The Twenty-One Tārās – Devotion And Divinity

“All of the Tārās have their particular gifts they bring to the world…” ~ Dorje Lopön Chandra Easton

Each of the 21 Tārās has unique aspects and enlightened activities. These are represented by her iconography, her meaning, her super power, and her mantra. We can also see them in real life women who embody those qualities.

For example, the first Tārā is known as the swift heroine who liberates all beings from suffering, removes obstacles, and increases love and compassion. She is fierce and powerful and 100% awake to the suffering and joys of the world. Her eyes wide open and blazing like lightning, she is engaged, alive and vibrant, fearless. The second Tārā, Vajra Saraswati, or Loter Yangchenma in Tibetan, which means “Melodious One, Treasure of Intelligence,” is similar to the Hindu Goddess Saraswati; she is the Tārā of culture, wisdom, arts, and sciences. She is connected with eloquence, poetry, writing and all forms of communication.

The sixth Tārā heals mental illness, amnesia and misperception, misunderstandings. She’s been my Tārā for healing the mental disease of racism and white supremacy. The ninth Tārā, Tārā Kadiravaṇī, protects from the eight great fears and is considered the primary Tara. Tārā 20 is the Tārā for pandemics and contagious diseases, she is known as the Tārā who is Clothed in Leaves. Tārā 21 is the Longevity Tārā who heals the ill and prolongs our life span.

All of the Tārās have their particular gifts they bring to the world. Their iconography, mantras, and their super powers are simply expressions of different enlightened activities all coming from the same source, the Great Mother, the Dharmakaya (Ultimate Dimension). Like when a ray of light hits a prism and creates a rainbow, this essential nature of light when it touches the prism of our own perception can manifest as different colors, sound, symbol and expressions. Through meditation and mantra recitation, we bring these Tārās to life within us and the world.

21 Tārās for the 21st Century – Part 3

May 1 – August 7

Dorje Lopön Chandra guides us into the heart of Tārā and seven of her twenty-one manifestations – the fifteenth to twenty-first Tārās. This course is part three of a three part series – a stand-alone study, and you do not need to have received the teachings in Parts 1 or 2 to participate. All are welcome … Read more »

ABOUT DORJE LOPÖN CHANDRA EASTON

Dorje Lopön Chandra Easton, Buddhist teacher and translator, studied Buddhism and Tibetan language at the Library of Tibetan Works & Archives in Dharamsala, India, founded by H.H. Dalai Lama. She later received her degree from UCSB’s religious studies department at which time she co-translated Sublime Dharma, A Compilation of Two Texts on the Great Perfection, published by Vimala Publishing, 2012. From the very beginning of her Buddhist studies, Dorje Lopön Chandra recognized the profound need to bring forth the voice of the sacred feminine in Buddhist theory and practice. Due to this, in 1999 during her first pregnancy, she met and then later began to study with Lama Tsultrim Allione, pioneering female Buddhist teacher, national best selling author, and founder of Tara Mandala Retreat Center. Dorje Lopön Chandra is the Assistant Spiritual Director and Lead Senior Teacher at Tara Mandala Retreat Center. She serves on the Tara Mandala Board of Trustees, develops programs and curricula for Tara Mandala, as well as teaches nationally and internationally … Read more »