Tara, goddess of universal compassion
Goddess Tara plays an important role in the Yoga traditions as well as in Buddhism. Her Sanskrit name comes from the linguistic root “tar-“ that means protection and going across. “Tara” also means star.
As in most of the arquetypes that the Sparks have been exploring throughout this year, there are different legends about her origin. Today I will tell you about the most accepted in the spiritual currents related with Hinduism. Back in September I wrote about the story of the cosmic ocean of milk and a few months later I mentioned that when gods and asuras churned it, Shiva, the benevolent, drunk the terrible poison that came out stopping it from reaching the world of humans. Remember? Well, after his wife, Parvati, held the poison in Shiva´s throat, he fell unconscious to the ground. Durga, seeing what was happening, decided to manifest as Maa Tara, who laid Shiva on her lap and fed him the most powerful divine antidote, her breasts milk, until he was fully recovered.
On the other hand, Buddhist Tara is the feminine representation of the Buddha and she is considered the goddess of universal compassion. She is said to be the “Mother of all Buddhas” because her protection allows us to cross the ocean of existence and takes us to the other shore, to the enlightened Self. Her loving compassion is stronger than the love of a mother for her children and her deepest desire is to alliviate our suffering. She wants to help us reveal our pure and conscious essence.
There are many manifestations of Tara. Each one reflects different aspects of the same virtue. You will recognize them because their skin color varies. Very well known are:
- Green Tara, the Buddha of illuminated activity. She is dynamic, vigorous and always ready to act. She has the jovial aspect of a maiden goddess.
- White Tara, known for her compassion, serenity and capacity to heal. Being related to the wisdom and nourishment of the mature feminine, she is represented as an older goddess.
- Blue Tara, the protectress that destroys venoms, transmutes fear, rage and other dense emotions that keep us from revealing our authentic illuminated state. Her aspect is wilder, she is naked and covered only by a tiger skin.
The practice for the yoga super heroes:
There is a universal mantra to Tara that is recited in order to awaken the compassion and guidance of this star goddess. This week, sit in your meditation space and gently repeat “Om tare tuttare ture svaha”, preferible 108 times or ten minutes more or less. After that, remain silent until you feel that it is the time to go back to your daily activities. May her vibration guide our steps!
See you on the mat!
Om Shanti
Zaira
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The Zunray Spark is a biweekly email with an inspirational message. It also serves as theme for the classes at Zunray
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