Download Devi Tara

Tara as a goddess can be found in many traditions, which is inspiring, but also confusing. Tara
appears in both Hindu and Buddhist pantheon. In Japan she is known as Tara Bosatsu, she is
the mother goddess in Druidic religion, a sea goddess in Polynesian mythology and a goddess
in Estonian mythology. As such, she is comparable with the virgin Mary, being called upon
when in despair. Devi Tara, as placed in the garden of St. Michael’s House, is part of the
Indonesian Hindu tradition.
The Devi Tara statue at the ITC was recently made in Indonesia from hard lava rock. The style
shows a remarkable resemblance to a famous statue of Prajñāpāramitā, as found in the
Museum Nasional in Jakarta, made in the 13th century. The stem of a lotus is held in her left
hand, with the flower on her left shoulder as a symbol of beauty and rebirth. She wears a
small stupa on her head and has beautifully carved hear on her back. The statue is placed in
the garden just opposite of the Buddha statue, as a female Hindu companion, as shown in
the pictures. According to the Javanese tradition, Tara (or Devi Tara) is the daughter of Indra
and his wife Wiyati. In the Ramayana, Tara is the wife of the monkey king Vali, who married
Vali's brother and successor, Sugriva, after Vali's death.
It is not clear whether the Tara figure originated as a Buddhist or Hindu goddess. The earliest
clearly identifiable - and meditative - image of Tara is found within the Buddhist Ellora Caves
in Maharashtra (6th or 7th century CE), which seems to indicate a Buddhist origin. Later
statues show a more fiercely image. Today, she is worshipped both in Buddhism and in
Hinduism as one of the ten Mahavidyas or "Great Wisdom goddesses", Tantric
manifestations of Mahadevi, Kali, or Parvati.
In Hinduism, Devi Tara refers to different aspects. Tara is the name of the star which showed
the way to Indian sailors. Her support was called upon for a safe passage. As star goddess she
is considered a manifestation of Kali. In Hinduism, the goddess Tara meaning "star". As the
star is seen as a beautiful but perpetually self-combusting object, so Tara is perceived at core
as the absolute, unquenchable hunger that propels all life.
The Theosophical Encyclopedia refers to the Puranic legends, where Tara is the second wife
of Brihaspati who is the equivalent of Jupiter and the spiritual guru of the gods. Tara was
carried off by Soma (Moon) and bore a son named Budha (Wisdom), who is considered to
have written a hymn in the Rig Veda. In The Secret Doctrine, H.P. Blavatsky indicates that
Brahmanaspati (Brihaspati) represents the materialization of the divine grace through
exoteric rituals and ceremonies, while Tara - his wife - is the personification of an initiate in
the
(secret knowledge). Through soma (the sacred beverage of the rishis), Tara is
initiated in the mysteries, which results in Budha (esoteric wisdom).
Tara was introduced relatively late - probably after the year 1000 CE - in the Buddhist
pantheon, as the female aspect of Avalokiteshvara. The green Tara in particular is relatively
wellknown, as the most important female manifestation of enlightenment, the prosperous
great mother of nature and Mother of all Buddhas. Moreover, blue, red, white, yellow and
black Taras are known, each representing different aspects.
The main Tara mantra in Sanskrit is the same for Buddhists and Hindus alike:
oṃ tāre tuttāre ture svāhā
It is pronounced by Tibetans and Buddhists who follow the Tibetan traditions as oṃ tāre tu
tāre ture soha:
1. www.wereldsepracht.nl, web site of the importer of the statue
2. Het Goddelijk Gezicht van Indonesië, catalogue of an exhibition of Indonesian art, 1995
3. H.P. Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine (Vol. II, p. 498)
4. The Theosophical Encyclopedia, TPH Philippines, 2006
5. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
6. The Encyclopedia of Religion, Macmillan Publishing Company, 1989