OM TARE TUTARE TURE SOHA

Tara is the most beloved of deities. She is known as the Mother of Awakened Buddhas. She has served countless Buddhas. An ages ago, she took the Bodhisattva vow -- to work for the benefit of all sentient beings. Radically defying the tradition of assuming only male rebirths after taking the Bodhisattva vow, Tara made a second vow -- to incarnate in female form to benefit all sentient beings through her activities until the day she achieve enlightenment.

When Buddha taught the root tantra associated with Tara, he praised :

"Tara is she who frees and protects beings from all possible fears and sufferings that they can encounter. Tara is she who closes the doors to the lower realms of existence. Tara is she who leads them on the path to higher states of beings."

Tara has been regarded as the Lady of Miraculous Activities of the past, present and future. Tara is also an emanation of the Bodhisattva of compassion, Chenrenzi. Tara is the most powerful amd swift in creating conducive conditions for our spiritual growth. We need to acknowledge Tara's capacity to function on many different levels and appear in many different forms, according to the needs and level of understanding of the practitioners.

Tara's name means One Who Saves. Her compassion for all sentient beings and her desire to save them from suffering is said to be stronger than a mother's love for her children. Tara protect us from internal fears and external dangers in our lives. She destroys external threats and obstructions. Besides, she also overcomes unharmonious conditions. Tara can saves us from the eight dangers. Tara can instantaneously saves the faithful from being attack by :

• 1) lions and pride
• 2) wild elephants and delusions
• 3) forest fires and hatred
• 4) snakes and envy
• 5) robbers and fanatical view
• 6) prisons and avarice
• 7) floods and lust
• 8) demons and doubts

Green Tara is Tara's most dynamic manifestation. Tara is in fact the name of a whole class of deities. Tara's apperances are obviously seen in all five colors of the Jinas which is green, white, yellow, blue and red. Tara has both peaceful and wrathful forms. She appears in the center of the composition. The emerald green color of her body is power in all functions. Her two hands are the understanding of the two truth. The lotus that she holds in each hand identifies her as the female manifestation of Avalokiteshvara. Her adornment with all ornaments is the completion of the stacks of merit and knowledge. She wears a jeweled crown, earrings, jewelry, a green skirt, and gold and red scarves. All of this finery shows that she remains of this world. She is seated upon a green lotus petals, her legs are in relaxed position. Her right foot stretched out is the abandonment of all the defects of Maras, her left foor drawn back is the understanding of of all qualities. A mandorla surrounded by flowers is encircling her body. At the top of the mandorla is a small Buddha Sakyamuni.Tara is a complex figure. Her widespread popularity enhanced her ability to cater to varying needs of her devotees.

Mantra of the Green Tara is OM TARE TUTARE TURE SOHA. "OM" is hte body, speech and mind of the Buddha. "TARE" is dharma which is the ones that liberates beings from danger. "TUTARE" is the one that liberates beings from dangers. "TURE" is the one that release beings from sicknesses and "SOHA" is laying the foundation. This mantra helps us from sicknesses, dangers and sufferings.