In the rich pantheon of Vajrayana Buddhism, few deities embody the immediacy of compassion and the protective grace of the awakened mind like Tara. She is known as the “Mother of all Buddhas,” a goddess, Bodhisattva, and fully awakened being who arises not only from profound wisdom but also from boundless love. Tara represents the swift and active energy of enlightenment that responds without hesitation to the cries of suffering beings.
Among her many forms, Green Tara and White Tara are the most widely venerated—each offering distinct but complementary blessings. While Green Tara embodies dynamic compassion and protection, White Tara offers healing, serenity, and longevity. Together, they reveal Tara’s multifaceted power as both liberator and nurturer, protector and healer.
Green Tara: Fearless Protector in Action
Green Tara, or Syamatara, is the most dynamic form of Tara. Her energy is direct, assertive, and swift. She is the deity we call upon in moments of fear, danger, or deep uncertainty. In depictions, she is seated with one leg extended, ready to rise and intervene in the world. Her right hand extends in the varada mudra, the gesture of giving, while her left holds a blue lotus, symbolizing purity and transcendent wisdom.
Her mantra is simple yet deeply potent:
“Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha”
This invocation calls upon Tara’s aid in overcoming both external and internal threats—symbolized by the Eight Great Fears, which represent the core emotional and spiritual afflictions: pride, delusion, anger, jealousy, wrong views, greed, attachment, and doubt. Tara’s role here is clear: to help cut through the confusion of samsara with the sword of compassionate clarity.
White Tara: Healer, Guardian of Longevity
White Tara, or Sitatara, complements Green Tara with her soothing, healing presence. She is often visualized with a peaceful expression and a luminous, white aura. What distinguishes her iconography are the seven eyes—on her face, palms, and soles—symbolizing heightened spiritual awareness and vigilance. She is the all-seeing mother, never turning away from her children.
Her mantra is:
“Om Tare Tuttare Ture Mama Ayuh Punya Jñana Pustim Kuru Svaha”
This prayer is used to cultivate not only physical healing and long life, but also spiritual vitality—nurturing merit, wisdom, and inner strength. White Tara's blessings are often sought during illness, recovery, or when one is embarking on a deeper spiritual journey that requires longevity of body and clarity of mind.
Tara’s Divine Origins: A Shared Dharmic Story
While Tara is a central figure in Vajrayana Buddhism, her roots reach deeply into Hindu tradition. In some esoteric lineages, Tara is viewed as a manifestation of Shakti, the Divine Feminine that pervades all creation. In this sense, Tara can be seen as a Buddhist parallel or continuation of Hindu goddesses such as Parvati, Durga, and Kali.
In particular, Parvati, the mother of Ganesha, holds striking parallels to Tara. Both are divine mothers and fierce protectors, intervening to guide their devotees through danger. Like Parvati’s many forms—from gentle Annapurna to wrathful Kali—Tara too has peaceful and fierce manifestations, all aimed at the same goal: the liberation of all sentient beings.
This shared Dharmic thread is especially meaningful for those, like myself, who cherish both traditions. As someone deeply devoted to Ganesha as my Ishta Devata and drawn to the wisdom of Dattatreya, the Adi Guru, I find Tara’s presence familiar—another face of the sacred feminine that flows through both Hindu and Buddhist worlds.
Tara and Ganesha: Removers of Obstacles
Tara and Ganesha play intriguingly similar roles in their respective traditions. Both are invoked at the start of rituals, journeys, or spiritual endeavors. Ganesha removes obstacles with gentle might, while Tara sweeps away fears and inner afflictions with the speed of the wind.
It is no coincidence that practitioners often feel the same sense of comfort and clarity in their presence. These divine beings serve as threshold guardians, guiding us across the liminal spaces between the mundane and the sacred.
Tara: The Feminine Awakened
Tara’s enlightened form challenges old patriarchal ideas that enlightenment is a male domain. Buddhist legend tells of monks who doubted a woman could attain Buddhahood, to which Tara responded that she would continue to take female form until all beings were liberated.
She stands as a powerful archetype of the feminine awakened—not passive or submissive, but fiercely engaged, full of grace, and utterly free. She is both protector and guru, healer and destroyer of illusions.
Daily Practice and Devotion
Tara practices are accessible and deeply transformative. Through mantra chanting, visualization, and prayer, practitioners invite her qualities into their own hearts. Her forms—Green for dynamic compassion, White for healing serenity—offer complete spiritual support.
Tara is not simply a deity out there. She is a mirror of what we are capable of becoming—awakened, fearless, and boundlessly loving.
Exploring the Divine Feminine Through a Hindu Lens
If you feel called to journey deeper into the world of Shakti—her forms, her fierce and tender expressions, and her living presence in Tantra and Hindu spiritual traditions—I warmly invite you to explore my dedicated blog: Invoking Shakti.
There, I write about the Divine Feminine in all her dimensions, from the sacred geography of the Shaktipeethas to the transformative power of the Mahavidyas. It is a space where the Goddess is honoured as Mother, Guide, and the primal Shakti whose liberating presence awakens strength, devotion, and inner freedom.
Final Words: Tara’s Liberating Embrace
Tara offers us the precious gift of protection and awakening. Whether she is removing obstacles as Green Tara or extending life and peace as White Tara, her essence remains the same: swift, fearless compassion.
In a world filled with confusion and suffering, Tara reminds us that the awakened heart can act decisively. She does not wait for perfect conditions—she moves now, with love, with power, and with boundless grace.