The Twenty-one Taras

1.The Chief Green Tara

A. Visualization--Body Green, sitting in half-lotus, right leg extended, left leg as the half lotus. Holding a blue Upala flower. Wearing a crown decorated with the Five Buddhas, heavenly clothes and petticoats. She has three necklaces, the first one is short, touching her breasts, second the heart, and third the navel. All earrings, bracelets, armlets and anklets have been decorated with gems, jewels and pearls. All of the other twenty Taras have the same ornaments which will not be described again.

B. Incantation--OM DHARE DO DHARE DO RE SOHA

2.The Tara Who Saves Sentient Beings From All Calamities

A. Visualization--Her body is White. Right hand extends outward with palm open to present fearlessness. Her left hand holds a lotus flower. By repeating her incantation, one may get rid of every pain, disease and all kinds of calamities.

B. Incantation--OM VAJRA DHARE SARVA BIGGANEN SHIN DUM KURU SOHA

3.The Tara Who Saves Those From Earthquakes

A Visualization--Blue body. On the flower she holds there is a Vajra with five peaks.

B. Incantation--OM DHARE DO DHARE DO RE MA MA SARVA LUM LUM JALA BAYA SHIN DUM KURU SOHA

4.The Tara Who Saves Those From A Water Calamity

A. Visualization--Red body, right hand as above, on the flower there is a fire-mirror.

B. Incantation--OM DHARE DO DHARE DO RE MAMA SARVA BOM BOM JALA BAYA SHIN DUM KURU SOHA.

5.The Tara Who Saves Those From A Fire Calamity

A. Visualization--Yellow body, on the flower there is the ball of Crystal dropping nectar.

B. Incantation--OM DHARE DO DHARE DO RE MA MA SARVA RUM RUM JALA BAYA SHIN DUM KURU SOHA.

6.The Tara Who Saves Those From A Wind Calamity

A. A. Visualization--White body, right and left hands as above. On the flower, there is a great Mt. Sumeru. On Mt. Sumeru, there is a wheel.

B. Incantation--OM DHARE DO DHARE DO RE MA MA SARVA RUM RUM JALA BAYA SHIN DUM KURU SOHA.

7. The Tara Who Increases The Practitioner's Properties and Wisdom.

A. Visualization--Body yellow, right hand holds a gem of willpower, left hand holds a hook with jewel handle.

B. Incantation--OM RI NA DHARE SARVA LOGA JALA BAYA DARA DARA DIRI DIRI SHIN SHIN JANA JANA BOOT JING KURU OM

8. The Tara Who Saves Those From A Sky Calamity

A. Visualization--Green body, two hands as above. On the flower there is a double crossed Vajra. No thunder, lightening, hailstones, drought, or deluge can harm the Practitioner.

B. Incantation--OM DHARE DO DHARE DO RE MA MA SARVA EY EY MAHA HANA BAYA SHIN DUM KURU SOHA.

9. The Tara Who Saves Those From A War Calamity

A. Visualization--Her body is of blue color. Both hands are the same as above. On the flower there stands a precious sword. No bombs or killing instruments can harm the Practitioner when repeating this incantation. Do not let the sharp points of arms, weapons or any kinds of fighting tools be arranged toward yourself. This is a bad sign.

B. Incantation--OM DHARE DO DHARE DO RE MAMA SARVA DIG DIG DIG CHANA RA CHA RA CHA KURU SOHA.

10. The Tara Who Saves Those In Jail

A. Visualization--Red body, on the flower there is an iron hook.

B. Incantation--OM DHARE DO DHARE DO RE MA MA SARVA RAN JA DU JING JO DA SHING DUM KURU SOHA.

11. The Tara Who Saves Those From Robbers

A. Visualization--Black body, on the flower there stands a knife.

B. Incantation--OM DHARE DO DHARE DO RE SARVA JA RA VEN DA BEN DA JICK TUM SOHA.

12. The Tara Who Increases Power

A. Visualization--Red body, right hand holds a hook covered with flowers, left hand holds a rope.

B. Incantation--OM PAIMA DHARE DHARE SEN DARA SHEH SARVA LOGA VA SHUM KURU HO.

13. The Tara Who Saves Those Bothered By Demons

A. Visualization--Black body, on the flower there stands the Vajra with three heads.

B. Incantation--OM DHARE DO DHARE DO RE SARVA DU JING BIGGANEN BUM PEY SOHA.

14. The Tara Who Saves Those Troubled By Calamities To Their Domestic Animals such as horses, bulls, lambs, and chickens

A. Visualization--Deep brown body, on the flower there stands a spear.

B. Incantation--OM DHARE DO DHARE DO RE SARVA HUMK HUMK DU JING HANA HANA JA SA YA PEY SOHA.

15. The Tara Who Saves Those Harmed by Wild Beasts such as tiger, lion and wolf

A. Visualization--Black body, on the flower there is a fire torch.

B. Incantation--OM DHARE DO DHARE DO RE SARVA JALEY JALEY BENDA PEY SOHA.

16. The Tara Who Saves Beings From Poison

A. Visualization--White Body, on the flower there is a Crystal bottle full of nectar.

B. Incantation--OM DHARE DO DHARE DO RE SARVA BAT KA JALA YA HARA HARA PEY SOHA.

17. The Tara Who Subdues The Great Demons

A. Visualization--Black body, three eyes open widely and wrathfully. Two palms hold the Vajra with three heads. When she turns the Vajra around, it can destroy the Demon's heart into pieces.

B. Incantation--OM GAMA DHARE SARVA HEH HO HO HUNK HUNK BINDA BINDA PEY.

18. The Tara Who Is The King of Medicine

A. Visualization--Yellow body, on the flower there is a coconut which shines with light as the sun.

B. Incantation--OM DHARE DO DHARE DO RE SARVA JA RA SARVA DUK KA BRA SA MA NA YA PEY SOHA.

19. The Tara Who Helps One To Get Longevity

A. Visualization--White body, on the flower there is a logevity bottle full of nectar.

B. Incantation--OM DHARE DO DHARE DO RE PEY JA AYU KEY SOHA.

20. The Tara Who Helps You Get Wealth

A. Visualization--Yellow body, on the flower there is a precious bottle full of jewels, gems, and pearls.

B. Incantation--OM DHARE DO DHARE DO RE JUM PAIMO HEY DANA MEY DEY SHET SOHA.

21. The Tara Who Fulfills One's Wishes

A. Visualization--Green-yellow body, on the flower there is a symbol of fulfillment of all wills.

B. Incantation--OM DHARE DO DHARE DO RE SARVA ARTA SIT DEY SIT DEY KURU SOHA.

The inspirations from Tara to every practitioner are numerous and endless. Here I introduce to my readers some examples from history and some from my own experience.

A. From History

1. Nine great kalpas before in the Sukhavati there was a Bhikshu named Super-Light-Shining. He got the initiation of Great Compassion and received the Initiated Dharma name which we know as "Avalokitesvara". When Avalokitesvara received the Wisdom-Light initiation from the Five Buddhas, all the light, above and behind, turned around and formed the heart of Avalokitesvara and from his heart he incarnated the Tara who can save all sentient beings from all kinds of sorrows and pain.

2. When Buddha Gautama sat in meditation under the great Bodhi Tree, from the place between his eyebrows much light radiated out. Many groups of Demons came to Buddha in the hope of disturbing his meditation. Our merciful Tara knew of this and she sat on Gautama Buddha's head and seven times gave a loud laugh. All the Demons bowed down on the ground. Tara again sat in meditation and transformed herself into the body of the enlightened King named Non-Moving who destroyed all the Demons into dust and sent their consciousness to Sukhavati. Gautama Buddha then attained Full Enlightenment.

3. The great sage named Nagarjuna who propagated the Middle Way of Mahayana was favored by Tara and received great accomplishment.

4. In Ashoka's Dynasty there was a rich man who was seized by the King Ashoka. The rich man called out Tara's name when he passed a door and found out that the door had become gold. He then took the gold to the King. When he was put into jail, he found that from the ceiling of his jail many pearls fell. He also offered them to the King Ashoka. Around the outside of the jail, many withered trees became fresh with many fruits. He was then discharged from jail and became a minister of the Kingdom. This was due to his faith in Tara.

5. Many Bhikshus were thrown down by the water of a flood into a river and were in the process of drowning. They all called on Tara for salvation. They saw all the Tara images which were engraved on the wall of their monastery run out to the river and help them. So they were saved.

B. From My Own Experience

1. Once I was requested to write a commentary on the Tara meditation. After I finished I asked Tara for her criticism. I saw myself in the Potala mandala, my body was transparent and green like jade. On the flower there was my commentary of her ritual.

2. When I was in a retreat once, I concentratedly meditated on Tara. She appeared before me and said, "Before you, many Buddhas accomplished Full Enlightenment. After you again many Buddhas will accomplish Full Enlightenment all through my help. You should just meditate on your true mind. You will transcend above the three heavenly realms."

3. I have made a Homa ritual for Tara. Once Garma C. C. Chang read it and performed a Homa on Mt. Mogyu. It was fine weather but he heard a great thunder voice. Then he wrote and asked me why. I was then in Pabon Monastery with Karmapa Rimpoche and as I could not answer him with my own opinion, I then asked Karmapa Rimpoche. He replied that the great thunder voice was saying "Soon your Homa ritual of Tara will be known throughout the whole world." Now my book of Tara Meditation has been distributed to readers around the world. Many foreign Buddhists have translated it into many languages and many male and female Buddhists have practiced it.

My Guru Rona Rimpoche said that without initiation anyone may repeat the Tara ritual and meditate on her visualization and they will be saved from every kind of calamity.

It is advisable if one wants to project the function of each different Tara on each special occasion, that one perform the following fundamental practices:

1. Develop Bodhicitta. Please refer to my book "How to Develop the Bodhicitta."
2. Meditate on the Tara Meditation. Refer to my Booklet New No. 79, "Tara Meditation".
3. Repeat at least 100,000 times the incantation of the Chief Green Tara.