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Tara: Tibetan Buddhist Goddess
Tara is a Buddhist/Tantric divinity who has been called the "mother of all Buddhas." She is identified by some as a female bodhisattva, by others as a spiritual consort of the Buddha Avalokiteshvara. Her many manifestations include Green Tara and White Tara. Tibetans revere her for her wisdom and compassion. She is known as "the faithful one," a fierce protectoress. Followers meditate with her in mind in order to overcome danger, fear and anxiety. Below are several books about Tara, as well as two audio CDs devoted to her.
Culture Planet
Tara:
The Feminine Divine
by Bokar Rinpoche
Bokar Rinpoche was born in 1940 to a nomadic
family in western Tibet. Recognized as a reincarnation by the Sixteenth Karmapa,
he underwent traditional training at Bokar and Tsurphu Monasteries. He later
went into exile in India where he met Kalu Rinpoche and founded a monastery in
Mirik near Darjeeling. He is the holder of the Shangpa Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan
Buddhism and is well known for his realization and for delivering teachings with
extreme clarity.
Tara, the most famous female deity in Tibetan Buddhism, is a personification of
the Prajnaparamita and a mother dedicated to protecting her followers. Bokar
Rinpoche presents the various aspects of Tara and the origin of her tantra,
relates contemporary examples of her benevolent activity, provides an
explanation of her praise, offers instruction for devotional practice, and
discusses remarkable women in Indian and Tibetan Buddism. An extensive
iconography completes the text.
Cult Of
Tara: Magic And Ritual In Tibet
by Stephan Beyer
This is book is a richly detailed exposition of the major rituals and supporting belief systems of Tibetan Buddhist monastic communities. Beyer uses as his case study the wide-spread devotion to Tara (the Sanskrit form; in Tibetan, Dolma), the (paradoxically) female Boddhisattva who is regarded as one of the special patrons of Tibet. Basic and advanced forms of ritual and meditation are described, and there are attractive line drawings of many of the implements (as well as some not-so-clear, but interesting, black-and-white photographs). There is an enormous amount of detail about basic and advanced ritual practices, from those known to lay-people to relatively advanced meditation techniques, very much including the use of permament objects and material and symbolic offerings. Of course, in a world-view in which the material world is itself an illusion, the differences between the tangible and the symbolic tend to fade away. --an Amazon reviewer
In
Praise Of Tara: Songs To The Saviouress
(Source Texts
From India And TibetOn Buddhism's Great Goddess)
edited by Martin Wilson
After having read the book from cover to cover
at least 3 times - I must say without doubt that it is indeed one of the best
books available - not just on Tara, the great Mother Goddess / Bodhisattva
embodying Lord Buddha's great skilful and active compassion - but also on
Tibetan Buddhism and Buddhism in general - it provides accurate sadhana /
practice texts on Tara at the end; provides accurate translation of Tara's
popular Buddhist tantra in the content part of the book; especially, a wonderful
translation of Tara's 21 Praises - one of the most popular ever - all my
recommendation and congratulations to anyone who bought and read the book!
--an Amazon reviewer
The Tara Box: Rituals For Protection
And Healing From The Female Buddha
by Gehlek Rimpoche, Brenda Rosen
Tara is the best-known and most beloved
feminine deity of Buddhism. Having famously vowed to help others while always
remaining in the female form, Tara is traditionally called a mother, a virgin,
and a queen. Like a mother, she provides unconditional love. Like a virgin, she
is whole and complete unto herself. Like a queen, she is noble and generous.
Containing a 96-page book, a white Tara resin figure, and a keepsake box, The
Tara Box opens to create a mini-altar and portable shrine for the exquisitely
carved Tara statuette. The altar can be used in conjunction with the book's
rituals and meditation practices, which are aimed at compassionate healing, long
life, and protection from life's travails. The book - which slides snugly behind
the altar for easy reference - explains who Tara is and how to reach out to her.
This unique gift set is for those interested in healing, ritual magic, women's
empowerment, Buddhism, and exotic Asian art.
Female Buddhas: Women Of
Enlightenment In Tibetan Mystical Art
by Glenn H. Mullin
Tara's
Coloring Book
by Andy Weber
Twelve exquisite line drawings including Shakyamuni Buddha, chenrezig and Tara, with explanations for painting or coloring, mounted on stiff board. 10 x 13.
Tara:
The Supreme Goddess
Kumar Pushpendra and Dr. R.K. Sharma
Origin and development of the Tċarċa (Buddhist
deity) cult, its rituals, forms, and iconography as found in Hindu Tantras; a
study.
Tara Mantras (Audio CD)
Jamyang Sakya
Sarva-Antah
Om Tara: Mantras from Tibet (CD)
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Sprirituality & Growth
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