My parents gave me the name Tara because of the beautiful plantation in "Gone With the Wind" written by Margaret Mitchell. Mitchell didn't choose this name initially, but in one of her rewrites, she changed the plantation name to Tara, after the Hill of Tara of Irish lore, in honor of her character’s Irish roots. My father had told me that he and my mom also considered that the meaning of Tara is "the earth". Not the planet, but the soil. My maiden name holds the meaning "between the mountains", so I always thought that was pretty neat.
Even though I used to ride my bike to St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church when I was younger, and putting myself through the Sacrament of Confirmation process, I've never really considered myself to be a highly religious person. I have always been more aligned with spirituality. Back then, I don't think SBNR (Spiritual But Not Religious) was widely used. I thought I made it up, actually. Hmm, maybe I did!! 🤔 Anyway, God and I are wicked tight. I am absolutely a believer in the whole thing. The Universe, the energy, the vibrations. I believe in karma and the law of attraction, and I don't ever question the meaning of life. I already know it.
As I got older and Vint, Bob, Bill, Larry and Serg did their thing with the internet and information was more easily discovered without having to do much leg work ourselves, I dug deeper into the name I was given, and was pleased to learn about the Goddess.
I will share it with you here because while living this life, I feel a deep connection with her and her story. Tara, the goddess of protection and compassion, is undoubtedly the most powerful female deity in the Buddhist pantheon.
Her name means “star” in Sanskrit and she is believed to possess the ability to guide followers, like a star, on their spiritual path. She was also called "She Who Brings Forth Life", "The Great Compassionate Mother", "The Embodiment of Wisdom", and "The Great Protectress".
She is worshiped throughout Tibet, Nepal, and parts of Southeast Asia. The Chinese call her Kwan Yin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, her name meaning “one who hears the cries of the world.” Tara is known as "The Mother of Mercy", "The Goddess of Compassion", "The Mother of Liberation,” and "the one who saves.”
According to one legend, Tara emerged from a lotus that grew in a lake made by the tears of Avalokitesvara as he wept for the world’s sufferings. Because of her essential goodness, she was granted the right to assume her human form as a man. But Tara elected instead her womanly form and vowed to remain in female form until all living beings attain enlightenment.
The ancient goddess Tara in her many incarnations, has many gifts to share with contemporary women. She embodies the feminine strengths of great caring and compassion, the ability to endure stressful and even terrifying moments, the acts of creation, and the source of sustenance and protection.
There are many embodiments of Tara. Some schools of Buddhism recognize 21 Taras, but the best known are the White Tara and the Green Tara. The peaceful, compassionate White Tara gently protects and brings long life and peace. The more dynamic goddess, Green Tara, is the “Mother Earth” and a fierce goddess who overcomes obstacles and saves us from physical and spiritual danger.
White Tara is glowing white like a stainless moon and has seven eyes (three on her face, two on the palms of the hands and two on the soles of the feet). This reflects her being a wise and all-seeing goddess. She is seated in Vajra-paryanka posture and embodies elegance, peace, and a mother's love for her child.
Green Tara has a body of emerald green, two eyes, has one leg drawn back in meditation posture, with her other leg forward a bit, so she can leap up and help when she's needed. Her right hand on her knee is in the gesture of giving; the left at her heart shows fearlessness.
Even though both Tara holds a lotus with their right hand, the color of these lotus differs. Blue lotus (also Utpala) is held by Green Tara, while White Tara has Pundarika (the white one). Green Tara is frequently represented with a half-opened lotus, which symbolizes night. White Tara is seen holding a fully bloomed lotus, which means the day.
Together, they signify unending compassion engaged around the globe at all hours of the day and night.
Her symbols are a star, full moon, owls, lotus flower, lakes, rainbows, pink or green stones, and the numbers 3, 7, and 11.
