Practiced by all four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, White Tara has been the main deity practice of many well-known Buddhist scholars and siddhas in both India and Tibet, foremost among whom where Nagarjuna and Atisha. White Tara’s special function is to promote long life, both for the practitioner and for others. Ultimately, she is the very nature of the dharmakaya, and her practice is a means for attaining liberation.
White Tara is a mother figure, seated in the posture of the vajra (thunderbolt) above a white moon disc and an open lotus. Her aura glows, as various coloured rings framed with pink lotus blossoms surround her. Her garments are elaborately decorated with ornaments; on her head she wears a sparkling tiara; and she is adorned with beautiful jewelery - a long and a short necklace, as well as various gold and jewel ornaments. Her right hand rests across her knee in the mudra of supreme generosity, while her left hand holds near her heart the stem of a uptala flower, which is blossoming near her left ear. White Tara is always depicted as a peaceful deity.
White Tara has seven eyes; there are three eyes on her face (including the one on her forehead) amd one eye on each palm of her hands and feet. It is said that White Tara's seven eyes enable her to clearly "see" all beings in all the realms of existence. Her expression is one of the utmost compassion.
1329 Creighton AveNUE . Dayton, OHIO 45420
(937) 252-2220
sangha@gardrolma.org