A journey to a mysterious Himalaya snow land and it's unique Vajrayana Buddhism and the threatening culture.
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Why 21 Tara in specific and not random numbers ?
Tuesday, September 20, 2022
Commentary On The Praises of 21 Taras - Chapter 2/3
12. Homage to her, who’s so brightly adorned with a sliver of moon, which resembles that of the first day of the lunar month, as her crown, blazing rays of light. Amongst her locks resides Amitābha, Buddha of Boundless Light, who graces her as another crown ornament. His gleaming rays stream forever forth, constantly benefitting sentient beings with the shining of his boundless light.
13. Homage to her, seated in a halo blazing with apocalyptic flames, just like those of the seven suns which burn all the earth, stones, and mountains at the end of the eon. Her posture, with her right leg stretched out and left bent inward, is the opposite of before. Immersed in joy, she crushes all the opposing forces, the legions of foes.14. Homage to her, who on the earth’s surface strikes her left palm and makes the threatening mudrā and stamps her feet. Her brow deeply furrowed, with the utterance of the syllable Hum, light shoots forth from the Vajra in her right hand. This light fills the seven netherworlds and all their obstacles are dispelled.
15. Homage to her, the lady who is blissful, since she is endowed with untainted bliss; and gracious, because she is free from what needs to be abandoned, the afflictions. She acts out of the domain of the peace—the pacification of suffering—of nirvana, which is the total exhaustion of all thoughts. With the essence of her enlightened from, Om and Svaha perfect union, she lays to waste every terrible evil—the afflictions of others, which must be abandoned. 16. Homage to her, who, immersed in rapture, shatters the bodies of all her foes. She manifests from the wisdom-syllable Hum, for this is the essence of her wrathful mantra—Om Namas Tare Namo Hare Hum Hare Svaha. She likewise displays each of her peaceful mantra’s ten syllables—Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha.
17. Homage to Ture, whose wrathful emanation enters a dance. Her feet stomping boldly, she pacifies obstacles wherever they may be. Her wrathful body is born or formed from the seed of the syllable Hum. The supreme mountain of the three-thousand-fold world system, called Mandara, is pierced by the light radiating from the syllable Hum. All the three worlds—the desire, form and formless realms—she causes them to quake.18. Homage to her, who holds in her hand the maṇḍala of a deer-marked moon, which is likened to a divine lake. This is a sign that she has cleared away the poison of the afflictions. With Tara twice and then with Phaṭ, and with the mantra Tare, she totally cleanses all of the poisons of the world and all that moves within it.19. Homage to her, who is served—worshipped—by kings of hosts divine, and leaders of gods and of the kiṃnaras, such as King Druma. She is suited or manifests in a deity’s form and mantra, which serves as her armour of joy and splendour. She dispels all nightmares, soothes away the strife caused by those opposed to the Dharma.20. Homage to her, whose eyes become sources of shining light. p both shine with luster, bright with the fullness of her right eye, represented by the sun, and her left eye, represented by the moon. With twice-uttered Hara—a mantra that is both peaceful and wrathful—and Tuttare she pacifies all, including the most intractable diseases.21. Homage to her, who has the power to free us from all afflictions. She puts forth the realities of enlightened body, speech and mind as a set of three—the syllables Om, Ah and Hum. Supreme Ture, she completely pacifies and destroys all opposing forces—the hordes of grahas, vetalas, and yaksas that create obstacles—through the power of the ten-syllable mantra.
Friday, August 5, 2022
Tara of All Colours: Wrathful, Peaceful and Everything In-Between
Tuesday, July 26, 2022
Goddess Marici - The Ray of Light Bodhisattva 摩利支天菩薩
Wednesday, March 2, 2022
No.21 Emanation of Taras - Lhamo Ozer Chenma / Marichi (21/21)
Tuesday, March 1, 2022
No.20 Emanation of Taras - Ritro Loma Gyonma / Parnashavari (20/21)
Saturday, February 26, 2022
No.19 Emanation of Taras - Dugkarmo (19/21)
Praises to the Twenty-One Tara is a traditional prayer in Tibetan Buddhism to the female Bodhisattva Tara. (Tibetan called Drolma) also known as Arya Tara or Jetsun Dolma. The prayer is found in all four traditions of Tibetan Buddhism.
Each of the twenty-one emanations of Tara has her own name, and a specific mantra with which she is associated, offering protection from various types of fears, harm, and calamities.
Tara has Twenty-One ultimate emanations according to the mantra of the Buddha Samantabhadra called “Twenty-One Praises of Tara”. Twenty-One Tara with 21 specific colors serves with a specific function.
There are different styles and designs of tangka paintings that represent the Twenty-One manifestations of Tara based on distinct lineages and practices, in which forms, colors, ritual objects and even names or functions can vary.