Tara

Tara is one of the most striking figures in the whole Buddhist cosmos. Her name means the liberator, or the one who carries across, over the ocean of suffering to the other shore. She is not an abstract deity enthroned in distant heavens. She is near, immediate and quick to respond. In Tibet it is said that Tara acts faster than lightning. Whoever calls on her receives help before the thought is fully formed.

The legend of her origin is moving. Chenrezig, the bodhisattva of compassion, looked upon the immeasurable suffering of all beings and wept. From his tears Tara arose. She is thus literally born of compassion, of the deepest feeling an enlightened being knows. This story explains how approachable she is. She knows what suffering means. She experienced it in her own coming into being.

Tara has 21 known forms, each with its own colour, posture, energy and function. The best known are Green Tara and White Tara. Green Tara is the Tara of active, swift help. She sits with her right leg slightly extended, ready to rise and act. She is called upon in moments of danger, fear and urgency. White Tara stands for long life, healing and inner peace. She is depicted with seven eyes, on her forehead, palms and soles, a symbol of her all-seeing wisdom and her boundless compassion.

Tara is venerated worldwide, far beyond the bounds of Tibetan Buddhism. People of every culture and background feel drawn to her energy. She embodies something universal: a readiness to help, without conditions and without delay. A Tara statue in the home or on the altar is an invitation for that quality to be present each day.

At tibet-markets.ch we carry Tara pieces in various forms, materials and sizes, all handmade and iconographically correct. Each piece was chosen personally for the quality of the work and the quiet strength of its presence.