Now is a Good Time to Examine the Meaning of Tara

Need More Compassion in Your Life?

Since the popularity of books such as The Chalice and the Blade and The Mists of Avalon, the feminine face of spirituality has resurged. Goddesses, fairies, witches and now bodhisattvas are a part of our cultural zeitgeist. Probably the most famous goddess is the Hindu goddess, Kali, the coal black goddess with enraged eyes and a thrusting tongue. Sometimes she dances on her consort, Shiva, while hacking at demons with a long knife. In fact, in India, this is the age of Kali—a period of destruction and strife. And as we look around us, it would indeed appear that the destructive energy of Kali has permeated the world. Which is why I believe it is time for our culture to discover the comfort of the Buddhist Bodhisattva, Tara. Known as Drolma in Tibetan, Tara is the quintessential female deity for this age.

Who is Tara?
To Tantric Buddhists, Tara is an important Bodhisattva. A Bodhisattva is an enlightened being on the way to Buddhahood who declines attaining nirvana until all sentient beings have been helped towards this path. In other words, Bodhisattvas are similar to a guardian angel, except the Bodhisattva has declined entering the gates of enlightenment until we humans stop acting so nasty to one another. Tara is one of the most beloved Bodhisattva’s in Nepal and Tibet. There are twenty-one manifestations of Tara, but the two most common and most replicated in statue and painting are White Tara and Green Tara. Buddhists who follow her, look upon Tara as the “one who saves.” Others associate her with the Sanskrit word “Tara” which means “star.” While others equate Tara to Kuan Yin, Kannon, and even, our favorite, Kali to augment her meaning and significance. Interestingly, in Sanskrit, the root “Tar” means to “go across” and this is the very thing a Bodhisattva commits to, helping all people to cross from pain and suffering to nirvana.