Material: Bronze. Cast. Handmade. Antique

Size: Approximately 12 cm in height (small Buddha statue)

Description: Green Tara (Tibetan: Jetsun Drolma) is one of the most revered female bodhisattvas in Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana). She is considered the embodiment of compassion, specializing in providing swift protection and salvation. In Tibetan Buddhism, she plays the roles of "Swift Protectress" and "Mother of Liberation," symbolizing active compassionate action and wisdom. She is the female aspect of Avalokiteshvara and is often described as an action hero, able to respond instantly to the cries of sentient beings, rescuing believers from worldly dangers (such as disasters and diseases) and mental obstacles (such as fear and karmic obstacles). Green Tara is not only a bodhisattva but is also considered an enlightened being who has attained Buddhahood. She is the mother of all Buddhas and embodies the essence of Prajnaparamita (Mother of Wisdom). In the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism (Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu, and Gelug), Green Tara is an important meditation deity. Practitioners cultivate bodhicitta and compassion through her practice. Her green color symbolizes vitality, overcoming fear, and the unity of all colors (activities), representing her multifaceted capacity for pacifying, increasing, enthralling, and wrathful activities. She stands out among the twenty-one Taras as the most prominent form, widely integrated into daily rituals, amulets, and prayers.

The typical depiction of Green Tara is that of a young and beautiful woman with emerald green skin, wearing a jeweled crown (topped with Amitabha Buddha), her right hand resting on her knee in the varada mudra (gesture of granting wishes), symbolizing the bestowal of blessings; her left hand holds a blue lotus (utpala), symbolizing purity and wisdom. She sits with one leg crossed and the other extended, indicating a posture of readiness for action.

The Myth of Green Tara

The myth of Green Tara originates in 6th-century Indian Buddhism and later flourished in Tibetan Buddhism. The most famous story is that she was born from the tears of Avalokiteshvara: Avalokiteshvara, witnessing the endless suffering of sentient beings in samsara, wept sorrowfully, and a single tear formed a lake from which a blue lotus bloomed, from which Green Tara was born. She immediately vowed to assist Avalokiteshvara in accelerating the salvation of sentient beings, becoming his "daughter" and active embodiment. Another version describes how, when Avalokiteshvara's head split open in despair, Amitabha Buddha reformed it into the Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara, and simultaneously, Green Tara and White Tara were born from his tears to hasten his vow.

Another myth emphasizes her feminist aspect: Green Tara was once a princess named "Wisdom Moon" (Jñanachandra or Yeshe Dawa), who practiced under the Buddha Amoghasiddhi. She made a great vow to help 100,000 sentient beings every day and pledged to always attain Buddhahood as a woman, as female Buddhahood was rare at the time. She refused to be reborn as a man, emphasizing that women could also attain perfect enlightenment, and ultimately manifested as Tara. The 14th Dalai Lama also mentioned similar stories, highlighting her vow to gender equality. In a broader context, she is considered a Buddhist emanation of the Hindu goddess Durga or Prajnaparamita, symbolizing the protector of navigation and travel (derived from "Tara" meaning star or crossing). These stories emphasize her compassion, wisdom, and fearlessness, reflecting the revival of female power in Buddhism.

The Method of Offering to Green Tara

The practice of offering to Green Tara ranges from simple to complex, suitable for practitioners of different levels. Beginners can begin basic practice without empowerment, but advanced rituals require instruction from a teacher. Here are the main methods:

1. **Mantra Recitation**: The core mantra is "Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha," meaning "Om! O Tara, I pray to O Tara, O Swift One, grant my wish!" This mantra symbolizes protection from fear, purification of obstacles, and fulfillment of desires. Recite it 108 times or more daily, visualizing Green Tara's image as she recites: green light radiating from her heart chakra, filling yourself and all beings.

2. **Visualization and Sadhana Ritual**: In meditation, visualize yourself manifesting as Green Tara: her body is ethereal like a rainbow, with the green seed syllable "TAM" in her heart chakra, radiating green light as an offering to the Buddhas and blessing all beings. The ritual includes taking refuge in the Three Jewels, generating Bodhicitta, practicing the Four Immeasurables (loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity), and the Seven-Branch Offering (holiness, offering, confession, rejoicing, requesting the turning of the wheel of Dharma, requesting the Buddha to remain in the world, and dedication). At the end, dissolve into clarity and voidness.

3. **Offerings:** Offer eight kinds of offerings on the mandala or altar: drinking water (purifying thirst), foot-washing water (cleansing impurities), flowers (beauty), incense (morality), lamps (dispelling ignorance), perfumed oil (purification), food (nourishment), and music (Dharma sound). Actual items or imagined offerings can be used. A mandala can also be offered, symbolizing the offering of the entire universe.

4. **Praise and Invocation:** Recite the *Praise to the Twenty-One Taras* 1-3 times daily or more. In Tibetan Buddhism, both children and adults memorize this praise for protection. There are also prayers such as the *Song of Longing for Tara*, calling upon her from the depths of one's heart.

5. **Other Practices:** Participating in puja rituals, making torma (offering cakes) to represent the destruction of negativity, wearing amulets, or hanging Tara thangkas. Advanced practitioners may practice kriya yoga or higher tantras, such as Chittamani Tara.

Benefits of Offering to Green Tara

Practicing Green Tara brings both worldly and transcendental benefits, emphasizing swift effects and comprehensive protection. Key benefits include:

- **Protection from Fear:** She protects against the eight great fears (lion/pride, elephant/ignorance, fire/wrath, snake/jealousy, thief/wrong view, water/greed, disease/attachment, demon/doubt), dissolving disasters, illnesses, conflicts, and nightmares.

- **Purification and Accumulation of Merit:** Purifies negative karma, delusions, and obstacles; accumulates merit; cultivates compassion, wisdom, and generosity. Practice can awaken Buddha-nature and prepare one for the realization of emptiness.

- **Worldly Blessings:** Brings health, longevity (especially associated with White Tara), wealth, success, safe travels, and the fulfillment of wishes. In the stories, she has rescued prisoners, resolved lawsuits, and protected nations.

- **Spiritual Growth:** Cultivates fearlessness, joy, and bodhicitta, transforming negative emotions into positive qualities (such as transforming anger into wisdom). Ultimately, it guides practitioners to rebirth in pure lands (such as the Pure Land of Verdant Leaves) and the attainment of Buddhahood.

In short, the practice of Green Tara not only provides immediate assistance but also promotes complete liberation, and is seen as a revival of contemporary female wisdom.