White Tara is an emanation of Tara who is connected with
longevity. One calls on her for health, strength, and longevity.
Her
white colour indicates purity, but also indicates that she is Truth complete and
undifferentiated.
She wears the Bodhisattva ornaments.
She has
seven eyes: the two usual eyes, plus an eye in the centre of her forehead and
eyes in her hands and feet. These indicate that she sees all suffering and all
cries for help, even in the human world, even in the worlds of pain, using both
ordinary and psychic or extraordinary means of perception. She carries day
lotuses.
This Tara is also known as Samaya Tara, meaning Vow Tara. This
refers to Tara's vow to save all beings and also to our vow, which is a
Bodhisattva vow like Tara's.
Whereas the Green Tara is a young girl and
has a mischievous or playful nature, the White Tara is represented as a mature
woman, full-breasted and wise.
Some practitioners comment that the energy
of the two Taras feels a little different.
Green tara is very immediate
and quick. One calls to her for immediate assistance, and also often for help
with worldly things like lover, wealth and so on, as well as spiritual things.
She feels very close.
White Tara seems to help more with longer-term
problems, particularly problems of physical or mental health. It sometimes seems
as if she is more distant, harder to contact at first. Then it is as if she
sends us healing energies and mystical power and understandings.
Often
one sees, in pictures of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Tib: Chenrezigs), the
two Taras in front of him - the White Tara to his right, and the Green to his
left.
Similarly, Padmasambhava (Tib: Guru Rinpoche) is depicted with two
of his consorts. The Indian princess Mandarava, with whom he accomplished[ the
Rainbow Body practice, is identified with White Tara. The Tibetan princess
Yeshes Tsogyal, his consort and a source of many important lineage teachings
(for example the Kandro Nyin-thig), is identified with the Green
Tara.
White Tara is Buddha family (some also consider her to be partly in
Lotus family), whereas Green Tara is in the Action family and is the consort of
Amorgasiddhi, the Buddha of that family. The practices of both are very
important: White Tara is especially important in the Sakya
teachings.
White Tara has her own mantra. It is: OM TARE TUTARE TURE MAMA
AYURPUNYE JNANA PUTIN KURU SVAHA. (Ohm Tahray Totahray tooray mahmah
ahyoopoonyay jahnah pooteen kooroo swah hah).
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Tara? 