Tara Meditation Deity Loving Mother Star Travel

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Tara Meditation Deity Loving Mother Star Travel

About the Item

According to Miranda Shaw, "Motherhood is central to the conception of Tara". Her titles include "loving mother", "supreme mother", "mother of the world", "universal mother" and "mother of all Buddhas". Tara is a meditation deity whose practice is used by practitioners of the Tibetan branch of Vajrayana Buddhism to develop certain inner qualities and understand outer, inner and secret teachings about compassion and emptiness. Tara may more properly be understood as different aspects of the same quality, as bodhisattvas are often considered metaphors for Buddhist virtues. Tara's name means "star" or "planet" and therefore she is associated with navigation and travel both literally and metaphorically as spiritual crossing to the 'other side' of the ocean of existence (enlightenment). Hence she is known literally as "she who saves" in Tibetan. In the 108 Names of the Holy Tara, Tara is 'Leader of the caravans. Who showeth the way to those who have lost it' and she is named as Dhruva, the Sanskrit name for the North Star. She is most often shown with the blue lotus or night lotus (utpala), which releases its fragrance with the appearance of the moon and therefore Tara is also associated with the moon and night. Tara is also a forest goddess, particularly in her form as Khadiravani, "dweller in the Khadira forest" and is generally associated with plant life, flowers, acacia (khadira) trees and the wind. Because of her association with nature and plants, Tara is also known as a healing goddess (especially as White Tara) and a goddess of nurturing quality and fertility. Her pure land in Mount Potala is described as "Covered with manifold trees and creepers, resounding with the sound of many birds, And with murmur of waterfalls, thronged with wild beasts of many kinds; Many species of flowers grow everywhere." Her association with the wind element (vaayu) also means that she is swift in responding to calls for any aid.

Dimensions:
Height: 22 in (55.88 cm)Diameter: 6 in (15.24 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Gold,Plated
Place of Origin:
India
Period:
20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
20th Century
Condition:
Seller Location:
Monterey, CA
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU3293110428913