GREEN TARA & WHITE TARA

GREEN TARA

In Buddhism, Green Tara (Śyamatara) is a revered female Buddha known for her swift action, boundless compassion, and protective qualities. Often depicted with a green body, she is a principal meditation deity and a protector who aids in overcoming fears, obstacles, and hindrances. Green Tara is widely celebrated for her ability to quickly respond to the needs of those seeking help, whether for physical, emotional, or spiritual challenges. Through her powerful mantra recitations and imagery, practitioners are guided to cultivate compassion, gain insight, and move closer to spiritual liberation.
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WHITE TARA

White Tara (Sitatara) is a female Buddha representing longevity, compassion, healing, and spiritual growth. She is often shown with seven eyes (one on the forehead and one on each palm and foot), symbolizing her deep capacity to see suffering and respond to the needs of all sentient beings. Devotees call on White Tara for protection from harm, healing of body and mind, and for assistance in accomplishing spiritual practices and long life.
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ROLE OF GREEN TARA

• Quick Savior and Protector: Green Tara is revered for coming swiftly to those who call for her, rescuing them from worldly dangers and the cycles of samsara.
• Embodiment of Compassionate Action: She exemplifies compassionate activity — often called a "Mother of All Buddhas" — and guides practitioners along the spiritual path.
• Fear-Confronting Guide: She assists people to face and transform the "Eight Inner Fears," turning negative emotions such as pride, anger, jealousy, and greed into humility, compassion, and wisdom.
• Symbol of Nature and Vitality: Her green color symbolizes life, rebirth, and a deep connection with the natural world and its preservation.
• Spiritual Guide and Mentor: Through her example, she inspires trust, increases compassion, and provides courage for spiritual growth and the path to enlightenment.
• Bringer of Inner Peace and Resilience: Practitioners cultivate emotional resilience, clarity, and inner calm through an affinity with Green Tara.
• Focus of Devotional Practices: Followers invoke her with mantras and offerings, placing statues or thangkas in homes and temples as reminders of her presence and protection.

ROLE OF WHITE TARA

• Longevity and Healing: White Tara is closely linked with health and longevity; she is invoked to heal physical and emotional wounds and to protect against illness and premature death.
• Compassionate Savior: She listens to the pleas of all beings and offers shelter and protection against life-threatening obstacles.
• Spiritual Guide: White Tara teaches virtues such as wisdom, patience, and compassion, supporting practitioners in developing a calm and steady mind.
• Purifier: Through her grace and the chanting of her mantra, she is called upon to cleanse negative karma and bring inner peace.
• Exuding Peace: Her peaceful nature promotes tranquillity and helps dispel fear and sorrow.

Mantras of Green Tara and White Tara

GREEN TARA: The primary mantra is "Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha" (sometimes written "Svaha").

Meaning of the mantra:

• Om (ཨོཾ): Represents the sacred sound of the universe and the pure body, speech, and mind of an enlightened being.
• Tare (ཏཱ་རེ): Calls Tara's essence, invoking her liberation of beings from samsara and worldly fears.
• Tuttare (ཏུ་ཏ་རེ): Signifies Tara's swift, active energy to rescue beings from the "eight fears" and inner obstacles.
• Ture (ཏུ་རེ): Strengthens Tara's healing and protective qualities, guiding the practitioner toward liberation.
• Soha / Svaha (སྭཱ): Concludes the mantra, affirming devotion and grounding Tara's blessings in the practitioner's heart and mind.

WHITE TARA: The White Tara mantra commonly used is "Om Tare Tuttare Ture Mama Ayuh Punya Jnana Pustim Kuru Svaha".

Meaning of the White Tara mantra (brief):

• Om: Sacred syllable representing the body, speech, and mind of Tara.
• Tare: Symbolizes Tara's liberation of beings from suffering.
• Tuttare: Grants protection from the great fears and internal obstacles like ignorance and anger.
• Ture: Liberates from disease and harmful influences.
• Mama: A heartfelt request for blessings "for me" or "mine".
• Ayuh: Invokes blessings for long life and health.
• Punya: Represents accumulation of merit through virtuous action.
• Jnana: Denotes the attainment of wisdom.
• Pustim: Signifies nourishment, abundance, and fulfillment.
• Kuru: A request for White Tara to bestow these blessings.
• Svaha: A concluding offering of energy and blessings.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while Green Tara and White Tara manifest different qualities, one as a swift protector from fear and the other as a serene healer for longevity. They are ultimately one in their essence. Together, they offer a complete path of compassion, providing the active courage to face life’s challenges and the peaceful wisdom to sustain a long, spiritual life.