l::z;,·nf"'f) results in an entirely different meaning.
In this case see Rose-Marie Mengual's translation, founded on another
commentary, "she whose rays of her own light (radiating) from (her
hand) adorned by a wheel fight in all directions."
15. The third line of stanza 13 in Tibetan ends with ~~~~~:~. In other
versions, the same word is written '11f(t This leads, once more to
different interpretations. See Rose-Marie Mengual, "she who, right leg
- 162-
extended and left leg folded, totally destroys the army of enemies of
those who rejoice in the turning of the Wheel of Dharma."
16. The last word of the first line of stanza 16 in Tibetan ends with a
genitive · that is waiting for an unexpressed complement. In his
commentary Taranatha explicates this complement as being ~ll]l!of (mind
of compassion) which justifies his interpretation. ·
kinnara
- 163-
GLOSSARY
- 165-
BODHICITT A: Aspiration to obtain Awakening in order to help
all beings.
- 166-
CLEAR LIGHT: Nature of the mind.
- 167-
EMPOWERMENT: A Vajrayana ritual transmitting the blessing
of a deity and allowing its practice. There are many
empowerments. Often, the empowerment is followed by the
disciple's commitment to practice this deity but sometimes the
empowerment can also be received as a simple blessing.
- 168-
MANTRA: Sacred sounds, the repetition of which helps the mind
purify itself and develop its potential for Awakening. For
example, the mantra of Tara is OM TARE TUTT ARE TURE
SOHA.
- 169-
in order to avoid or reduce their effects. A qualified teacher
might designate specific practice to do in order to purify oneself.
- 170-
- suffering of conditioned existence is suffering one undergoes
because of the deluded nature of samsara. It ends only when one
attains Awakening.
- 171-
THREE WORLDS: The samsaric realms or spheres of Desire,
Form, and Formlessness.
- 172-
Bibliography
Beyer, Stephan
The Cult of Tara. Magic and Ritual in Tibet
Berkeley: University of California Press, 1973
Willson, Martin
In Praise of Tara. Songs of the Saviouress
London: Wisdom Publications, 1996
Taranatha, Jo Nang
The Origin of Tara Tantra
Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1995
Tenga Rinpoche
Tara, commentaire de Ia pratique de Ia grande liberatrice
Saint Leon sur Vezere: Editions Dzambala, 1994
- 173-
Index
Atisha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56,57,58,59,168
Avalokiteshvara . . . . . . 17,21,40,51-54,81,82,98,127,128,143,166
Bodhisattv<i 9,21,22,45-47,53,54,58,67,68,77,95,100,102,108,116,123,
127,128,166,168,170
Chandragarbha ................................. 56,57
Chandragonin .................................... 53
Chenrezig ........................ 17,21,40,81,98,127,166
Chod .......................................... 137
Chogyur Lingpa ................................ 65,66
Dakini .................................. 55,129,139,167
Hayapala ..................................... 55,56
Jonang .......................................... 95
Kagyu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,51,65,138,139,143,168
Kalpa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,21,51,52,112
Kalu Rinpoche . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,29,30,73
Kangyur ........................................ 94
Karma ............................. 60,72,78,79,122,168
Karmapa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32,33,51,138
Kebcha ........................................ 142
Kham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,26,30,31,33,34,37,66,134,142
Khyungpo Naljor ............................. 129,130
Milarepa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Naropa ................................ 50,121,129,142
Padmasambhava ......... 29,38,66,67,128,129,134,135,143,171
Paramita ................................. 100,102,147
Prajnaparamita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,39,55,95,136,137
Shakyamuni .......................... 51,52,53,54,59,63
Shantideva . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Taranatha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94,98,101,102,107,113,119,120,173
Terma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65,66,67,135,171
Torma .............................. 28,29,69,72,73,171
Tumo ......................................... 142
Vajradhara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Vinaya ..................................... 126,141
Virupa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131,132
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Yanglesho ....................................... 38
Yidam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,17,67,172
Yogi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57,59,103,128,131,138
Yogini .................................. 34,58,129,131
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Also by Bolalr Rinpoche
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USA
- 176-
EASTERN PHILesoPHY /TIBETAN B Y DDHISM/WOMEN'S SlUDIES
She addetl thllt there we~e many who fellowed the path in
a man's body,fw in a woman 's body. "As for myself,"
she saiti, "as long as samsara is net emptied, I will
benefit beings appearing in a female body."
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