8" Tibetan Buddhist Goddess White Tara Brass Figurines

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The elaborate lotus flower, held in the left hand is called Utpala. It contains three blooms: the first, with seeds, symbolizes the past Buddha Kashyapa; the second in full flower, symbolizes the present Buddha Shakyamuni; and the third, ready to bloom, symbolizes the future Buddhas Maitreya. This signifies that White Tara is the essence of all the three Buddhas of the past, the present and the future.

She sits with both legs raised and crossed in the vajra (diamond) position and regally displays both grace and calm. Her incomparable beauty have inspired her worshippers to address her thus: "Radiant as the eternal snows in all their glory, homage to the Youthful One with full breasts, One face and two arms. And is filled with great bliss"

White Tara is an emanation of Tara who is connected with longevity. She is also the special goddess who helps her devotees overcome obstacles, particularly impediments to the practice of religion. Indeed in the vast expanse of Buddhist art the image of the White Tara with her feminine charm and sophisticated imagery represents a superior conception unparalleled in any other art tradition.

Open to diverse interpretations both on the sensual and spiritual planes, the White Tara has inspired generations of devotee artists to achieve creative heights while adhering to the strict iconographical cannons laid down in the ancient texts, and in the process acquiring both spiritual merit and the boon of the Goddess.

This description by Nitin Kumar, Executive Editor, Exotic India.

References:

Beer, Robert. The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1999.

Fisher, Robert E. Art of Tibet. London: Thames and Hudson, 1997.

Getty, Alice. The Gods of Northern Buddhism. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, 1978.

Lipton, Barbara, and Ragnubs, Nima Dorjee. Treasures of Tibetan Art: Collection of the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Pal, Pratapaditya. Art of Tibet. Los Angeles: The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1990.

Rhie, Marylin M. & Thurman, Robert A.F. Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet. London: Thames and Hudson, 1996.

Exploring the Mystical Beauty and Symbolism of Tara: An Insightful Journey

Tara is an important and revered deity in Tibetan Buddhism who appears as a female Bodhisattva. Buddhist monks and followers meditate on the image or deity of Tara to develop some good qualities such as compassion and kindness. Tara is known as the mother of compassion or liberation and is considered the female aspect of Avalokiteshvara (who possesses the compassion of all Buddhas). She manifests in different forms such as Green Tara and White Tara. Green Tara is associated with fearlessness and White Tara, as radiant as the moon, is associated with good health. Tara also appears in red, blue, and yellow colors.

Tara, being the ocean of compassion, descends to this material world to save fallen souls from the vicious cycle of repeated birth and death. Whoever visualizes and meditates upon the form of Tara crosses the ocean of material existence. She is often depicted as having a beautiful youthful body and sitting on a full-blown lotus resembling the form of Goddess Lakshmi.

What is Tara the goddess of?

Tara is usually associated with Tibetan Buddhism but in Chinese Buddhism, she is considered the female manifestation of Guanyin. She is given the position of the supreme mother who is full of compassion and mercy. She enlightens living beings about the nature of this material world (temporary and full of miseries) and heals their emotional and physical wounds. She encourages them to walk the path of self-realization and to uplift their consciousness in order to come of material existence.

What does the statue of Tara symbolize?

Just as a mother is very merciful towards her child; she cries when the child is in distress or pain, similarly, Tara acting as the mother of the world, is the embodiment of all compassion and mercy. She symbolizes various qualities such as peacefulness, empathy, wisdom, love, and kindness. She helps all living beings come to the real or true understanding of self. As a Buddhist practitioner concentrates on the form of Tara, he develops these qualities that help him advance in his spiritual journey.

Where should Tara statues be placed?

If you are planning to buy the statue of Goddess Tara, you can keep it on the altar of your home. This will help you to focus better on Tara"e;s form and invoke her energy. The form of Tara is beautiful to look at and therefore, you can also place the statue/deity on a clean table or a shelf in your living room to spiritualize the entire space, leaving a positive impression on the guests.