White Tara and Green Tara

Due to our European mentality we have a stable view regarding religious, mythological or fairy- tale female images. We know for sure that a Kind Fairy coming to the aid of the unhappy and giving a piece of advice to the inexperienced must be beautiful, golden-haired and blue-eyed, but a Bad Witch, even pretending to be a beautiful stranger, sooner or later will show her real repulsive appearance with off-kilter nose and buck-teeth under the cover. Though we admit that unattractive women possess some wisdom, for example Tsarevitch Ivan (of Russian fairy tales) went to take some advice of Baba-Yaga (a witch in Russian folk tales).
So we decided to investigate this connection between the beauty canon and good intentions. In order to find answers to our questions we looked around. Buddhism drew our attention.


White Tara – only one mention of her name can safe the life of a human being from many misfortunes and troubles.

Are you interested in Buddhism? If yes, do you know Green or White Tara or ferocious Dakini? No? It is unfair. They are loved and estimated by Buddhists of Tibet, Mongolia, Nepal as well as Buryat- Lamaists.
Tara (“saviour”) personifies total and absolute compassion. Her cult is very popular. Tara is known under 21 of names. Visually Tara is distinguished by position of her hands as well as clothes. The most famous images are White Tara and Green Tara. They are gracious hypostasis of Goddess. Tibetan people believed that just one mention of their names can save from any troubles. By the way, do you know that Catherine the Great had been announced incarnation of White Tara by Buryat- Lamaists, and who knows, may be due to this fact Catherine obtained this rank of Great ruler.
Scientists cannot say exactly when and why Tara image was appeared, but under one of the sources we find a nice legend. It says that many, many kalpas ago (one kalpa lasts millions of years) a princess lived and she reached the lucid moment. She was told by monks that she had to born a man next life. But princess rejected this offer, arguing that there were many people who wanted to reach Nirvana in a male image and only a few – who wished to turn femininity into a way of achieving this very Enlightenment. Said and done. After she continued her perfection, finally she appeared before Buddha and swore to deliver all beings from samsara tortures. Samsara – is a closed chain of countless and constant reincarnations. Some of possible reincarnations might seem really alluring to an unenlightened man. For instance, reincarnation in God body seems very attractive, but even it does not stop this chain of sufferings.

White Tara grants us longevity. Are you amazed at seven eyes of Tara? These eyes are eyes of wisdom, projecting stages of cognition and knowledge. She has two usual eyes, one in the middle of the forehead, two in her hands and two in her feet. You may call on her for health, strength, and longevity. Her white colour symbolizes purity as well as the absolute Truth. Green Tara symbolizes Divine energy. She appears as young girl with green skin. Whereas Green Tara is a young girl and has a playful character, White Tara is a mature, wise and full- breasted woman. White Tara seems to help more with longer-term issues, while Green Tara – fast and quick reaction and help. One Green Tara’s leg is still in lotus pose, another one – is getting down off the throne that is signifies Tara’s intention to help people in physical sphere as well as spiritual one. You may ask Tara for all you want and be sure if you believe in it – you get it sooner or later.