Praises To Twenty One Taras - Khenpo Sodargye

Praises to Twenty-One Taras∗
Commented by
Khenpo Sodargye
2012
∗
The root text was translated by Lhasey Lotsawa Translations (trans. Stefan
Mang, Peter Woods, and Ryan Conlon, ed. Libby Hogg) with the kind
assistance of Adam Pearcey, in 2019.
The commentary was taught by Khenpo Sodargye in Chinese in 2012 and
the translation into English was completed by his students in May 2021.
Tara, the embodiment of the activity of all Buddhas,
Works solely for the welfare of living beings.
Her blessing comes the swiftest among all deities.
So pray to her, whatever you wish will be fulfilled.
— Khenpo Sodargye
Contents
Contents iv
Textual Outline and Root Text vii
Lecture One 2
Background for Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Prologue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Drolma Nyurma Pamo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Drolma Yangchenma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Drolma Sonam Chokter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Lecture Two 37
Drolma Tsuktor Namgyal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Drolma Rikchema . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Drolma Jikché Chenmo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Lecture Three 75
Liberation Depends on You, So Exert Yourself . . . . . . . . 76
Drolma Shyenkyi Mitupma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Drolma Shyen Migyalwa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Drolma Sengdeng Nakkyi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Drolma Jikten Sumgyal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Carry on the Holy Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Lecture Four 117

Enjoy Happiness and Success in Life and Practice . . . . . . 118
The Blessing of Masah Tara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Drolma Nor Terma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Drolma Tashi Donche . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Drolma Drapung Jomma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Lecture Five 149

Miraculous Stories of Tara’s Blessing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Drolma Tronyer Chendze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Drolma Rabtu Shyiwa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Drolma Barwé Öchen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Drolma Pakmé Nönam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Lecture Six 185

Stories of Three Great Practitioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Drolma Mabja Chenmo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Drolma Mipam Gyalmo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Drolma Ritröma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Drolma Özer Chenma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
The End of the Praise and Other Brief Prayers to Tara . . . . 216
Textual Outline and Root Text
A1. Prologue
B1. The Title
The Praise to Tārā with Twenty-One Verses of Homage
B2. The General Homage
Om
. . Homage to the noble lady Tārā!
A2. Content
B1. Praise for Her Historical Origin
Homage to Tārā, swift and gallant,

Whose glance flashes like flares of lightning;
Born on the heart of a blossoming lotus
That rose from the tears of the Triple-World’s Lord.
[Homage to Tārā, swift and gallant,

Born from the opening stamen of
The lotus face of the Triple-World’s Lord.]
B2. Praise for the Body Aspects
C1. Praise for the Sambhogakaya Aspects
D1. Praise for the Peaceful Body Aspects
E1. Praise for the Luminous Countenance and Radiance
Homage to you whose countenance is

A hundred full moons gathered in autumn,
Smiling and glowing with brilliant radiance,
Like a thousand stars clustered, ablaze.
E2. Praise for Her Body Color and Practice of the Six Parami-
tas
Homage, golden lady, your lotus-hand

Is graced with a blue water-born flower.
You embody generosity, diligence, endurance,
Serenity, patience and meditation.
[Homage, golden-blue lady,

Your hand is graced with a lotus.
Generosity, diligence, austerities, serenity,
Patience, meditation, your field.]
E3. Praise for Being the Object of Refuge for Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas
Homage to you, whose victories are endless,

Jewel on the great Tathāgata’s crown.
You are well served by the heirs of the Victors,
Those who’ve accomplished all the perfections.
[Homage to you, whose victories are endless,

Having accomplished all the perfections,
You are well served by the heirs of the Victors.]
E4. Praise for Subduing All Beings in the Three Realms
Homage to you, who with tuttāra and hūm

.
Fill desire realms unto the ends of space.
You trample underfoot the seven worlds,
And have the strength to summon all.
[Homage to you, who with tuttāra and hūm

.
Fill the realms of desire, direction and space.
And have the strength to summon all.]
E5. Praise for Being Paid Tribute by the Great Worldly
Lords
Homage to you, praised by Indra,

Agni, Brahmā, Maruts, and Śiva.
All the hosts of bhūtas, vetālas,
Gandharvas and yaks.as pay tribute to you.
E6. Praise for Crushing the Opponents’ Yantras
Homage to you, who with trat. and phat.

Crush the enemies’ yantras to dust.
With right leg bent in and left leg extended,
Shining you tread amidst flames wildly blazing.
D2. Praise for the Wrathful Body Aspects
E1. Praise for Destroying Foes and Demons
Homage to Ture, the fearsome lady,

Destroyer of the most powerful demons.
With a lotus-face and a deep-furrowed brow,
You are the slayer of each and every foe.
[Homage to Ture, the fearsome lady,

With a deep-furrowed brow on your lotus-face,
You are the slayer of each and every foe.]
E2. Praise for Safeguarding Others
Homage to you, whose fingers grace

Your heart and display the Three Jewels mudrā.
You’re graced by wheels adorning every direction,
With dazzling radiance that overwhelms all.
E3. Praise for Magnetizing All Hosts of Maras and Worldly

Beings
Homage to you, supremely joyous,

Your splendorous crown spreading garlands of light.
Smiling and laughing, with tuttāre
You bring demons and worlds under control.
E4. Praise for Dispelling Destitution
Homage to you, who can summon

The hosts of earthly guardians.
Your frown it quivers, and the syllable hūm
.
Delivers us all from every misfortune.
E5. Praise for Having the Lord of Her Family
as Crown Ornament
Homage to you, so brightly adorned,

With a sliver of moon as your crown,
Your locks are graced by Amitābha,
Whose gleaming rays stream forever forth.
E6. Praise for Taming Ferocious Beings
Homage to you, seated in a halo

Blazing with apocalyptic flames.
Your right leg stretched out and left bent inward,
Immersed in joy, you crush legions of foes.
E7. Praise for Protecting Self and Others
Homage to you, who on the earth’s surface

Strike your palms and stamp your feet;
Your brow deeply furrowed, with hūm
. you smash
The seven netherworlds to nothing but dust.
[Homage to you, who smites the ground with

Your palm, and with your foot stamps on it!
. you smash
The seven worlds to nothing but dust.]
C2. Praise for the Dharmakaya Aspect
Homage to you, blissful, gracious and tranquil,

Whose domain is the peace of nirvān.a.
With om
. and svāhā in perfect union,
You lay to waste every terrible evil.
[Homage to you, blissful, virtuous and tranquil,

Whose field is the peace of nirvān.a.
By the root mantra with the om
. and svāhā,
You lay to waste every terrible evil.]
B3. Praise for Her Activities
C1. Praise for the Activity of Bestowing Wisdom
Homage to you, who, immersed in rapture,

Shatters the bodies of all your foes.
You manifest from the wisdom-syllable hūm
.,
And display each of your mantra’s ten syllables.
[Homage to you, who, immersed in rapture,

Surrounded by the hosts of noble ones,
Shatters the bodies of all foes, with hūm
.
The wisdom-syllable adorned by the ten syllables.]
C2. Praise for the Activity of Protecting from the Horrors of
Enemies
Homage to Ture, your feet stomping boldly,

Formed from the seed of the syllable hūm
..
The mountains of Meru, Mandara and Vindhya,
And all the three worlds, you cause them to quake.
[Homage to Ture, your feet stomping boldly,

Whose seed syllable appears in the form of hūm
..
And all the three worlds, you cause them to quake.]
C3. Praise for the Activity of Cleansing Poisons
Homage to you, who hold in your hand

A deer-marked moon like a divine lake.
With tāra twice and then with phat.,
You totally cleanse all of the poisons.
[Homage to you, who hold in your hand,

A moon clear and bright as a divine lake.
You totally cleanse all poisons.]
C4. Praise for the Activity of Clearing Away Conflicts and Night-
mares
Homage to you, who is served by kings

Of hosts divine, and of gods and kinaras.
Suited in armor of joy and splendor
You clear away nightmares, soothe away strife.
[Homage to you, who is honored by divine kings,

And served by gods and nonhuman spirits.
Armored with the splendor of joy
You clear away nightmares and soothe away strife.]
C5. Praise for the Activity of Pacifying Plagues and Diseases
Homage to you, whose eyes shine with lustre,

Bright with the fullness of sun and moon.
With twice-uttered hara and tuttāre
You pacify the most intractable diseases.
[Homage to you, whose two eyes shine with lustre,

You pacify the most intractable plagues and diseases.]
C6. Praise for the Activity of Accomplishing All Dharma Activ-
ities
Homage to you, who have the power to free,

You put forth the realities as a set of three.
Supreme Ture, you completely destroy
The hordes of grahas, vetālas, and yaks.as.
[Homage to you, who with a set of three realities

Have the miraculous power to pacify.
The hordes of grahas, vetālas, and yaks.as.]
A3. Conclusion
This Praise with the twenty-one verses of homage is itself the

root mantra.
[This is the Praise of the root mantra with twenty-one verses of

homage.]
Tara, She who Liberates
Lecture One
Surely everyone has their own goals in
life or in spiritual practice. In the process,
when facing certain challenges that need
to be dealt with immediately, pray to Tara.
Then miraculously, these difficulties will
be solved swiftly.
– Khenpo Sodargye
Background for Teaching Praises to
Twenty-One Taras
Today, we will begin our study of Praise to Tara with Twenty-One Verses
of Homage, often simply referred to as Praises to the Twenty-One Taras.
It is a scripture that can be found not only in the Tibetan Kangyur but
is also contained within the Chinese Buddhist Canon. Historically, in
Tibet as well as in ancient India, many of the greatest masters of the
past composed teachings and sadhanas for Tara which still exist to this
day. In present day Tibet and India, a great many people continue to
believe in and offer devotional practices to Tara, and in these regions,
she remains as popular a figure as Manjushri or Avalokiteshvara.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Chinese Buddhism, where
devotional practices, such as the recitation of prayers and mantra
4
dedicated to Tara are not widely practiced. In recent years, some

Tibetan masters have been trying to propagate Tara related teachings
and practices in Taiwan, Hong Kong and other places. However, except
in these few areas, at this time there is very little propagation of Tara
worship in mainland China. This may be, in part, because throughout
the course of Chinese history, only a very limited number of texts
dedicated to Tara have been translated into the Chinese language. In
Chinese Buddhism, Tara is known as the Bodhisattva Duoluo and in
spite of the overall scarcity of scriptures concerning the Bodhisattva
Duoluo in the Chinese Buddhist Canon, some do exist. Among these
are a sutra describing rituals of Bodhisattva Duoluo translated into
Chinese by the prolific translator, Master Amoghavajra, who lived
during the Eighth Century. Additionally, during the Yuan Dynasty,
the Academician Ansar, from Hanlin Academy, was probably the first
to translate Praises to the Twenty-One Taras into the Chinese language.
Having been initiated by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty,
over the next several dynasties, the Hanlin Academy grew in prestige
and its members gradually became more and more highly regarded.
Hanlin Academician Ansar was assigned by Kublai Khan, Emperor
Shizu of Yuan Dynasty, to translate Praises to the Twenty-One Taras.
I’ve read his translation in Chinese but was left with the feeling that
some parts were translated word-for-word, a process that was my
feeling left some parts difficult to understand. My translation was
made by relying on the Tibetan version as well as referring to some of
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the commentaries made by recognized Tibetan Buddhist scholars∗ .
I believe that many of you who have chosen to attend this teaching may
be unfamiliar with Tara, thinking that it belongs to Tibetan Buddhism.
In fact, practice and belief in Tara originated in India, where from the
biographies of such eminent Indian masters as Nagarjuna, Nagabodhi,
Shantideva, Lord Atisha, etc., we have learned that these renowned
masters often received prophesies, blessings and instructions from
Tara. Even those of you who may have heard such stories from your
study of Buddhist history, are unlikely to have engaged much in
the practices of Tara yourselves. Although some simple practices,
sadhanas, and mantras of Tara do exist in Chinese and other languages,
they are very few in number. So, it is my hope that through learning
this text, from this point on, you will try to propagate the practice
of Tara extensively in your own country and around the world, as
that will greatly benefit many people. Because everyone will certainly
encounter difficulties, adversities, obstacles, and troubles in life or in
the course of spiritual practice, by praying to Tara, through the swift,
fierce and sharp blessing of Tara’s wisdom, compassion and power,
all obstacles can be dispelled. Meanwhile, wisdom, merits, talents
and benefits of other aspects can be acquired naturally. That’s why
Tara is also called "the embodiment of the activity of all Buddhas",
∗
Regarding the English version of Praises to Twenty-One Taras, there are many different translations.
Some are translated from Sanskrit version and some from Tibetan version. The English version used
for this teaching is from the Lotsawa House, as it is translated from Tibetan and quite in accordance
with the Chinese version translated by Khenpo Sodargye. Meanwhile, there are cases that some
stanzas vary slightly from Khenpo’s Chinese explanation. In such cases, another version revised from
that of the Lotsawa House is provided, so as to correspond to the teaching here, as well as to provide
the audience a better understanding of the teaching. The revised translation is to be found in square
bracket.
6
just as Manjushri is often referred to as "the embodiment of the

wisdom of all Buddhas" and Avalokiteshvara as "the incarnation of
the compassion of all Buddhas". The activity of the Buddhas is to
alleviate the suffering of sentient beings and to establish them in the
fruition of happiness. In this regard, Tara has exceptional blessing and
power. Whoever believes in Tara, prays to her respectfully and recites
her prayers and mantras frequently, will certainly receive blessings
from her that will transform his or her mindstream.
"My Connection with Tara"
Personally, I have had a strong faith in Tara since childhood. Perhaps

some might think that this is a boast that I make about whichever
topic that I’m teaching. That isn’t true. Whichever teaching I give,
it’s always my favorite or at the very least, it’s one that I’ve studied,
recited and practiced extensively. This is my way of doing my best to
make the teaching the most beneficial for you. If I were to be skeptical
of the practice or feeling indifferent towards it, then I wouldn’t be
able to teach it to others. Even if I could say the right words, the
teaching would be like an empty vessel with no content to fill up
other vessels—in other words, you would gain no benefits from it.
So, whenever I give a teaching, I first observe myself, and only if I
truly like the teaching, do I feel happy about attempting to share it
with others. This is my habit and this time is the same. A while ago,
I taught The King of Aspiration Prayer. Compared to that teaching, I
7
feel that I am far more of an expert on Tara. When I say this, I am not
referring to the expertise or knowledge on how to give this teaching.
I am saying from the aspect of devotion that I have a stronger faith
in Tara. Based on this aspect alone, my teaching of the Praises to the
Twenty-One Taras should bring you some benefits.
When I think back, I was able to memorize Praises to the Twenty-One

Taras at around the age of six and a half, when I didn’t even know how
to read, and ever since that time, whenever I have been caught up
with obstacles or suffering, the first thought in my mind is, "Tara will
bless me. She will definitely help me." This conviction arises naturally.
When I was around ten years old, there was a practitioner named Pema
Tenzin who was a Dharma teacher of the Nyingma Dzogchen lineage.
Although he later returned his monastic vows, nevertheless, his faith
in the Three Jewels and his insight into Buddhadharma remained
exceptional. At that time, this practitioner gave me a tiny statue of
Tara, which I had kept throughout elementary school, junior high,
high school, Garze Normal School, and even monkhood. Around 1991
when I returned from accompanying H. H. Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche
to India, I still had it. I had kept it close to me for so many years, but
later, this small statue of Tara, to say it nicely, flew away, or to be frank,
was lost, I felt so sad that it was gone even though it wasn’t made as
exquisitely as the sculptures that are made nowadays. Around that
time, in the 70’s, when I was still in school, the state policy on religion
was still very restrictive. It was much different from now, in that at
that time, one would have been in big trouble if they were found to
8
be engaging in religious practice, and sometimes even teachers and

classmates couldn’t be trusted. Even in such a time as I am describing,
I took the Tara statue with me wherever I went, wrapped in a piece
of yellow cloth, praying to her secretly. I could truly feel the great
blessing.
The Auspiciousness for Teaching This Praise
This time of giving the teaching on Tara is graced with many auspi-
ciousness. Actually, the idea of giving teachings on Tara came up years
ago, but there hadn’t been an opportunity with proper causes and
conditions to actualize the idea. This year, however, the opportunity
has finally arrived. For those who aren’t religious or who don’t believe
in dependent arising, this might seem like nothing more than a matter
of chance or coincidence. But to me, from the beginning of this year,
many auspicious signs relevant to Tara have arisen one after another,
suggesting that the timing of giving teachings on Tara was ready.
First, I received many books about Tara that had been sent from
masters and Buddhists abroad. Then about two or three months ago,
I met Khenpo Depa in mainland China, and happily received a Tara
statue from him as a gift. After returning to Larung Gar a while ago,
a businessman in India expressed the desire to offer me a statue of
Manjushri, but somehow was unable to find one. Amongst all of the
products that he had with him, he eventually found a very nice Tara
sculpture that he had requested from Nepal and gave it to me. A
9
couple of days ago, a survey team came to our academy from Serxu
County (Sichuan, China), where there is a very famous Tara statue,
which now is a registered national cultural relic. Around 2002, when
I went to Serxu, I had specifically arranged to visit this Tara statue.
Since the Tara statue has, in the past, been targeted by thieves, it is
now preserved in a safe and is not shown publicly. In order to see this
statue, one has to know the right people and pull some strings as it
takes three different doorkeepers to open up the doors behind which
it is kept. When we went to Serxu, we were extremely fortunate to get
the opportunity to see the beautiful sculpture. After seeing this Tara, I
generated a strong faith toward her. It is said that this fine statue was
brought in by the Chinese Princess Wencheng, upon her marriage to
King Songtsen Gampo and was left with the local people as a gift.
The survey team brought a few precious pictures of the Tara with
them which they put into frames. When they arrived at Larung Gar,
there was only one last picture still remaining and I was very happy
that they gifted it to me when we met. Another auspicious sign refers
to the Green Tara and White Tara thangka hanging here in our shrine
hall. A while ago, some lay practitioners said they’d like to offer a
thangka to our shrine hall. Whether intentional or not, the thangkas
they brought turned out to be a White Tara and a Green Tara. These
arrived just two days ago, on the exact day that I announced that I
would be giving this teaching. There were also many other signs of
auspiciousness. Perhaps some materialistic people, or those with lots
of discursive thoughts, and who are only convinced by deductive
logic, might not believe in these sorts of things. They might think,
10
"Well, such coincidences happen all the time. There is not necessarily
a link between them. You are thinking too much." But I believe in
dependent arising and feel that these are auspicious signs for the
giving of this teaching.
Starting from this year, I hope that you will pray to Tara in the course
of your practice. Indeed, praying to Tara will bring significant benefits
to all aspects of your practice. In Tibetan Buddhism, regardless of
which monastery, whether Gelug, Sakya, Nyingma or any other,
devotional practice to Tara is a common practice of the sangha in
their daily recitation or in prayers dedicated to patrons. On almost
all occasions involving chanting, prayers to Tara will be recited. In
particular, Tibetans recite the Praises to the Twenty-One Taras very
quickly, to show that Tara bestows blessing swiftly. This is particularly
true in the Gelug tradition, where the speed is so fast that it is difficult
even to catch up with them. A couple of days ago, we chanted the
prayer together in Tibetan three times. But many of the Chinese
students here simply moved their lips and were unable to keep up
with the pace. Later on, we can try to do it a little slower. It’s okay to
start a bit slower in the beginning. But still, we should try to finish
one cycle within two or three minutes, tops. It will surely be great
to start to learn teaching of Tara and to pray to Tara together from
now on, and I’m sure that many people will develop great faith in
her. With faith, Tara’s blessing will certainly enter into our mind.
Then whatever we do will be successful. So, as we proceed with the
course on Tara, at the end of every lecture, let’s chant the Praises to the
11
Twenty-One Taras together, followed by the dedication prayer. Please

be prepared for this.
Prologue
Now let’s begin with our study of the Praises to the Twenty-One Taras.
Historically, there are different iconographic traditions that place a
different emphasis on the image of each of the twenty-one forms of
Tara, regarding color, posture, hand gesture, etc., as well as different
traditions of naming them. This time, I will present descriptions of the
twenty-one Taras based primarily on the Nyingma tradition. In order
to create a more systematic analysis of each praise, I will compose a
textual outline which will explain the praises as different appearances
of Tara. While to refer the twenty-one praises as respective praise for
each of the twenty-one Taras may be easier for you to memorize and
understand, this outline will provide you a more organized way of
reaching that understanding.
Based on the textual outline, this Praise can be divided into three
parts: A1) Prologue, A2) Content, and A3) Conclusion. The first part
includes B1) The Title and B2) The General Homage. Let’s begin first
with the title.
12
A1. Prologue
B1. The Title
The Praise to Tārā with Twenty-One Verses of Homage
The Praise describes the twenty-one Taras, with a stanza of praise

for each one, so it is also called "Praises to the Twenty-One Taras". The
twenty-one Taras mentioned in this Praise are in fact the same by
nature. By reciting this Praise often, we will receive all these Taras’
blessings as a natural result.
As we’ve mentioned, this Praise exists not only in the Kangyur but
is also found in the Chinese Buddhist Canon. In Tibetan Buddhism,
great masters, such as Atisha, classified this Praise in the Kriya Tantra,
one of the three outer classes of tantra, with the other two being
Charya and Yoga Tantra. According to Atisha’s point of view, there
are thirty-five collections in the Kriya Tantra, the third collection of
which is the Praises to the Twenty-One Taras. Meanwhile, other masters,
such as Master Suryagupta, considered the Praise to be categorized as
part of the Anuttarayoga Tantra, believing it to be the 570th collection
in the Anuttarayoga Tantra. There are also a few masters who regard
the Praise as not only included in the tantric section of Kriya Tantra,
but also in the Anuttarayoga Tantra. As a matter of fact, there is
nothing contradictory in the views of these masters. It is in the same
way that the Chanting the Names of Manjusri can be interpreted from
the view of the Anuttarayoga Tantra, while also being interpreted
from the view of outer classes of tantra. Therefore, we can understand
13
it in this way: while the ultimate meaning of this Praise can be

interpreted from the perspective of Annuttarayoga, it can also be
interpreted from the view of the outer classes of tantra, to apply to
beings with different inclinations. Thus, we can regard this Praise
as a tantric text. In Chinese Buddhism, especially as it was enacted
during the active period of the Chinese Esoteric Buddhism, there were
many practices regarding Tara. Unfortunately, these never became
widespread throughout mainland China.
Perhaps, some may wonder, "Is Tara a Bodhisattva or a female Bud-

dha?" Ultimately speaking, she has already attained Buddhahood. The
Guhyagarbha Tantra mentions the five Buddhas and the five mothers
of the five families. Among the five female Buddhas, the consort of
Amoghasiddhi, who resides in the north, is Samayatara, also known
as Green Tara. So, we should be cognizant that Tara has attained
Buddhahood, but to tame and liberate different kinds of beings, she
manifests in the form of female bodhisattvas known as the twenty-one
Taras.
The twenty-one Taras can dispel all kinds of misfortunes and sufferings
of sentient beings. So, for anyone, whenever you encounter disaster,
fear or obstacles in life, praying to Tara sincerely is very important.
As many of the older students here may recall, when certain disasters
and sufferings occurred in Larung or the world, H. H. Jigme Phuntsok
would often ask the entire sangha at Larung, including practitioners
outside of the academy, to pray wholeheartedly to Tara to dispel the
obstacles. In Chinese Buddhism, people often refer to Avalokiteshvara
14
as "the one who helps the needy and relieves the distressed". This title
also applies to Tara. In fact, the true meaning of “Tara” is “She who
Liberates”, i.e. one who liberates all sentient beings from suffering.
Who is the one that liberates? Arya Tara is. Who are to be liberated?
Suffering beings. How are they liberated? By praying to Tara devotedly
themselves, or by others holding faith and praying or imploring Tara
on their behalf. Then, from Tara’s wisdom mind, blessings will stream
naturally and be bestowed upon these beings. With such blessings,
they are able to weather these challenges.
In this Age of Degeneration, without the blessing of yidams, dakinis,

and Dharma protectors, one who is relying solely on one’s own
strength, which is like a candle in the wind that can be easily put out,
will be feeble in achieving good results. If we get support from these
noble ones, even in the Age of Five Degenerations, when wrong views
become prevalent, demonic influences turn rampant and obstructing
forces seem to pervade our life, there are still ways to fight back. Just
like a downpour from the sky can put out a raging fire, through the
blessing of the noble ones’ wisdom and compassion, all sufferings
and adversities in the world crumble.
So, I’d advise that all Dharma friends should, as a first step, engender
faith in Tara. Once such faith arises, everything can be worked out
smoothly; this also applies to our Dharma study and practice. To be
honest, learning, contemplating, and practicing the Dharma is not
an easy task. For people who lack faith, coming to Larung to study
and contemplate on the Dharma all-day, day after day, can be quite
15
punishing and may even become a kind of suffering. But as long as we

have faith, we will feel this learning to be something to be enjoyed and
a true meaningful activity. That is why faith is particularly essential.
Regardless of which Dharma you would like to practice, or whatever
else you would like to do, first, it is imperative to generate faith.
Without faith, it’s fairly challenging to carry out the work, or to listen
to even one lecture. Some people, cannot even sustain one lecture,
let alone try to keep on a long-term study. Someone I once met, told
me that, "I heard how auspicious it is to attend Dharma teaching, so
I went for one class. Oh my, it was so hard to sit through the whole
time. Time passes so slowly. It was so unbearable and painful. My
knees were numb..." Actually, to sit just cross legged won’t make your
knees numb, but to him, it was extremely painful. The point is that
whatever we practice, to first generate confidence in it, is extremely
important. If we can generate faith and a joyful mind, then whatever
we do, including listening to the Dharma, or even entering a hell filled
with burning fire to liberate sentient beings, would be like the case of
the bodhisattvas that is described in The Ornament of the Mahayana
Sutras, who were able to regard it with total ease, like touring a garden.
So, as we approach the practices of Tara, we should first generate a
joyful mindset and faith, so that the blessing of Tara will be able to
enter our minds directly.
B2. The General Homage

Om
. . Homage to the noble lady Tārā!
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"Om
. " is an invocation and a mantra that integrates one’s body, speech,
and mind with the three vajras of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. "Noble
lady" is a respectful form of address to Tara. "Lady" or "Jetsünma" in
Tibetan contains the meaning of having wisdom and compassion, as
well as possessing three sets of vows. "Tārā" or "Drolma" in Tibetan
means saving or benefitting sentient beings. So, this line of the homage
means that: Before this noble lady Tara, who is endowed with wisdom
and compassion, who is pure in precepts, works for the benefit of
beings, who possesses all kinds of beneficent qualities, we, the devoted
followers, pay homage reverently and respectfully.
In the traditions of ancient India, even amongst non-Buddhists, many

practiced and paid homage to Tara. In historical times, for example,
in the Nalanda Monastery, images of Tara featured prominently in
the paintings that covered their interior walls. In Bodhgaya, there
are also quite a number of Tara statues that can be found among the
many sculptures of the different Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. In Tibet,
almost every monastery has Tara images, statues, and thangkas and
in Tibetans’ daily life, there is almost no one who doesn’t know how
to chant the prayers or mantras of Tara, although among younger
Tibetans, many may not know how to pray to Tara as they have become
more interested in making money, or some aspect of pop-culture.
However, among the older generations, most do have faith in Tara
and often chant prayers to her.
Whoever has faith in Tara gains her blessing, just like the silver
moon reflects naturally as long as the water in the pond in which
17
it is reflected is clear. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have impartial

compassion towards all sentient beings and do not favor any particular
beings over any others. Therefore, whoever holds faith in these deities
naturally receives their blessing and is able to gain accomplishments.
So, whichever practice we engage in, we must first understand the
extraordinary qualities of the yidam of the practice. Once we have
understood this, we will generate pure faith. Then, with a pure mind
filled with piety and respect, we should pay homage, prostrate, and
make offerings to the yidam, that is, to practice by attending to the
yidam through the Seven Branches practice (i.e. prostration, offering,
confession, rejoicing, requesting to turn the wheel of the Dharma,
requesting not to pass into parinirvana, and dedication of merit). Only
in such ways can we truly experience the blessing. We will now turn
our attention towards learning about the qualities of Tara through
this Praise.
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Drolma Nyurma Pamo, Tara Who is

Swift and Courageous
Let us now turn our attention to A2) Content, which has three parts:
B1) Praise for Her Historical Origin, B2) Praise for the Body Aspects,
and B3) Praise for Her Activities. First of all, let’s talk about B1) Praise
for Her Historical Origin.
A2. Content
B1. Praise for Her Historical Origin
Homage to Tārā, swift and gallant,

Born on the heart of a blossoming lotus
That rose from the tears of the Triple-World’s Lord.
[Homage to Tārā, swift and gallant,

Born from the opening stamen of
The lotus face of the Triple-World’s Lord.]
This is Tara Turavı̄rā or Drolma Nyurma Pamo in Tibetan, the Tara

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who is swift and courageous. She is depicted as either yellow or

red. Generally speaking, her right hand is shown in the mudra of
bestowing the sublime, meaning that she is ready to protect sentient
beings, while her left hand holds an utpala flower on top of which is
a right-coiling conch shell.
What is the meaning of "Nyurma Pamo"? "Nyurma" means very

swift and "Pamo" means heroine or courageous. So, here it means
that she is courageous in liberating sentient beings and bestows
blessing swiftly. Ju Mipham Rinpoche mentioned in A Garland of
Jewels: Eight Great Bodhisattvas, that among all the yidams, Tara’s
blessing comes the swiftest. At Larung Gar, in the time of H. H.
Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche, whenever obstacles befell, His Holiness
would ask every sangha member to recite prayers to Tara or Özer
Chenma (Marichi), the 21st Tara in this Praise. Then what are the
qualities of Tara Turavı̄rā? According to the second line, "Whose glance
flashes like flares of lightning", her eyes of wisdom see and perceive
all phenomena instantly, as swift as a flash of lightning. Lightning
happens very fast and illuminates everything in a split second. Thus,
in a fraction of a second, Tara’s wisdom sees the ultimate reality of all
that is knowable, from material phenomena to the existence of sentient
beings, from secular things to supramundane matters. Then, what is
the origin of Tara? It is mentioned in the last two lines, "Born from the
opening stamen of the lotus face of the Triple-World’s Lord." Here,
the "triple-world’s lord" refers to the lord of the three realms of desire,
form, and formlessness, Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, who is imbued
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with great loving-kindness and great compassion. His countenance

is analogized as that of a lotus. So, these two lines describe that, from
Avalokiteshvara’s eyes, which are like the center of his lotus-like face,
appeared tears of strong compassion for all sentient beings, and from
the tears, Taras were born. Stories of the origin of Tara are clearly
recorded in Buddhist scriptures. In particular, it is mentioned three
times that Tara made great vows in her causal ground that caused
her to become Tara, "She who Liberates".
Here is one of the three stories of her making her aspiration: In

days of yore, in the universe called Manifold Light, there appeared a
tathagata called Drum-Sound. At that time, in that world, there was
a princess named Yeshe Dawa (Moon of Wisdom-knowledge) who
was endowed with all of the necessary roots of virtues and had great
devotion to the Three Jewels. At that time, people enjoyed a very
long life. For millions of years, the princess made grand offerings to
that Buddha and his countless attendant sangha. At that time, some
bhikshus urged her, “Because of these roots of virtue, whatever you
wish will come true. Why not pray in this body that you may become
a man, which would make it easier to perform virtuous deeds and
engage in practice?” Then, the princess said,
"[I see] here there is no man, there is no woman,

No self, no person, and no consciousness.
These appellations of ’male’ or ’female’ are illusory,
Which deceive worldly beings of shallow wisdom."
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Having said this, she then made the great vow, “There are many who
desire enlightenment in a man’s body, but very few who work for
the benefit of sentient beings in the body of a woman. Therefore,
until samsara is empty, I shall work for the benefit of sentient beings
in a woman’s body.” Then, for millions of myriads of years, she
practiced diligently and thereby attained the realization that nothing
really arises or perishes. By the power of this realization, every day
she liberated millions of myriads of beings. Because of this, she
became Tara, "She who Liberates". Then the Tathagata Drum-Sound
prophesied her to be known by the name of Tara from now onwards.
The second story is that, another time, she vowed before the Tathagata
Amoghasiddhi to protect and guard sentient beings of all the infinite
realms of the ten directions, and to dispel all harm and obstacles of
maras. Therefore, each day for ninety-five eons, she liberated millions
of sentient beings and subdued millions of maras. Thus, she received
the name of Tara.
The third time, she appeared from the tears of Avalokiteshvara and
aspired to share the responsibility of Avalokiteshvara to liberate
countless beings. For uncounted eons Avalokiteshvara had been
working tirelessly to liberate all sentient beings from suffering through
all forms of manifestations. However, when he took a look again at
the six realms, he saw that the number of suffering beings was no
less than when he began. At that time, Avalokiteshvara appeared to
be extremely saddened and shed two tears of compassion. The tears
turned into two lotuses and from these two blossoming lotuses, White
23
Tara and Green Tara appeared. They vowed before Avalokiteshvara,

"Lord Avalokiteshvara, don’t be saddened. We will assist you to
liberate boundless beings." These two Taras then transformed into 21
Taras to more fully help Avalokiteshvara benefit beings.
There’s another historical account of the origin of Tara. Eons ago,

there was a bhikkhu named Immaculate Light. All Buddhas of ten
directions bestowed upon him empowerment, and thus, he became
Avalokiteshvara. Then Avalokiteshvara received empowerment from
the Tathagatas of the Five Families, and Tara appeared from his
heart.
So, since Tara comes from Avalokiteshvara’s heart or tears of pity, the
two are essentially one and the same. In mainland China, Avalokitesh-
vara is usually regarded as a female figure who works to liberate
boundless beings, while in the Tibetan region, Avalokiteshvara is
regarded as a male figure, with Tara being his female embodiment.
From this aspect, Avalokiteshvara in Chinese Buddhism corresponds
with the image of Tara. It’s just that such a point is not generally
revealed. So, when we pray, we should realize that they share the
same nature.
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Drolma Yangchenma, Tara Who

Bestows Longevity, Eloquence and
Wisdom
Now, let us move on to B2) Praise for the Body Aspects, which has
two parts: C1) Praise for the Sambhogakaya Aspects and C2) Praise
for the Dharmakaya Aspect. The first part can be further divided
into two more parts: D1) Praise for the Peaceful Body Aspects and
D2) Praise for the Wrathful Body Aspects. D2) Praise for the Peaceful
Body Aspects includes six praises. Among the six, the first is E1)
Praise for the Luminous Countenance and Radiance, which means
to give praise to the aspect of Tara’s countenance and her brilliant
radiance.
B2. Praise for the Body Aspects

C1. Praise for the Sambhogakaya Aspects
D1. Praise for the Peaceful Body Aspects
E1. Praise for the Luminous Countenance and Radiance
Homage to you whose countenance is

A hundred full moons gathered in autumn,
26
Smiling and glowing with brilliant radiance,

Like a thousand stars clustered, ablaze.
This is White Tara, also known as Tara Sarasvatı̄ or Drolma Yangchenma

in Tibetan. As Buddhists, we should get to know these noble deities.
To not do so would be quite unreasonable. The first two lines describe
the countenance of this Tara as a hundred full moons in autumn
stacked up layer upon layer, unmarred by all dusts, clouds, mists, and
stains. Having a hundred such autumn moons gathered together does
not mean that her face is big, rather it is an image that suggests her
countenance is of utmost perfection. The last two lines describe the
radiance of her body. It is as brilliant as thousands of stars gathered
together, even more brilliant than moonlight or the brightest starlight,
radiating white beams, from which stream the moonlight-like nectar
that dispels beings’ burning suffering.
White Tara and Sarasvati, the Goddess of Wisdom, Literature and

Poetry, are of the same oneness. In Tibetan Buddhism, many sadhanas
of White Tara and Sarasvati are very similar. If we practice Sarasvati
sadhana well, our poetry skills, intelligence, and our meritorious
wisdom will certainly improve. These are the uncommon and ex-
traordinary blessings of Sarasvati. To engage in White Tara practice
can also cultivate great wisdom. White Tara is also known as Sapta
Lochani, the Seven-Eyed Tara. In some historical records, White Tara
has seven eyes of knowledge: three on her face, two on her palms,
and two on the soles of feet. The eye on her forehead looks upward
to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, while her other six eyes gaze out
27
upon the condition of beings in the six realms. White Tara is one of
the Three Long-life Deities in Tibetan Buddhism, with the other two
beings Amitayus, "The Buddha of Boundless Life" and Ushnishavi-
jaya, also one of the twenty-one Taras. In many long-life prayers of
the great masters, the supplication is made to Amitayus, White Tara,
or Ushnishavĳaya for the longevity of those masters. White Tara can
also be understood as a manifestation of Amitayus. Thus, whether
one wishes for long-life for oneself or for others, praying to this Tara
is very important.
In Tibetan history, Princess Wencheng and Princess Bhrikuti Devi are

considered as embodiments of Tara. Princess Bhrikuti Devi of Nepal
is considered the incarnation of White Tara, with Princess Wencheng
being the incarnation of Green Tara. According to some historical
accounts, after King Songtsen Gampo had fulfilled many national
projects, arranged and prophesied exceptional events regarding the
nation and the Dharma for the future, he began to prepare to leave
this world. At that time, with his right hand, he touched the head of
Princess Bhrikuti Devi, turning the princess into a white eight-petalled
lotus upon which the seed syllable of White Tara was displayed.
Then, the king touched the head of Princess Wencheng with his
left hand, turning the princess into a green sixteen-petaled lotus
on which the seed syllable of Green Tara appeared. Then looking
up to his deity, Eleven-faced Avalokiteshvara, the king, together
with the two lotuses, turned into light and dissolved into the heart
of Avalokiteshvara, vanishing there. Therefore, all three of these
28
incarnations are the manifestations of Avalokiteshvara, although they

appeared as different persons originating from different places—one
coming from mainland China, one from Nepal, and another from
Tibet. People with discursive thoughts may have some other accounts
of this history, but this account is from reliable historical records.
Many people these days wish for happiness, wealth, wisdom, longevity,
to have children and to remain safe and sound. In many Tara sadhanas,
it is mentioned that if you pray to Tara, all of your wishes can be
fulfilled. Other than for those with great negative karma, as long
as you pray to Tara sincerely, by the one-pointed recitation of either
this Praise or the mantra of Tara, Tara will grant you whatever you
wish for. Most people these days seem able to enjoy fine clothing and
food, but many are suffering. Their suffering isn’t from the lack of
materials, but because of an inner inadequacy. There are many beings
who are suffering mentally, experiencing lots of fear, worry, sadness,
disappointment, and the feeling that they are victims of injustice.
Why is there a growing number of suicides? It is the incompleteness
within, which makes people view everything in life negatively and is
the cause of their pain. In such cases, if they would pray to Tara, all
the fear and uneasiness in their mind could be dispelled instantly.
Whenever we encounter disasters, fear, or dangers that threaten

our life, just pray to Tara. Long ago, there was a master named
Triratnadasa, who was a disciple of Dignaga. Once he was preaching
the Dharma in Eastern India, a monstrous serpent came out of the
ocean and devoured many people and elephants. Then, the master
29
prayed fervently to Tara and recited her mantra. Thus, the monstrous
serpent immediately turned around and returned to the ocean.
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Drolma Sonam Chokter, Tara Who

Liberates Beings by Way of the Six
Paramitas
Next is praise for Tara for the aspect of her physical complexion and
her practice of the six paramitas.
E2. Praise for Her Body Color and Practice of the Six Paramitas
Homage, golden lady, your lotus-hand

Is graced with a blue water-born flower.
You embody generosity, diligence, endurance,
Serenity, patience and meditation.
[Homage, golden-blue lady,

Your hand is graced with a lotus.
Generosity, diligence, austerities, serenity,
Patience, meditation, your field.]
This is Tara Pun.yottama-dā, or Drolma Sonam Chokter in Tibetan.

This Tara is yellow-bodied, with her right hand in the gesture of
bestowing the sublime and her left hand graced with a lotus, having
32
a wishful-filling jewel on top which can dispel poverty and bestow

fortunes for whoever prays to it.
The main feature of this Tara is that she liberates beings or fulfills
beings’ wishes by way of the six paramitas: the paramitas of generosity,
discipline, patience, diligence, meditative concentration and wisdom.
The four paramitas of generosity, diligence, patience, meditation are
clear in the stanza. In many commentaries of this Praise, "austerities,
serenity" is explained as discipline, because to uphold discipline,
one must undergo asceticism while remaining in a place of serenity.
The sixth paramita comes from "your field", which means to steer
or master every knowable phenomenon, making them "your field".
That is, to enter into the nature of all phenomena or to engage in the
realization of the nature of every phenomenon. In order to do that,
one must unfold one’s wisdom of prajna. So, "your field" refers to the
paramita of wisdom. By way of the six paramitas, with the former
five as the skillful means, the last being the direct development of the
wisdom of prajna, as well as through boundless activities, this Tara
benefits sentient beings. Praying to her can increase one’s wisdom and
merit, prolong life, while eradicating ignorance, removing suffering
and dispelling disasters, as well as fulfilling wishes of the like. So, if
we pray to Tara devotedly with a cheerful spirit, then whatever we
need can be fulfilled.
In Taranatha’s History of Buddhism in India, there is a story about

how Tara fulfills wishes. In ancient India, there was an old and poor
woman whose daughter was getting married. As the household was
33
extremely poor and without the means to arrange for her marriage,
the old woman went out begging in various places. Having heard
about the famous Master Chandrakirti who resided at Nalanda
Monastery, she decided to ask him for the wherewithal to arrange
her daughter’s marriage. Chandrakirti, although very famous had
few material possessions himself, but wanting to be of some help, he
said to the old woman, “I’m an ascetic monk myself without many
belongings, so I have nothing to give to you. But there is one named
Chandragomin nearby, go to him. After all, he was a lay practitioner.”
Now, Chandragomin, although a lay practitioner, was a famous Indian
master and scholar who had famously challenged Chandrakirti to a
debate in Nalanda that lasted for many years. So, the old woman went
off to find Chandragomin, only to discover that though the master
expressed strong compassion for her, he had nothing to give as he had
nothing but a sutra of prajnaparamita and a set of robes. However, full
of compassion for the poor beggar, Chandragomin prayed earnestly to
a painting of Tara on the wall. Moved by his devoted prayer, the Tara
came to life and took off all the various ornaments and jewelry that
she wore, and gave them to the master. The master, in turn, gave them
all to the old woman who was thrilled to accept these gifts and very
happily left. From that time on, this Tara, now bereft of ornaments
became known as "Tara without Ornaments". It is said that to this
day, this painting of Tara continues to be revered and cared for.
Whether in India or the Tibetan region, there have been many miracu-
lous stories of how Tara statues have spoken to, or instructed people.
34
There are many stories of Tara’s miracles, just as is the case of Aval-
okiteshvara in mainland China and many other Asian countries.
Chandragomin once said that as long as you pray selflessly, all you
wish for will be swiftly fulfilled, while in other cases, you may need
to pray for a longer time. When we pray, it’s best that we pray self-
lessly, not out of self-interest but for the welfare of all sentient beings.
Nonetheless if your prayer is born out of personal interest, you may
still receive a corresponding blessing.
In our daily life or throughout the course of Dharma learning and

practice, we should pray to Tara, just as many previous masters did, so
that adversities may be dispelled naturally. Take myself for example.
When I was about to become ordained as a monk, I faced many
challenges. Back then, it seemed to me that I was unable to fight back
against them. I tried my best to pray to Tara and magically, all of
the obstacles facing me disappeared. At that time, I was studying
at Garze Normal School, and the head teacher of the class thought
highly of me and gave me a great deal of attention. When I decided
to become a monk, I had not graduated yet, and so I needed to ask
the permission of my head teacher to leave school. If I failed to get his
approval, my family would have been fined 3,000 RMB which was
a huge sum of money at that time and which my family wouldn’t
have been able to afford. So, I had no choice but to go to my teacher to
ask for his permission. Before entering his house, I secretly did many
recitations of the mantra of Tara and things turned out so smoothly
that the teacher approved my request without hesitation. A while ago,
35
this teacher came to visit me and I asked him, "I was sure that you
were not going to agree to let me quit school as at the time you didn’t
want me to become a monk. What made you change your mind?"
He said, "I don t know why I agreed to allow you to quit school. I
must have got into a muddle at that time." So, I personally feel that
the blessing of Tara is extremely genuine and responsive.
Surely everyone has their own goals in life or in spiritual practice. In

the process, when facing certain challenges that need to be dealt with
immediately, pray to Tara. Then miraculously, these difficulties will
be solved swiftly. Starting now, please try to pray to Tara constantly
so that you can remove the challenges that stand in the way of your
Dharma practice and your wishes can be fulfilled.
Tara, the Responsive
Female Buddha Revered
by All
Lecture Two
From this year onwards, I also hope that
Buddhists from everywhere in the world
can fit the chanting of this Praise into their
schedule. Do not be satisfied with just
understanding the literal meaning of the
text, but try to put it into practice, like by
chanting it.
– Khenpo Sodargye
We have finished lecture one of Praises to the Twenty-One Taras, now let’s
continue. The Praise has twenty-one verses with one verse praising
one Tara respectively, so one might get the impression that the text
is in praise of 21 Taras. As we have stated previously, in nature, the
twenty-one Taras are the same, that is, they are just different forms
of the same female Buddha. That is why the textual outline here
suggests that the stanzas to Praises to the Twenty-One Taras are praises
to different aspects of the same deity. For the purpose of taming
different sentient beings, manifestations of Tara appear in twenty-one
unique forms with each manifestation exhibiting different qualities,
appearances, hand gestures, skin colors, and so on. As regards skin
color, Tara’s various manifestations appear as either white, green, red,
yellow, orange, blue or black, with each color representing one feature
of the deity as follows: White represents Tara’s body, red her speech,
blue and black her mind, yellow and orange her qualities and green
her activity.
39
As I mentioned in the first lecture, in addition to this particular

Praise, the Buddhist Canon contains many other texts that reference
Tara. Several days ago, I had a look at the Kangyur and found
many sadhanas devoted to Tara, including several that reference the
practices of the four activities of pacifying, enriching, magnetizing
and subjugating. There are also a number of Tibetan Buddhist termas
that describe Tara practices. In addition, if you have a look into the
Chinese Buddhist Canon, particularly those writings that refer to
Chinese Esoteric Buddhism, you will find that there are texts with
guidance to devotional practices relating to Tara that can be found
there, as well. Although many of the texts found in these collections
are considered as sutra, they can actually be classified as tantra. This
particular Praise is a good example of this. We mentioned in the
first lecture that while some masters classified this Praise as a part
of the Kriya Tantra, others feel that it more correctly belongs under
the Highest Yoga Tantra. In fact, both classifications are acceptable.
Although mentioned it earlier, I also want to stress that should not
think that Tara practices only exist in Tibetan Buddhism. They are
also available within the context of Chinese Buddhism and have a
long history of being propagated in mainland China as far back as
the Tang Dynasty.
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Drolma Tsuktor Namgyal, Jewel on

the Great Tathagata’s Crown
Now, let us continue with the Praise. We left off previously as we were
learning the second part of D1) Praise for the Peaceful Body Aspects.
Now we will learn the third part which praises Tara for the aspect
that she is not only the refuge of ordinary beings of the six realms, but
is also the object of reliance, praise, and veneration of accomplished
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
E3. Praise for Being the Object of Refuge for Buddhas and Bod-
hisattvas
Homage to you, whose victories are endless,

You are well served by the heirs of the Victors,
Those who’ve accomplished all the perfections.
[Homage to you, whose victories are endless,

Having accomplished all the perfections,
You are well served by the heirs of the Victors.]
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This is Tara Us.n.ı̄s.a-vĳayā or Drolma Tsuktor Namgyal in Tibetan,

the Tara who is completely victorious or Tara Ushnisha. This Tara is
orange in color, with her right hand held in the gesture of bestowing
the sublime. In general, every Tara’s right-hand is held in the gesture
of bestowing the sublime, indicating that Tara’s activity is to liberate
all sentient beings who are suffering in samsara. In other words, Tara
is ready to help and liberate beings with her hands. In daily life,
when someone helps others, we would also say that they are willing
to give a hand. Therefore, this gesture symbolizes the activity of
liberating sentient beings. The left hand of this Tara holds a long-life
vase containing the nectar of eternal life, which symbolizes that Tara
constantly rains down the amrita of the Dharma which dispels all such
negativities as afflictive emotions, the suffering caused by poverty,
and most particularly, the enemies of the six paramitas.
This Tara is called the “jewel on the great Tathagata’s crown” for the
reason that all of the tathagatas, with great veneration, regard this
Tara as their Ushnisha or crown protrusion. From this we can see how
extraordinary this Tara is, since even the Buddhas, who are held in
the highest regard among all beings, venerate her as their crown jewel.
Also, this Tara carries out boundless victorious activities. “Victories
are endless” refers to triumphing over all unfavorable conditions and
obstacles—from obstacles in secular life, to hindrances in spiritual
practice or from problems in samsara to challenges in attaining
nirvana. She triumphs over all harms caused by external and internal
enemies and demons. Such are her victorious activities. “Having
43
accomplished all the perfections” means that she has attained all of
the ten paramitas, including the six paramitas of generosity, discipline,
patience, diligence, meditative concentration and wisdom, as well as
the four paramitas: paramita of skillful means, strength, aspiration
prayer and primordial wisdom. According to the Sutra of the Ten
Bhumis, one can be said to be fully enlightened after having attained
the ten paramitas, completely and perfectly. The accomplishment of
the ten paramitas indicates that this Tara has obtained the ten types
of freedom and completion, and thus attained the path of no-more-
learning and complete perfection. Taken together, this suggests that
Tara is no ordinary goddess or a female Bodhisattva, but is one that
has already attained Buddhahood. In addition, all the Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas can be said to be born from Tara. For those reasons,
she is “well served by the heirs of the Victors”. In other words, all
Bodhisattvas from the first bhumi of Perfect Joy to the tenth bhumi of
Cloud of Dharma praise, rely on and attend to Tara.
With that in mind, what need is there to mention that all Buddhists,
regardless of which school they are aligned with, should pay homage
to Tara with great respect and often engage in practices that honor her?
In this regard, there is no need to hold onto a sectarian view of Tibetan
Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism, or Theravada Buddhism. As a matter
of fact, any of the sublime figures of Buddhism, no matter which
school they appear to belong to, are worth everyone’s veneration and
homage because they far exceed ordinary beings in their qualities,
abilities, and wisdom. As regards this aspect, there is no point for
44
people from different traditions, races, or tribes to argue or fight with

one another. If one narrow-mindedly sticks only to one’s own sect,
then one can hardly venerate the worthy noble ones from other sects.
As an example, some people who follow the Pure Land School, the
Chan School or any others think that only a few Indian masters took
Tara for their spiritual reliance or that only a small number of Tibetan
masters engage in devotional practices to her. Therefore they feel that
for them, there is no need to engage in Tara practices. In fact, this is
an ill-informed and poorly reasoned opinion.
The Tara in Mainland China and the Jowo Buddha in

Lhasa
Over the course of Tibetan Buddhist history, there have been many
famous supreme Tara statues created or brought in from other places.
Some were colored green, while others were colored gold. At Jokhang
Monastery in Lhasa, there are many well-known Tara statues whose
bodies glow with a golden radiance. Tara statues that carry great
power can also be found in mainland China. For example, during the
Tang Dynasty, the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo assigned a Great
Minister named Gar Tongtsen to travel to the Chinese kingdom for
a marriage alliance. The ambassador took with him a statue of Tara,
made with six kilograms of gold, as a gift for the Chinese emperor.
This statue was very famous in Tibet due to her ability to bestow
great blessings and fulfill the wishes of her devotees. Carrying with
45
him the Tara statue, Gar Tongtsen went to Chang’an (present day
Xi’an), which at that time was the capital of China, to meet with
the Chinese Emperor Taizong of Tang. As a result of Gar Tongtsen’s
diplomatic efforts, Emperor Taizong agreed to become allied with
the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo, and to that end, agreed to marry
Princess Wencheng to the Tibetan King. The princess requested as
her dowry the life-size statue of 12-year-old Buddha Shakyamuni,
which was housed in the enormous Kaiyuan Temple in Chang’an
and, even at that time, was considered to be a national treasure. In
order to ensure a harmonious relationship, Emperor Taizong granted
Princess Wencheng’s request. So, the statue of Buddha Shakyamuni
was taken to Tibet and placed in Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, where it
became known as the Jowo Buddha. Since then, the Jowo statue has
been greatly venerated, and every day, people arrive at the monastery
to worship before this magnificent statue.
But, while the statue of the figure of Buddha Shakyamuni was brought
to Tibet, the lotus seat upon which the statue rested was left behind
in Kaiyuan Temple. Meanwhile, the statue of Tara, carried by Gar
Tongtsen as a gift of the Tibetan King, was also housed at Kaiyuan
Temple. During a visit to the monastery, Emperor Taizong noticed the
empty lotus seat, and as he was considering which statue would be
suitable to be placed there, the statue of Tara began to speak, “Your
Majesty, please do not worry about which Buddha statue to place
upon the empty lotus seat. Seat me there. I could liberate sentient
beings on behalf of the Buddha Shakyamuni.” Thus, the Emperor
46
decreed that the Tara statue should be placed upon the vacated lotus
seat, where it remained until the construction of Guangren Temple
was completed. Begun by Emperor Kangxi in 1703, the construction
was an attempt by the Chinese emperor to appease Tibet and to
provide a convenient destination to the Tibetan lamas and ministers
who periodically journeyed to Chang’an to attend an audience with
the Chinese political leadership. Upon completion, the statue of Tara
which had been housed at Kaiyuan Temple was moved to Guangren
Temple. It is said that two wooden statues of two other goddesses —
the Goddess Great Light and Ekadzati, a protectress with a single tuft
of hair, were also moved from Kaiyuan Temple to Guangren Temple,
and placed beside the Tara statue newly installed there. To this day,
these three statues remain treasured as precious historical relics. Due
to the placement of this special Tara statue there, Guangren Temple
has become the main Dharma center for propagating Tara in mainland
China. We know that in the great majority of temples within China,
a statue of Buddha Shakyamuni is usually placed in the center of
the Mahavira or Main Hall. However, due to the special historical
reasons mentioned above, the Mahavira Hall at Guangren Temple
houses the statue of Tara, brought as a gift to Emperor Taizong of
Tang from the Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo. Since the Guangren
Temple was built, generations of Tibetan masters, Panchen Lamas
and Dalai Lamas, have often traveled there as part of their efforts
to spread the Dharma. It is said that in 1954, Lama Panchen and
the Dalai Lama stayed there for some time on their way to Beĳing.
The well-known Tibetan master, Geshe Sherab Gyatso had also been
47
there and gave teachings to Chinese students, lay practitioners and

monastics. Hence, over the past 300+ years, this temple has become
recognized as the most influential Dharma center in China devoted to
Tara practice. So, once again, I remind you not to think that there has
been no propagation of Tara practice in mainland China. It is just that
in the Chinese communities, Tara is not as popular as she is in Tibet,
where every household and every temple has many Tara images or
statues.
In the future, if you have a chance to go to Xi’an. I think it is worth

including a visit to Guangren Temple to pay homage and make offer-
ings to the Tara statue housed there. I have seen her in photographs,
but as of yet, I have not been there in person. In the photographs
that I have seen, there were very few items of offering on the altar in
front of the Tara, except for some containers for lamp offerings. And I
could not tell if the lights were lit. Anyway, we should visit and make
offerings when the opportunity arises. Unlike the statue of the Jowo
Buddha in Lhasa to which many people worship every day, not many
people come to worship the Tara statue housed at Guangren, in spite
of the fact that they share the same significance in Buddhist history.
This is mainly because of the fact that the Chinese people are not as
devoted to Buddhist worship as the Tibetan people are, which may
be attributable to various historical factors in mainland China.
These days, in general, many of the religious beliefs of the Chinese

people are fading, including their belief in Buddhism, Confucianism
and other religions. This contributes to the irresponsible conduct of
48
many people, including many university students and other intel-

lectuals, which in turn, acts as a negative influence on society as a
whole. As one example, factories are processing food that is harmful
to people’s health, as well as producing many kinds of counterfeit
products. Moreover, many people no longer support or respect their
parents, nor do they treat animals and other beings with kindness and
respect. In many aspects, people these days behave very ruthlessly.
From this we can see that without spiritual belief, people act in an
manner that could be considered as insane, and eventually end up
behaving as outrageously as animals. To witness this is truly terrifying.
Some time ago, I read that when the parietal bone relics of the Buddha
in Nanjing, the Buddha’s finger-bone relic in Xi’an and the Buddha’s
tooth relic in Beĳing, were exhibited in Thailand, Macao, Hong Kong,
Taiwan, and other places, tens of thousands of people visited to show
their veneration each day. So different! So, from my perspective, a
spiritual belief is truly important. During the Tang Dynasty, everyone,
from the emperor to the ordinary people, had faith in Buddhism and
their devotion to Buddhism was truly praiseworthy. Unfortunately,
I am sad to say that within a century or even less, people’s belief in
Buddhism has faded considerably.
Cultivate Genuine Faith in Tara and Pray to Her
I think that people really need a spiritual belief, and in my mind,

nothing serves this need like Buddhism. It is essential to engender
49
respect and a joyful mind toward the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas,

for example, towards Tara and Avalokiteshvara. But your joyfulness
and confidence need to arise from a reliable source. Otherwise,
to simply feel touched, because “Guru, you are so compassionate
and dignified in appearance!”, or “Wow, that statue of the Buddha
looks so dignified!”, may not be an expression of authentic faith.
Gendün Chöpel shared a story involving himself, where at one time
he intentionally went to a non-Buddhist shrine and prayed fervently
with his eyes closed. After a while, he became so moved that he broke
into tears. Thinking of this story, I feel that Gendün Chöpel was such
a prankster that he wanted to pray to a non-Buddhist deity with such
fervency, that as he supplicated with his palms joined together, he
was moved to tears. Anyway, this suggests that although we may
sometimes feel deeply touched, that is not necessarily a true sign
of reliable faith. It is the sort of feeling that can easily happen in
specific environments or at certain moments. Speaking of tirthikas
or non-Buddhists, I do not mean to say that there wouldn’t be any
blessing in their practice. There have been so many religions and
their related branches in human history, and surely, many of them
have offered to their followers extraordinary blessings and energy, as
well as the manifestation of miraculous feats in response to prayer.
Many religions in this world have their own skillful means to do good
and to help sentient beings. It is unreasonable for Buddhists to think
that only Buddhist doctrines are correct, while all others are wrong.
This is why in the Tantrayana tradition, it is prohibited to criticize,
slander or reject any heretic schools, including Vaisheshika, which
50
is a non-Buddhist school that teaches eternalism. Whether we see

it or not, there must be some hidden meaning and purpose for the
Tantrayana tradition to establish such a restriction.
I hope that you can generate joyfulness and devotion to the Taras, as
they are imbued with supreme blessings and great qualities. This,
I believe, is essential. I am thinking that since all the Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas pay homage to Tara, we Buddhists, regardless of which
school we follow, have no reason to reject her. It would be an act of
ignorance to insist that because you are a follower of the Pure Land
Sect or some other school, that you don’t have to venerate Tara. As
mentioned in this verse, she is “well served by the heirs of the Victors”,
suggesting that even Avalokiteshvara and Manjushri respectfully pay
homage to Tara. Thus, we ordinary beings have no reason not to
follow them in offering homage to her as well. So, once again, I hope
that everyone will embrace Tara with a pure mindset.
From this year onwards, I also hope that Buddhists from everywhere
in the world can fit the chanting of this Praise into their schedule. Do
not be satisfied with just understanding the literal meaning of the text,
but try to put it into practice, like by chanting it. It would be great if
every Dharma center, Buddhist association and temple could start to
chant the Praise. Regarding the technique of chanting this Praise, we
Tibetans chant it very quickly. Over the last few days during which
we chanted in Tibetan, the chant was delivered at a rather slow pace
and still the Han students could not keep up. We cannot go any
slower, because according to Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the Praise
51
should be chanted very quickly, otherwise the swift blessing of Tara

cannot be fully manifested. In some Gelug temples, monks chant the
Praise extremely fast. As we’ve just begun this lecture series, we’ve
been chanting it at what is probably the lowest speed possible, as
it cannot be chanted any slower while the blessing could be fully
manifested. I’d suggest that you find a tune for chanting the Praise
in your own language. For instance, the Chinese sangha here can
find a tune for chanting it in Chinese next time. Could the office of
educational affairs check to see if there is a suitable tune for it, please,
and I will observe if it is a good tune for the future spread of the
Praise in mainland China? So far, there hasn’t been any particular
tune to which the Praise has been chanted in Chinese, so maybe you
could try to compose one. Keep in mind that because Tara grants her
blessings swiftly, the melody shouldn’t be too slow. The prayer to
Tara should be chanted eagerly and quickly. Shall we try it during the
next lecture? I’ll see if you can come up with something good and
will also observe if the dependent arising is favorable. As for today’s
session, we will still perform the chant in Tibetan.
53
Drolma Rikchema or Tara

Kurukulla, the One Who Brings
Freedom and Ease
This stanza praises Tara for taming sentient beings in the three
realms.
E4. Praise for Subduing All Beings in the Three Realms
Homage to you, who with tuttāra and hūm

.
Fill desire realms unto the ends of space.
And have the strength to summon all.
[Homage to you, who with tuttāra and hūm

.
Fill the realms of desire, direction and space.
And have the strength to summon all.]
This is Tara Kurukulla or Drolma Rikchema in Tibetan. This Tara is

red in color, holding a lotus on her left hand, on top of which is a bow
and arrow.
54
"You, who with tuttāra and hūm

. " means that this Tara rebukingly
emits the sound of TUTTARA and HUM. Here, HUM signifies the
compassionate mind of bodhichitta and TUTTARA symbolizes the
wisdom of emptiness, free from all attachment. “Space” refers to the
formless realm. So, the first two lines convey that this Tara emits the
sound of TUTTARA and HUM, which is the union sound of wisdom
and compassion and which pervades all the three realms—the desire
realm, the form realm, and the formless realm.
The last two lines describe the posture of this Tara: she tramples
underfoot all the seven worlds. Buddhist scholarship provides us
with two explanations of the seven worlds. One explanation is that
the seven worlds refers to:
• The realm of bardo;

• The six realms, which include:
⊲ The three lower realms: the hells, the hungry ghost realm,
and animal realm; .
⊲ The three higher realms: the human realm, the demi-god
realm, and the god realm.
Another explanation is that it refers to:
• The three lower realms: the hells, the hungry ghost realm, and
animal realm;
• The human realm;
• The realm of gods in the desire realm;
55
• The form realm;

• The formless realm.
In this case, the seven worlds refer to the six realms. To reiterate,
the seven worlds refers to the form realm, the formless realm, and
the desire realm which can be subdivided into the five realms of:
hells, hungry ghosts, animals, human beings and gods. The realm of
gods here refers only to heavens of the desire realm. So, to “trample
underfoot the seven worlds” means that, all beings in the seven worlds,
without anyone excluded, are subdued by Tara through her wisdom
and compassion, symbolized by the pervasive sound. Thus, all beings,
even the demonic forces and tirthikas, can be easily summoned,
conquered and magnetized by this Tara.
Kurukulla is one of the nine deities of magnetizing activity that we

practice in our Dharma Assembly of the Awareness Holders, which
takes place annually in the period of Chotrul Düchen, the “Festival
of Miracles”. In the sadhana used in the Assembly, which is the
terma titled “Profound Practice of the Illusory Lasso of Avalokiteshvara’s
Nine Principle Deities,” revealed by Lerab Lingpa, there are some
lines referring to Rikchema. His Holiness Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche
also composed praises and rituals of Kurukulla. The visualization
and practice of Kurukulla helps one to observe pure precepts. For
practitioners who struggle to observe pure precepts, if they pray
to Kurukulla or simply visualize her in their minds, their lust will
dissipate naturally and they will more easily be able to uphold pure
56
precepts. Kurukulla practices also helps attract and magnetize all

sentient beings, visible and invisible. If we want to accomplish the
activity of magnetizing, we should rely on Kurukulla. Many fellow
Dharma friends aspire to fulfill the goal of spreading the Dharma
and benefiting beings. In that case, if you pray to this Tara, even in the
shortness of one lifespan, you can certainly overcome all unfavorable
conditions, as well as accepting and benefiting immeasurable sentient
beings who are karmically linked with you.
Starting this year, I hope that we can accomplish the activity of

magnetizing by relying on the power and blessing of the nine deities,
such that we can magnetize many beings and benefit them. Let
those who do not believe in Buddhism be turned towards Buddhism.
Let those who already believe in Buddhism attain actual freedom,
physically and mentally, rather than merely remain holding a surface
belief. For that purpose, in the past we have made lots of red flags
with the prayer of Wang Dü. This year, we have also made many such
prayer flags and hung them in lots of places, including the mountains
of my hometown. Speaking of prayer flags, if you want to hang prayer
flags, it is better not to hang them from tree branches. I have heard that
many Dharma friends at Larung often hang the flags on the branches
of trees on the mountain where we make offerings to the Dharma
protectors. It is said that there are spirits living in the trees, as well as
earth spirits in the cliffs and mountain spirits in the mountains. Thus,
if you hang the flags from the branches of trees, the tree spirits that
reside in those trees will be constrained from moving about freely. So,
57
it would be better for you to hang them in other places than on the
mountain of the Dharma protectors and by other methods than on the
branches of trees. I passed by the yards of some Dharma friends and
noticed that they had decorated their yards with prayer flags of Wang
Dü; it seems as if they are using prayer flags to keep out the wind
or whatever. This is inappropriate and will result in accumulating
severe negative karma. You would do better to move these prayer
flags to clean places.
Nowadays, few Buddhists enjoy both physical and mental comfort

and ease. They often feel more confused and disoriented than blessed
and relaxed. This is because they have not accomplished the activity
of magnetizing. If the magnetizing activity is accomplished, we are
capable of helping and liberating sentient beings, not to mention being
able to completely triumph over our own afflictions. Actually, when
we think more about how we may benefit others, we experience less
of our own afflictions. Unfortunately, many people think about their
own affliction daily, but never think about benefiting others. “I am so
troubled. How do I get over it?” or “I have got another obstacle! They
come one after another!” As a matter of fact, the more you think about
yourself, the more undesirable conditions will arise in your own life.
The less you think about your own situation, the fewer obstacles will
arise. This shows us that suffering and demonic obstacles are created
by our own conceptual thoughts. Hence, by praying to Tara and
imploring her to bless us to accomplish the activity of magnetizing,
she will grant us her blessings.
58
The Blessing of Tara: Stories of Atisha and

Shantideva
If you have read the biographies of precedent masters, you will see
how responsive a yidam Tara is. Take Lord Atisha as an example:
From the biography of Atisha we find that Tara gave him instructions
and prophecies on many occasions. The earliest factored into how he
became ordained. Lord Atisha was a prince of East Bengal, which
now belongs to Pakistan. When he was an elegant young man, daring
and energetic and enjoying all kinds of happiness, Tara appeared to
him and instructed him not to become too attached to the samsaric
happiness of worldly life. Based on this visitation, he renounced the
royal life and became ordained as a monk.
The second story took place when Lord Atisha was at the Vajra
Seat, Bodh Gaya, and was diligently engaging in such practices
as circumambulating the Mahabodhi stupa, debating with others
about Buddhist philosophy, and so on and so forth. While Atisha
was circumambulating these holy sites, Tara manifested to him in
many forms, including as young maidens, beggars, old ladies, etc., to
instruct him in the importance of practicing bodhichitta. Each time,
he saw two manifestations communicating with each other, whose
communication took the form of various guidance and instruction. At
one point, he saw two rocky statues beneath the stupa communicated
with each other, saying, “If one wants to quickly receive enlightenment,
train in the mind of bodhicitta.” At another point, an ivory statue
59
said to him, “If you wish to quickly progress from the ground of
Bodhisattva to the fruition of Buddhahood, train in the mind of
bodhicitta.” In this manner and through many of these kinds of
manifestations, Tara urged Atisha over and over again, until he finally
came to the realization of the importance of bodhichitta. At that
time, one of the most famous masters holding the complete teachings
of how to develop bodhichitta was Dharmakirti (Serlingpa), the
Sublime Teacher from Suvarnadvipa, the Golden Isle. Atisha went
through untold hardships on his journey to Suvarnadvipa to seek this
master, and ended up spending twelve years learning the teachings of
bodhichitta from Dharmakirti, until true bodhichitta was generated
in his mindstream, after which he returned to India.
The third story relates to Lord Atisha’s propagation of the Dharma

in the Tibetan region. Following the persecution of Buddhism by
Langdharma, Tibet was in the period between the Early and the Later
Propagation of Buddhism, a period when Buddhism in Tibet was at a
low ebb. The Tibetan king, Yeshe Wo, repeatedly invited Lord Atisha
from India to Tibet to revitalize Buddhism there. Many times, the
King sent delegates to Lord Atisha, but as Atisha was getting on in
years and had many responsibilities and many monasteries to care for
in India, he did not at first accept the king’s entreaties. Finally, touched
by the Tibetan King’s sacrifices, the efforts of his delegates and out
of a sense of compassion, he expressed to the Tibetan delegates that
he would consider whether it would be possible for him to make
the arduous journey to the Land of Snows. Thus, he inquired of
60
Tara with three questions: “Can I benefit sentient beings in Tibet?

Can I fulfill the Tibetan King’s wishes? Is there enough time left
in my life span?” Tara answered his questions, one by one, in this
manner: “If you go, you will bring benefit to boundless beings there.
You will fulfill the Tibetan King’s wishes, because his only wish is
to propagate Mahayana Buddhism and turn Tibet into a Buddhist
country. However, you could have lived up to 92 years old. But if
you go to Tibet, your life will be shortened by 20 years, that is to say,
you will die at age 72.” Hearing this prophecy, Lord Atisha decided
to make the sacrifice of 20 years of his life and decided to travel to
the Tibetan region. At that time, Tara also gave him this prophecy:
“After you have arrived in Tibet, you will meet an exceptional disciple
named Dromtönpa, you must accept him.” It is said that the night
before Dromtönpa’s arrival, Tara said to Atisha again, “Tomorrow, a
lay practitioner named Dromtönpa will come to visit you, you must
accept him.” The next day, Lord Atisha waited for a long time, but
when Dromtönpa still hadn’t shown, he thought to himself: “Did Tara
lie to me? Why hasn’t he come yet?” Late in the afternoon, Lord Atisha
was invited to a patron’s house for a meal. He was still thinking of
Dromtönpa as he was enjoying the tsampa and butter. “As my disciple
may yet come, I shall leave some food for him.” However, by the end
of the meal, Dromtönpa still hadn’t shown. Atisha returned home
disappointed, not realizing that while he was visiting at the home
of his patron, Dromtönpa had arrived at Atisha’s house and anxious
to see his teacher, quickly ran toward the patron’s house. They met
on the street, and because they already had lifetimes of close karmic
61
links, they recognized each other immediately, feeling blissful and

harboring veneration toward each other.
Moreover, after Lord Atisha came to Tibet, he made tsa-tsa (small

sacred images crafted from clay) every day, which also comes from
Tara’s instructions to him. This story can be traced to the time when
Atisha was the head of discipline in Vikramashila, overseeing the
monastic’s observation of precepts and conducts. During Atisha’s
tenure in Vikramashila, there was a master named Maitripa or “Master
of Loving Kindness”, who was, in fact, a great bodhisattva. While
engaging in yogic practices which involve making offerings to Dharma
protectors and dakini, he was caught drinking alcohol, and Atisha, as
the head of discipline, had to expel him from the sangha. Accepting
the expulsion, Maitripa chose not to leave through the door but by
going through the wall with the use of his magical power. After he
had left, Lord Atisha felt very regretful and consulted Tara about
how to make amends. Tara told him: “First, go to Tibet to propagate
the Dharma.” This was because, after the persecution of Buddhism
initiated by Langdarma, Buddhism in Tibet was in a dire state and
if Atisha could reignite the light of the Dharma there, he would
accumulate great merit. “In addition, you must make seven times
seven tsa-tsas every day, and in this way your negative karma will be
purified.” That is why Lord Atisha made forty-nine tsa-tsas every day
after he arrived in Tibet. It is mentioned in the Words of My Perfect
Teacher that, when his followers saw him making tsa-tsa every day,
they asked Lord Atisha to let them do it for him. “What are you
62
saying?” he replied, “Are you going to start eating my food for me

as well?” So, he wouldn’t let others do it for him. His making tsa-tsa
was to make amends for the fault of offending a practitioner of great
accomplishment during his tenure as the head of discipline. So, if our
inspectors at Larung want to expel anyone, please first make sure that
they are not the accomplished ones. If they are, you should give them
special permission to do whatever they like, even if that includes
drinking alcohol. All others should follow the requests and rules of
the Sangha.
Another example of great masters who received instruction from

Tara is Shantideva, who wrote The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicharya-
vatara). The story is recorded in his biography, which can be found
in Taranatha’s History of Buddhism in India. Shantideva was a prince
of Saurastra. The night before he was about to be enthroned as king,
Shantideva dreamed of Manjushri sitting on his throne, saying, “My
son, this is my seat, and I am your teacher. How can the two of us sit
on the same seat?” Also, in his dream, Shantideva saw Tara in the
guise of his own mother, pouring hot water on his head (a ritual that is
performed during enthronement). When he asked what the cause of
this was, Tara said, “A Kingdom is nothing more than the unbearable
boiling water of hell. Thus, I am consecrating you with this.” This
was meant to express to him that if he were enthroned and became
king, he would commit evil acts that would lead him to rebirth in
the hell realms, where the boiling water that he would experience
there would be far less easy to bear than the hot water of his dream.
63
He then realized that it would not be proper for him to accept the
kingdom, and he instead gave up the throne and ran away. Later
under the guidance of a woman who was a manifestation of Tara, he
went to a yogi in a forest cave who was a manifestation of Manjushri.
By following the spiritual practices of this yogi, Shantideva gained
inconceivable spiritual achievement.
Above are just the examples of two great masters who benefitted
greatly from Tara’s blessing and guidance. From these stories, we
should recognize that many great masters have a close bond with
Tara and have received great blessings from her.
65
Drolma Jikché Chenmo, Tara Who

Causes Terror for Negative Forces
E5. Praise for Being Paid Tribute by the Great Worldly Lords
Homage to you, praised by Indra,

Agni, Brahmā, Maruts, and Śiva.
All the hosts of bhūtas, vetālas,
Gandharvas and yaks.as pay tribute to you.
This is Tara Mahābairavā or Drolma Jikché Chenmo in Tibetan, the

Tara who causes terror for negative forces or Tara who is revered by all.
She is red in color and holds a phurba in her left hand. Although she is
by and large a peaceful form, in order to signify her ability to destroy
all kinds of wrong understandings and views, she manifests as being
surrounded by flames. This verse means: Whom to pay homage to? To
Tara, who is revered by such worldly gods as Indra, Brahma, Agni (the
Fire God), Maruts (the Wind God), and Shiva which in some other
translations is referred to as Varuna (the Water God). In addition, she
is venerated by the hosts of bhutas (ghosts), vetalas (corpse-raisers),
gandharvas, yakshas (one of the eight classes of gods and demons),
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and rakshasa (a kind of malignant spirit that eats human flesh). Thus,
it is explained that she is praised and venerated by them.
According to some tantric texts, our world is under the control of ten
main guardians. Each of them guides one of the ten directions, which
include the four cardinal directions, the four intermediate directions,
the above and the below. To be specific, Indra is the guardian of the
east. Veruna, the god of water, is the guardian of the west. Gandharva,
who, although explained in the Abhidharmakosa as a being in the
bardo who feeds on odors, is here referred to as the guardian of
the south. Vaishravana, leader of yakshas, guards the north. Brahma
guides the zenith, i.e. the world above, and Earth God guides the
nadir, the world below. Agni, the god of fire, guides the south-east;
Maruts, the god of wind, the north-west; the lord of the bhutas, the
north-east and the chief of the vetalas, the south-west. These ten
guardians of the ten directions can often be found in the texts of
“Liberation upon Hearing”. Excluding noble ones like the Buddhas
and the Bodhisattvas, these guardians, being the lords of the hosts
of heavenly beings, human beings, ghosts, etc., surrounded by their
retinue of numerous followers, receive the highest prestige in our
world. Even these prestigious ones see the qualities of Tara and are
impressed by her compassion and wisdom. Thus, they pay tribute to
her respectfully and often praise her various qualities with awe and
veneration. From this, we can see that Tara is really extraordinary.
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Wall Paintings of Tara Came to Life
Therefore, should disasters occur, including natural disasters like

earthquake, flood, fire, and hurricane, they will immediately disap-
pear if we pray to Tara. Such cases are well documented in both India
and Tibet. In the Tibetan region for example, there are a great many
cases of disasters being prevented as a result of people praying to
Tara.
There is a wonderful story about The Derge Printing House. The Derge
Printing House was built more than 270 years ago by a remarkable
King of Derge. After the completion of the Printing House, and for
quite a long time after, there was a rule that no females were to be
allowed inside. At that time, it was said the rule was made for the
preservation of the wooden sutric printing plates that were kept
there. One night, a woman’s scream was heard coming from the
printing house, “Fire! Help! Everyone comes!” She screamed so loud
that everyone came running. Seeing that the Printing House had
indeed caught fire, everyone became very focused on extinguishing
the flames. After the fire was extinguished and the people reflected
on the incident, they found it very odd because the Printing House
is surrounded by very high walls meaning that nobody could enter
the building unless the door was open. “How could there have been
a woman inside who was able to detect the fire?” people wondered.
As they searched around, they came to a corner where there was a
painting of Tara on the wall. As they stood there, the painting of Tara
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came to life and spoke these words, “It is fire that you should guard
against, not women.” From then on, the rule forbidding women was
removed. To this day, males and females are all welcome to enter
the Printing House and that painting of Tara is now known as “The
Speaking Tara”. This Tara is very responsive, as the people there
have often said. The painting is still there. I saw it when I visited
there not too long ago. Last year, I attended a Buddhist conference at
the Printing House and took the opportunity to tour all around the
complex. During that visit, I brought back a painting of Tara, which
though not a replica of the painting of Tara who saved the Printing
House from burning down, is a replica of another special Tara that is
also known to offer great blessing. It is block printed on paper that is
made by hand from local materials and looks like a scanned image.
I can show it to you some other time as I now have it placed in my
shrine.
There is another story about a wall painting of Tara that happened

at Drepung Monastery. Once, when the monks in the monastery
were holding a debate, a group of beautiful Indian girls dressed in
Indian attire came in. As they watched the debate, they kept up a
steady criticism of the monks, saying such things as, “That really is a
terrible argument”, “This one lacks eloquence”, “That one is wrong”,
and so on. They kept this up for the entire time that they stayed
there, chatting and giggling amongst themselves, until eventually, the
monks could not tolerate it anymore and demanded that the ladies
leave, saying, “You are not allowed to stay here, please go!”. As they
69
were driven away, they ran to some corners of the monastery where
they seemed to vanish. Everyone was surprised and realized that
these girls were very probably not ordinary visitors. Later, images of
Tara began to surface on the walls in the corners where the girls had
disappeared. Then, people counted the images and found that there
were exactly twenty-one. When pilgrims come to visit, they can see
these images clearly from a distance. It is said these images were still
there during the Cultural Revolution, but I am unsure whether they
are still there now, since some temples in Lhasa were badly damaged
during the revolution, while others remain in relatively good shape.
Be Open-Minded to A Diversity of Views and Try to

Keep Your Word
Those without sincere belief might find these stories impossible to

accept. Due to wrong views or the influence of an atheistic education,
many will think that these descriptions of events are nothing more
than legends or folk tales, however, those with faith and a true under-
standing of such extraordinary things will know that these stories are
not deceptive at all. Surely, blessings from sublime beings like Tara
are hard to fathom for ordinary people, but we shouldn’t negate them
just because we don’t have any experience of them ourselves. Actu-
ally, even without talking about transcendent spiritual experience,
in our ordinary experience, such as in dreams or in our daily lives,
many unusual things happen that are beyond our comprehension.
70
These occur from time to time in everyone’s experience. Therefore,

regarding unusual phenomena, it is better for us to keep an open
mind and observe them carefully, and with wisdom, before passing
judgment.
The blessing of noble deities is indeed inconceivable. This is why,

throughout the entirety of human history, there are so many fantastic
stories that have been recorded in books. From the stories of many
enlightened masters or advanced practitioners, we see that while they
appear to be as ordinary as everyone else, they possess extraordinary
abilities. This is because they have relied upon the power of such
noble ones as yidams, dakinis and Dharma protectors. By reverently
relying on these noble beings and devotedly making offerings to
them, such people receive the support from these deities and thus
have great power in achieving things. Mipham Rinpoche said in The
Treatise on the Modes of Being,
A person like this, who is protected by divine beings,

Even when on his own
His capabilities are equal in every way
To many thousands of men combined.
Some people may not believe in the truth of such unusual events or
of such appearances and may even feel contempt towards them. Such
disbelief or contempt only incurs harm and destruction to oneself,
but never to others. During the Cultural Revolution, many people
slandered Buddhism and committed a multitude of non-virtuous
71
deeds, which eventually invited misfortune upon themselves. Indeed,

karmic law is infallible and the result can be terrifying. There was a
man in my hometown who had become caught up in several lawsuits.
In the Tibetan region, in such cases, if people who have done wrong
go to a well-known temple and vow to never repeat the mistake
again, they will then be let off from some punishment. That man
from my hometown came to Larung Gar and swore never to repeat
his misdeeds. I and some other masters were there to be present
as witnesses. However, in less than one year, he had committed
another crime. After that, everything went wrong for him and he was
later sentenced to death. I am not sure whether he was ever put on
probation or not as it was said to be impossible. What I am saying is
that if you have sworn an oath in a temple or in front of Buddhas or
Bodhisattvas, yet you fail to keep your word, misfortune and disaster
may befall you even in your present life.
To stick to one’s faith or vow is very important. During our practice,

we should try our best to keep our vows. It shouldn’t be just a
formality and while this may be a little off topic, I would like to
take this opportunity to stress it. Today, I encountered something
that impressed me quite a lot. The year before last, after the Yushu
earthquake, I went to Yushu to provide some help. We found an
orphan there, whose father, mother and sister had all died in the
earthquake. The boy said that he only had his old granny and that no
other relatives remained alive. I later decided to bring him back with
us, but before we took him, we visited his granny who seemed to be
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in her seventies. Thinking that he had no other relatives, I brought

him back with us and placed him in my school at Drakgo and asked
one of my sisters to look after him. While we thought that the boy
had no other living relatives, it turned out that he actually had an
uncle who was his mother’s younger brother. This uncle is a monk,
and at the time that the earthquake took place, he was in retreat. The
day after the earthquake, he heard the news during a break in his
meditation sessions and learned that only his old mother was alive,
while his sister, her husband, and one of their children had all died in
the disaster. He also heard that another child of his sister had been
taken away by a Buddhist monk. Since he had made a commitment
to be in retreat for 3 years and 3 months and had not yet completed it,
he elected to continue with his retreat. About a month ago, this monk
completed his retreat and today he came to me, saying that he was
looking for his orphaned nephew and was hoping to see how the boy
is doing now. I said to him with admiration, “You are an excellent
practitioner. Your vow was unshaken. If I were you, knowing that my
sister had died in the earthquake, leaving my mother alone, I might
have come out of retreat right away. I may not have stayed there a
single day longer.”
In fact, if we can keep to our vows, we will be less fixated on many of

life’s distraction and will instead place more importance on upholding
the precepts or the vows that we have made, and regard them as
the most valuable things in life. However, ordinary people do not
value these things as they should and instead treasure the things that
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they should not. This is the norm these days. During our course of
study and practice of the Dharma, whenever we aim to do something,
whether it is a retreat or a particular practice, we must make a firm
vow and stick to it unwaveringly. Mipham Rinpoche stressed again
and again, in relevant texts, that we should keep our word. This
also applies to doing volunteer work. Some volunteers here were
enthusiastic in the first day or two, yet, not long after, when they had
met a tiny challenge or obstacle, exclaimed, “Oh, no! I cannot do that.
I quit.”, and they left right away. You will achieve nothing by acting
in this way, regardless of whether it is volunteer work, Dharma study,
benefiting sentient beings or anything else. That is why the honored
masters always emphasized that we should be stable, reliable, and
stick to our vows and principles. This is crucial.
Now, as we are learning the qualities of Tara, it is my hope that

everyone can be joyful and generate great devotion to her. In particular,
these days there are many female Buddhists and I think that Tara,
as a female deity will probably take special care of you. So, for
this reason, females in particular should pray to Tara. In this world,
females inevitably encounter more unfavorable conditions and karmic
obstacles than men. This is also mentioned by the Buddha in sutras;
it’s not a prejudice against women. Thus, if female practitioners pray
devotedly to Tara, many unfavorable conditions can be removed
completely. Of course, male practitioners should also pray to Tara and
will certainly receive swift and immense blessing, as well. Hopefully,
all of you will cherish this opportunity to diligently learn and practice
Tara.
Tara, the Mother for
All
Lecture Three
I hope that in the future, every Dharma
friend will carry forward the practice of
Tara because without its propagation, its
benefit and powerful blessing will never
become widely known.
– Khenpo Sodargye
Liberation Depends on You, So Exert
Yourself
Let’s continue with our study of Praises to the Twenty-One Taras. In

Tibetan Buddhism, not only does every school and every tradition
like to chant this prayer, but this is also true of countless everyday
people going about their daily lives. This is because there are so many
cases of it being effective in dispelling the eight great fears, which are
the fear of drowning or water, the fear of thieves, lions, snakes, fire,
spirits or flesh-eating demons, captivity or imprisonment and the fear
of elephants. It is equally effective in dispelling the sixteen lesser fears,
which are the fears of enemies, lions, elephants, fire, snakes, bandits
or robbers, prison or captivity, ocean waves, demons and cannibals,
leprosy, the fear of the harm inflicted by gandharvas (who are the
77
messengers of Indra), as well as the fears of poverty, separation from

friends or loved ones, punishment by the king, meteor showers, and
the fear of misfortune or failure. All of these fears can be dispelled by
relying on Tara’s responsive blessing. Hence, I think that from now
on, we should, without question, propagate the practices of Tara in
mainland China as well as in all other places.
The blessings of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are inconceivable, in

the same way that an effective medicine has an amazing power to
bring healing and that magic possesses the unbelievable power to
display miracles. In this world, there are many inconceivable powers.
Most of you are Buddhists, so, it goes without saying that you must
have faith in the qualities of wisdom, compassion and power that are
expressed by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Furthermore, since you
have faith, you should pray to them often, because whether or not
one receives their blessing is very much related to one’s devotion and
effort in practice. If one has little or no yearning for their blessing and
as a consequence never prays to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, or
never recites their scriptures, then despite the fact that these sublime
beings possess extraordinary powers, virtues and blessings, one will
not receive the benefit of their extraordinary abilities.
Whether one becomes a good practitioner or not depends on one’s

self. As the Buddha said: “I have shown you the methods that
lead to liberation, but as liberation depends on you, (you must)
exert yourselves.” Surely, to attain liberation, we need to rely on the
instructions of spiritual teachers. In the early stages, the guidance
78
from spiritual teachers is absolutely necessary. It is like learning how

to drive a car. First, you need to receive instruction from experienced
drivers. After that, whether or not you become a good driver depends
on your own effort and practice. In much the same way, when we are
first beginning our spiritual journey, without the guidance of spiritual
teachers, we have no way of knowing the correct way to practice. Take
the practice of Tara for example. Even though many people may have
seen images of Tara, it is likely that they may not have had the chance
to learn what the practice of Tara really is like. By learning this Praise
together, many of you will get to know its profound meaning, as well
as receive some guidance on how to practice Tara. After that, whether
you receive the blessing of Tara or not will rely entirely on your own
efforts.
I hope that in the future, every Dharma friend will carry forward
the practice of Tara because without its propagation, its benefit and
powerful blessing will never become widely known. It is the same
for any of the beneficial medicines in the world. Without advertising
and promotion, not many people would become aware of their
effectiveness and their magical abilities to heal, but before you share
the practice with others, you must practice it yourself. Otherwise,
without ever having experienced Tara’s blessing, it is certain to be
difficult to teach the practice to others. Yesterday, I heard the women’s
group reciting Praises to the Twenty-One Taras in Chinese and I must
say that they chanted it very well. Today is the male group’s turn.
Not sure how they will perform. Before class yesterday, I saw a
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group of male students preparing for today’s chanting, but before

today’s class, when I took a short look, I saw no one was making any
preparation. Maybe when they show up later today they will do a
better job. Regardless of the outcome, just as I did last night with
the female group, I will, as always, sprinkle the rice and recite the
Essence of Dependent Origination Dharani to bestow blessings upon you,
and I will hope that through this, and by the power of dependent
arising, the Praises to the Twenty-One Taras will spread more widely
throughout mainland China. Meanwhile, every one of you should
also contemplate how you will, in the future, spread this Praise, as
well as the other blessed words of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas,
since the propagation of the Buddhadharma will only succeed with
the collective efforts of many, instead of relying on the strength of any
one teacher or practitioner.
Over the long history of Tibet, Tara has become deeply rooted in
people’s minds, to the point that these days almost everyone prays to
her and recites her mantra. I often wonder why, in this modern age,
the Buddhadharma is still so well-preserved in the Tibetan region.
The Buddhadharma, as a mental remedy, is indeed what mankind is
most in need of. In this age of globalization, such material things as
food and necessities are no longer in short supply for most people.
What is it then, that people these days are most lacking? The answer
is spiritual sustenance. As you can see, many people with a high
level of education are interested in the Tibetan culture and yearn to
one day visit the Tibetan region. They must have a very good reason
80
for their desire, but what, we may well ask, is it? Some people say
they are attracted by the blue sky, the white clouds and the vast
green grassland of the Tibetan region. But this natural scenery is
not unique to Tibet and similar scenery can be seen in several other
places. In point of fact, the outside world’s primary attraction to
Tibet is rooted in the spirit of Buddhism, and most particularly, in
the essence of the altruistic Bodhichitta that has remained intact
there through generation after generation. As long as the spirit of
Buddhism remains well preserved within the Tibetan plateau, the
people there will continue to be simple and pure, with very little
greed, hatred or ignorance in their minds and they will continue to
enjoy the atmosphere of inclusivity, freedom, and equality that they
have become accustomed to. But if the essence of the Buddhadharma
disappears from the Tibetan region, Tibetans will become as restless
as people in the big cities. Regardless of whether people are Tibetan,
Han or from elsewhere, as ordinary beings, they can all be easily
caught up in the waves of greed, aversion and ignorance that will
cause them to continually experience suffering. So, if they were to
lose the nurture of the Buddhadharma, Tibetans and others, will also
suffer the pain of spiritual and physical deprivation.
Back when Buddhism was still prosperous in India, the quintessential

nature of Buddhism was well-preserved at Nalanda monastery and
other sacred sites. Because of this, scholars from all over the world,
such as the renowned Chinese Master Xuanzang and Master Faxian of
the Tang Dynasty, were attracted to travel to these places to study and
81
bring back to their home countries many important scriptures. After

having returned home, they were able to bring benefit to many people.
In modern times, this continues to be the case with many monastics
and lay practitioners who seek to gain insight and understanding into
Buddhist practice and scholarship. They study and practice Mahayana
Buddhism, so that they can later influence and bring benefit to the
people around them. For those of you who have come to study, do
not isolate yourself from society, or attempt to be like the pine tree
that stands alone on the hilltop. Since every one of you have families,
relatives, friends and work colleagues, once you have gained the
wisdom of altruism, it is certain that you will bring illumination and
light to others with whom you come into contact. Wherever you are,
you will radiate the light of great compassion and because of this you
will benefit those around you. In this way, it will not be too difficult to
make a positive impact on the world. So, I hope everyone can study
the Dharma devotedly and make the sincere aspiration to benefit
others.
Now, to return to this Praise. Although it seems fairly simple and

contains only twenty-one stanzas, be aware that its meaning is actually
quite profound. In fact, in many termas and sadhanas, there are
volumes of Tara practices to be found. Therefore, do not think that
Tara practices are simple. Regarding the Praises to the Twenty-One
Taras, I’m only explaining the outer meaning by giving you a very
literal explanation. In fact, every stanza can be expounded upon from
the view of the generation stage, the completion stage and the Great
82
Perfection. If we explain the Praise according to the teachings of

the Great Perfection, each stanza can be interpreted individually by
taking the view of the Mind, Space and Pith Instruction, the three
categories within the Great Perfection. If I were to give an extensive
explanation of each stanza according to the teaching of every vehicle,
there would be far too much to cover. Take the practice of Praises to the
Twenty-One Taras, for example. If we were to practice it according to the
four activities of pacifying, increasing, magnetizing and subjugating,
there would be many accompanying rituals and practices. In these
rituals, the chanting of each Tara’s mantra is integrated with the four
activities. To accomplish these would involve lots of complicated steps
of visualization. Since this is the first time I am giving a teaching
on Praises to the Twenty-One Taras to you, I am only giving a simple
explanation along with many stories intended to illustrate the basic
themes. I know that most of you like stories and probably 70 percent
are story-inclined. Why do I say that? I don’t mean that as any kind
of negative criticism, but each time I tell a story, you seem to become
so drawn into it, yet when I refer to more sophisticated or abstract
aspects, you seem to immediately become sleepy or lethargic. So, I
think that since most of you are interested in stories, I will introduce
this Praise by utilizing this simple approach. If possible, in the future,
I’ll translate more practices on Tara with explanations on a more
profound level, that will include resorting to the pith teachings of
the Vajrayana. During this lecture series, although we will only be
learning the literal meaning of the Praises to the Twenty-One Taras, we
can still gain lots of inspiration.
84
Drolma Shyenkyi Mitupma, The Tara

Who Is Invincible in Crushing
Adversaries
Today, let’s continue from where we left off the other day, which was
at D1) Praise for the Peaceful Body Aspects, of which there are six
parts. As we’ve finished five of them in the two previous lectures, let
us now turn to E6) Praise for Crushing the Opponents’ Yantras.
E6. Praise for Crushing the Opponents’ Yantras
Homage to you, who with trat. and phat.

Crush the enemies’ yantras to dust.
With right leg bent in and left leg extended,
Shining you tread amidst flames wildly blazing.
This is Tara Aparadhr.s.yā, or Drolma Shyenkyi Mitupma in Tibetan,

the Tara who is invincible in crushing adversaries. Here, Tara is
praised for her invincible power in destroying all opponents. Whether
they are foes, demons, unfavorable conditions, or obstacles, through
Tara’s compassion and power, all can be subdued. This Tara’s body is
85
blue-black and she holds the same gesture in her right hand as that
of the previous Taras that we discussed, that is, her right hand is held
in the mudra of bestowing the sublime, while her left hand holds a
utpala flower, on top of which is a sword that can cut off the root
of ignorance and wrong views. Although she is generally depicted
in a peaceful form, in order to destroy her foes as well as all such
hostile conditions as hailstorms, wars, epidemics, etc., she manifests
in a somewhat wrathful form, in that she sits amidst wildly blazing
flames that symbolize the power to incinerate all negativity. With her
right leg bent inward and her left leg extended outward, she treads
on all enemies.
In general, it can be said that to tame different sentient beings, Tara’s

methods vary. When working with mildly ignorant beings, Tara tames
in a compassionate manner. As to vicious and stubborn beings who
are difficult to tame, she manifests a fierce and wrathful form like Tara
Aparadhr.s.yā. Regarding her speech, Tara Aparadhr.s.yā utters TRAT
and PHAT to destroy all the yantras or wheels of delusion that her
enemies display. That is, this Tara crushes all instruments her enemies
summon in their effort to confuse sentient beings. TRAT is actually a
mantra used to purify and uproot samsara, while PHAT is a mantra
useful in obtaining peaceful nirvana. In other words, TRAT signifies
the nature of unconditional compassion, and PHAT exemplifies the
nature of non-grasping wisdom. So “with trat. and phat.”, signifies the
perfect union of wisdom and compassion, that gives rise to a powerful
strength, by which there is nothing that cannot be conquered. That is
86
to say, this Tara is able to overcome all unfavorable conditions and

obstacles. In some practices of Tara, we visualize Tara emitting the
two seed syllables which have the power to dispel all of her enemies’
evil deeds.
When we encounter unfavorable conditions or horrifying obstacles,

visualizing Tara is an effective way to meet them. If you can visualize
all forms of Tara, that would be best, but if not, you can just visualize
just one of them, such as Green Tara or Tara Aparadhr.s.yā. Then, all
external obstacles, including the adversities one faces in daily life, can
all be dispelled. Long ago, in India, there were five hundred monastics
who engaged in spiritual practice in a forest. At one time, they were
beset by evil spirits that had surrounded them. As these spirits
began to make trouble, many of the monastics began behaving crazily
and speaking nonsense. At that moment, an old bhikshu recalled
something that he had been taught by his guru. This was that if he
was ever confronted with hostile conditions or suffering, he should
immediately begin to engage in Tara practice. So he immediately
began to practice according to his guru’s pith. He prayed fervently to
Tara, who then appeared to him as if in a dream state and gave him
the instruction to hang images of Tara everywhere throughout the
whole forest. When the demons saw that the entire forest was filled
with these images of Tara, they were no longer able to impose any
danger to the practicing monks. †
†
It may be noticed that the account of the story here is slightly different from the
story recorded in some other resources like Taranatha’s Golden Rosary. This is
because there are different resources of the story in Tibetan.
87
In the Tibetan region, there are many stories of Tara’s direct respon-
siveness. I don’t know if you have visited the Jokhang Temple in
Lhasa, but there used to be an exquisite wall painting of Tara there,
where many great masters had placed gold leaf upon her image
and made grand offerings to her. It has been recorded that as they
chanted and prayed to her, many auspicious signs appeared. In some
historical accounts, it is recorded that once when Chögyal Phagpa
came to worship at the Jokhang Temple, he offered this Tara painting
a khata. As he was placing the khata on the floor beneath her image,
he distinctly heard Tara speak, instructing him, “You’d better put the
khata up here, rather than on the ground.”
Some of you may hold doubts regarding the authenticity of these

stories, but they are all taken from reliable historical records. If we
don’t acknowledge such historical records, then it is no different than
if we were to deny the validity of the historical records of Chinese
or any other country’s history. Whether it’s this lesson that is taking
place now, or something that we have done, acted upon or talked
about previously, it will all become a part of shared history, sooner
or later. At that point, it would be unreasonable if someone were to
negate that these events took place. Also, some of you might think
that these stories are outdated and question whether such miracles
could still happen in modern times. Some might even be wondering
whether Tara practice itself is outdated or whether she is still as
responsive these days as she was in the past. That should never be
a question that you ask yourself. In mainland China, there aren’t
88
many stories about Tara, but in places like Taiwan, since practices of
Tara were propagated much earlier, due the efforts of many Tibetan
masters, there are lots of people who like to engage in Tara practice
and modern stories about the wonders and benefits of Tara practice
can often be heard. There are cases of young people going through
difficult times of breakups after reciting prayers to Tara. There are
also cases of businessmen finding a better path by relying on Tara’s
blessing after their factories had been forced to close down. There are
many stories like these and there are so many successful outcomes
that it is clear that these aren’t just empty stories or myths.
Therefore, we can conclude that when we encounter certain unfa-

vorable conditions and troubles during our practice or when there
are bumpy situations in our career or personal life, praying to Tara
is certainly the most responsive and swiftest way of receiving her
blessing. This is probably not known to some of you because before
receiving this teaching, you had very little knowledge of Tara and her
qualities. As you have now learned about her power, however, you
should engender a strong conviction in her and with that conviction,
you can beseech her. I hope that in the future, all of the Dharma friends
can try to practice Tara as they encounter the different situations one
faces in one’s life.
89
Buddhism: Other-Oriented or Self-Oriented?
Yesterday, as we were chanting the Praises to the Twenty-One Taras, my

mind was filled with heartfelt conviction and my tears of faith became
unstoppable. On one hand, I was crying because I felt a bit sad that
even though I have had a strong sense of devotion to Tara and have
been praying to her since I was little, other than seeing thangkas and
statues, I haven’t seen her face-to-face yet. But mostly I felt sorry that
in this samsara, so many beings are undergoing tremendous suffering
and I really wish that Tara would bestow her blessing and eradicate
all of their suffering. Actually, all of you here are very fortunate. You
are physically healthy and enjoy sufficient food, clothing, and life’s
basic necessities. Of course, not everyone is content in mind. Every
one of you has your own afflictions and problems. Whatever these
problems might be, by and large, the condition of everyone here is
fairly good. Among all of the different groups in this society, there are
many individuals who are in anguish. This is especially true if you
happen to visit any hospital, as whichever department you enter, you
will see countless people suffering. For instance, if you go to an optical
clinic, you will feel as if everyone is having eye problems. If you go to
an orthopedics practice, it seems that everyone has bone problems.
Each department of a hospital is filled with suffering patients. So,
when we pray, we should pray on behalf of all sentient beings.
Regarding the teaching of Buddhism, some may ask, “Is Buddhism

primarily concerned with the interest of others or with one’s own
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interests?” It should be understood, that Buddhism is both other-

oriented and self-oriented. But as to how this is expressed in individual
Buddhists, there are some differences. Superior practitioners are
entirely altruistic and pay no attention to themselves; mid-level
practitioners aim to benefit both others and themselves, while inferior
practitioners only care about their own personal liberation from
samsara. In other words, the ultimate spirit of Buddhism is altruism,
but as far as the extent to which any one practitioner applies it,
this depends on the depth of their own spiritual practice. So, when
we pray to Tara, we should try to remind ourselves that all around
us, in places that we can neither see nor hear, countless beings are
suffering and are in unbearable pain; they are filled with sadness
and constantly in tears. We should pray for them so that they can be
liberated by the swift and powerful blessings of Tara and thus, attain
liberation. The attainment of liberation does not come out of nowhere.
For some beings, through the prayers of others given on their behalf,
their suffering can be alleviated and liberation can be achieved. For
others, when good causes and conditions come together, they will,
by the power of their own prayers, attain liberation. So, there are
many different individual situations and circumstances. No matter
what, we should try to pray for the welfare of all beings. This is very
important.
We will now speak about the appearance of Tara amidst raging

flames. When we pray, we should visualize the appearance of Tara
surrounded by blazing fire. As regards visualization in our practice,
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this requires instruction and guidance. There’s a story of a practitioner

in retreat that visualized the wrathful deity without knowing exactly
how or why. As he had seen blazing fire surrounding those wrathful
deities, he took it as a sign that it might be good to meditate that way
himself. As he practiced, his retreat room caught on fire because of
some other unrelated reason. At first, he thought the fire was just a
meditative experience that came from his successful visualization, so
he remained in his meditative posture and endured the rising heat. As
he became hotter and hotter, he wondered, “Can it be that I am truly
surrounded by fire?” When he came out from his abiding state and
looked out, he found out that the monastery had actually caught on
fire and so, petrified, he jumped to his feet and ran away. According to
some tantric teachings of higher level, one needs to visualize oneself
as the deity. At this time in our study of Praises to the Twenty-One Taras,
we can just use a simple method of visualization which is similar to
the visualization method of Kriya or Charya Tantra, the more basic
level tantric traditions. Using this approach, we will visualize Tara,
the extremely compassionate female Buddha, sitting before us and
pray to her for blessings so that all of our obstacles can be removed.
By practicing in this manner, we don’t have to visualize ourselves as
Tara, as we have not touched on that level yet.
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Drolma Shyen Migyalwa, the Tara

who Can Protect You from Fear and
Worry
Next, D2) Praise for the Wrathful Body Aspects. This is divided into
seven parts, the first of which is E1) Praise for Destroying Foes and
Demons.
D2. Praise for the Wrathful Body Aspects

E1. Praise for Destroying Foes and Demons
Homage to Ture, the fearsome lady,

With a lotus-face and a deep-furrowed brow,
You are the slayer of each and every foe.
[Homage to Ture, the fearsome lady,

With a deep-furrowed brow on your lotus-face,
You are the slayer of each and every foe.]
This is Tara Aparajitā, or Drolma Shyen Migyalwa in Tibetan, the

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Tara who saves beings from great horrors. She is red in color with
a flaming vajra, which can destroy all ferocious demons, as her
implement. When she is peaceful, her face is as beautiful as a lotus
flower, but faced with certain beings that are hard to tame, she frowns,
with her eyebrows and forehead wrinkled, displaying a wrathful
expression. By her power and blessing, all foes are slain and all
kinds of fear are dispelled. In our life, we all face various kinds of
fear: fear that comes from the inner mind and fear that comes from
external things like demons, enemies, failing to sustain a livelihood
and more. For example, a businessman might be afraid of losing
money in business, “Am I doing a good job? Am I losing profit?”,
while employees are concerned about the development of their career.
Regardless of the specific case, by the great power of Tara, foes and
demons can be slain and all worries can be cleared away.
“Slay”, doesn’t mean to harm beings or to kill them. Rather, it means

to liberate them. In a Buddhist context, such expressions as “destroy”,
“subjugate”, “expel”, etc. are skillful means utilized to benefit and
liberate beings. Fierce means, such as subjugation or destruction, as
they have been adopted by Buddhism, are different from the way
these terms are used when speaking of the behavior of ordinary
people. Ordinary people use these types of behaviors for their own
interests, i.e., they kill enemies and drive away those they consider as
threats to their interests. Such values can be reflected in the policy-
making of many nations. As a matter of fact, the intention or actions
to harm beings has never existed in Buddhism. It may seem as if
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Tara exerts her power to cast out and slay all maras and other such
opponents, but actually, by the power of Tara’s extraordinary ability,
she uses these seemingly ferocious methods to release and liberate
these beings. We must be aware of this point. On the surface, there are
methods of subjugation or expulsion in Esoteric Buddhism, which
can also be found in Exoteric Buddhism. Actually, these methods are
skillful means adopted under the guidance of compassion, which are
workable for eradicating non-virtuous acts.
Thus, through the support of Tara, hostile forces and obstacle-makers

can be removed. I don’t know if you’ve heard of the famous Tibetan
story of the one-legged Tara, but this is a well-known story in the
Tibetan region that almost everyone can tell some version of. Long
ago, in a small town in the Tibetan region, there lived a woman who
was a pious follower of Tara. Near the town was a bridge that was
known to be occupied by many non-human beings, demons, and evil
spirits, who, on a regular basis, caused harm to those who came near.
You may know weird places like this yourself, as it is well-known that
there are places that are troubled by demonic forces who like to create
problems for those who venture close, while other places remain
peaceful and free of such afflictions. Now, with this particular bridge,
whoever crossed over it would almost certainly, encounter some kind
of trouble. One day, the spirits of the bridge came to the home of
this woman and her husband and played some tricks that caused
the couple to quarrel with one another. In a fit of pique, the woman
decided to leave the house for the night. As she left, she realized that
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she would have to cross the bridge and so, as she approached it, she
began to feel worried about encountering one of the evil spirits that
were often hanging around in that area. In spite of being terrified
at this prospect, she was so infuriated with her husband that she
refused to return home, leaving her with no choice but to cross the
bridge. As she set out, she began to chant prayers to Tara, but as she
was still so filled with anger and in such a hurry to get away that
she could only remember half of the prayer. Still, as she walked, she
continued to recite the half of the prayer that she remembered, and
was able to cross the bridge without any trouble befalling her. Soon
after this, the spirits who had visited the couple’s home returned and
asked those who kept watch of the bridge, “A woman just crossed the
bridge, why didn’t you push her off?” The spirits replied, “We saw
nobody passing by but a one-legged Tara.”
The story seems simple, but, in fact, it is indeed inspiring. Even though
the woman recited just half of the prayer, because of her conviction
in Tara, she appeared to these non-human beings as a Tara lacking
one leg. Since that time, Tibetans in that area and elsewhere have
known to pray to Tara whenever dangers occur. Ever since I was a
little boy, whenever I run into trouble, if time does not allow for a
more extensive prayer, I will recite at least the Tara mantra or the
succinct prayer of two lines, which can be found at the end of the
Praises to the Twenty-One Taras. I will include it here:
jetsün pakma drolma khyé khyen no

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I pray to you, noble savioress Tārā,

jik dang dukngal kün lé kyab tu sol
May you protect us from all danger, fear and suffering.
It would be good if you would also develop this habit when faced
with obstacles. When you have time, you should chant the whole
Praises to the Twenty-One Taras, but if you really have difficulty doing
so, recite this short prayer or her mantra and all demonic obstacles
and hostile conditions can be dispelled. This is very crucial.
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Green Tara, the Mother for All
E2. Praise for Safeguarding Others
Homage to you, whose fingers grace

Your heart and display the Three Jewels mudrā.
You’re graced by wheels adorning every direction,
With dazzling radiance that overwhelms all.
This is Tara Khadira-van.ı̄, or Drolma Sengdeng Nakkyi in Tibetan,

who is in fact the Green Tara. Her right hand is held in the gesture of
bestowing the sublime, while her left hand is at her heart in the mudra
of the Three Jewels, a gesture in which the ring finger and the thumb
are joined with the rest of the other three fingers pointing up. Held in
her joined ring finger and thumb, is the stalk of the lotus flower, on
top of which there’s a Dharma wheel. In other images of Green Tara,
sometimes her left hand holds only a lotus without a Dharma wheel
on top of it, while at other times, she holds a Dharma wheel directly
without the lotus. Basically, the gesture of the right and the left hand
of each Tara is pretty much the same and it is the implements in
their left hand that differs. “You’re graced by wheels adorning every
direction” means that Green Tara adorns or safeguards all worlds of
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every direction. “Every direction” represents a scope of area which

includes every place, including the furthest corners of the universe. As
there is no place that she does not safeguard, we should pray to Green
Tara often. “With dazzling radiance that overwhelms all” means that
the radiance from her body embraces all sentient beings. That is, all
sentient beings are protected by the light of Tara. When confronted
with suffering and unfavorable conditions, we can visualize that Tara
shines the light of her blessing upon us to safeguard and protect us.
Such visualization brings immense benefit.
Throughout the history of China, there have always been some who
practiced Green Tara, although such cases were never as widespread as
in the Tibetan region. During the time of the Qing Dynasty, Imperial
Preceptor Changkya taught the practices of Tara to the imperial
families. The mother of Emperor Qianlong was a devoted practitioner
of Green Tara and created a thangka of Green Tara that is now
preserved as a precious cultural relic in the Lama Temple (Yonghe
Temple). It is a barbola thangka made of thousands of pieces of
embroidered brocade, the craftsmanship of which is exquisitely
delicate. In addition to this Tara thangka, the Yonghe Temple has
many other precious collections of Tara as well. In Tibet, there are also
many precious cultural relics of Tara. In early Tibet, Princess Bhrikuti
of Nepal brought what is said to be the first statue of Tara into the
Tibetan region. Later, Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty also
brought a Tara statue with her on the occasion of her marriage to
the Tibetan king. This Tara is now housed in the Tara shrine called
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Drolma Lhakhang in Luoxu Town, Serxu County. I mentioned this

beautiful Tara statue in the first lecture of this series. The location
of this Tara shrine is not too far from the place where Ju Mipham
Rinpoche passed away, which is a very auspicious site that I have
visited and which is associated with many prominent masters. It is
said that when Princess Wencheng passed through this place on her
way to Lhasa, the Tara statue she brought with her suddenly began
to speak, “I want to stay here to benefit beings, instead of going to
Lhasa.” So, the statue was left there, and now has a history of bringing
benefit to the people of that area for the past 1300 years.
Although there is a long history of Tara statues in the Tibetan region,

it is from the time of Lord Atisha that practices of Tara became truly
prevalent. Speaking of Lord Atisha, there is a famous Tara temple
related to him, whose history can be traced back to the year 1046. In
that year, under the request of Dromtonpa and other disciples, Atisha
came to Nyetang, a place near Lhasa, and taught the Dharma there for
nine years, until around 1054 when he entered into nirvana, leaving
his relics in the place of Nyetang, along with his other personal
belongings that contain holy blessing. Later, in commemoration of
Lord Atisha, his disciples built a Tara temple to house the Tara statue
that Atisha had often brought with him when he was alive, as well as
some of his relics. The Tara Temple, which is located only 21 miles
away from Lhasa City, is now known as Nyetang Drolma Lhakhang
and is well-known for its great blessing, especially to people in the
area around Lhasa City. In 1990, when I accompanied H. H. Jigme
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Phuntsok to India, we went by way of Lhasa and on our way, we

passed by the village of Nyetang and visited this temple. During our
visit, H. H. Jigme Phuntsok consecrated the temple in person and we
prayed together there. If you visit Lhasa in the future, I hope that you
will also go to Nyetang and visit this temple. As far as I can remember,
the temple is rather small but carries important historical significance
and contains great blessing.
When praying to Tara, you should do so with sincere devotion. By

praying with devotion, people who are critically ill can be cured.
There is a story about this, that took place in more recent times. A
certain businessman owned a seafood restaurant, whose business
was booming with profits pouring in from all sides. While he was in
his palmy days, he was unexpectedly diagnosed with gastric cancer,
which was in its final stages. He was extremely desperate and felt that
there was no hope for his recovery. One night, a green-bodied lady
came to him in a dream and reprimanded him by saying, “I am your
mother. You should close your restaurant right away, and I will save
you.” She probably also exhorted him to engage in Dharma practice.
Surprised and thrilled, he woke from his dream wondering who this
remarkable green lady was and why she would say that she was his
mother. A few days later, he happened to enter a Buddhist shop and
there he saw a thangka of a woman who looked exactly the same as the
green woman in his dream. Overjoyed, he inquired of the shopkeeper
who she was and was told that this was Green Tara, an embodiment
of Avalokiteshvara. Upon hearing this the man immediately bought
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the thangka, brought it back and hung it in a prominent place in

his home. Following the instruction that the mother Tara had given
to him in his dream, he sold his business and closed the restaurant.
Not long after this, he met a Buddhist master who, after hearing his
unusual experience, imparted to him the practice of Tara. Soon after,
the man set up a Dharma center dedicated to Green Tara and not
long after, he miraculously and completely recovered from cancer
without the need for further treatment. It is said that he later helped
many cancer patients who were critically ill and encouraged them to
engage in Green Tara practice. Many of these people have recovered
and all feel that they owe their recovery to the great blessing of Green
Tara.
Praying to Tara does not only cure illness but can also prolong life.
There was once a Kadampa geshe who had a dream of the setting
sun. Feeling that it might be a bad omen, he went to tell his guru
about the dream. The guru said, “This is a very bad dream as it is
a sign of your impending death. But there is no need to worry as I
have a profound pith instruction that can dispel all obstacles.” Then
the guru imparted to him the practice of Tara. Following the guru’s
instruction meticulously, the man began to engage in Tara practice
as he had been taught. After eleven months of this practice, Tara
appeared to him and his life span was extended for ten additional
years. When he reached sixty, he hoped to further extend his life span
so as to make more of a contribution to the Dharma and the benefit
of sentient beings, so once again he prayed to Tara. Tara appeared
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again and instructed him, “If you make a thangka or statue in my

image, your life will be prolonged.” He drew a thangka of Tara and
his life was extended to seventy or ten more years. When he reached
seventy, he still felt that his Dharma work was not complete, so he
again prayed to Tara who again appeared to him and said, “Make
another thangka or statue of me and your life will be prolonged for
ten more years.” He did as he was told and once again, his life was
extended. At eighty, he again prayed to Tara, who told him, “Make
one more thangka or statue and your life will be prolonged for fifteen
more years.” By following Tara’s instructions, the old geshe was able
to continue his Dharma work until he was ninety-five years old.
Many people seek longevity, wealth, a happy family, and the like.
Indeed, for ordinary people, these are big things. If we talk to them
about ultimate liberation, they think that the afterlife is too far away
and that to strive for a happier family and better living in this life is
more important. If this is also what you wish for, and because the
blessing of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is indeed incredible, if you
pray to Tara, by her brilliant power, obstacles will be cleared away
and your wishes can be fulfilled. Of course, this pertains primarily
to those with great faith. For those with little or no faith, it may be
difficult for them to experience such blessing.
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Drolma Jikten Sumgyal, the Tara

who Can Grant You Charisma
E3. Praise for Magnetizing All Hosts of Maras and Worldly
Beings
Homage to you, supremely joyous,

Your splendorous crown spreading garlands of light.
Smiling and laughing, with tuttāre
You bring demons and worlds under control.
This is Tara Trailokavĳayā, or Drolma Jikten Sumgyal in Tibetan,

the Tara who is endowed with uncontaminated supreme joy and
great bliss, and liberates infinite sentient beings by her mighty power
and merit. The characteristic of this Tara is that the radiant light of
her crown ornament is uncommonly splendorous and she emits the
sound of laughter, which according to some materials sounds like
“ha-ha, he-he, hey-hey, ho-ho”. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas do not
laugh for no reason; they laugh only if their laughter brings benefit
to sentient beings. In fact, the sounds of Tara’s laughter make up
the words of the mantra of Tara that we often recite. “OM TARE
TUTTARE TURE SVAHA”, which is a sound that can magnetize and
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command the hosts of maras, worldly devas (like Indra and Brahma),
as well as such worldly beings as human kings and ministers.
If we want to protect ourselves from all unfavorable conditions and the

harm caused by demons or foes, as well as to benefit and liberate all
beings, both human and non-human, we must first conquer the minds
of those beings. Otherwise, it will be rather difficult. Without virtuous
prestige and influence, to conquer their minds will be overwhelmingly
challenging. For example, when in a family situation, if you lack the
charisma to maintain your mate’s attraction to you, the more you
cling to him or her, the further they will stay away from you. Even
if you have done all that you can to keep him or her around, they
may still leave you. But if we have a charming influence and virtuous
behavior, then naturally, sentient beings will come and gather around
us, in the same way that bees are spontaneously attracted to flowers.
Once they feel attracted to your presence, to bring benefit to them
with the Dharma will not be a problem. Therefore, if we want to
benefit beings, we need to pray for the blessings of Tara.
Speaking of the blessings of Tara, even her clothing and ornaments

are endowed with blessing. As we mentioned before, Tara is dignified
with the thirteen ornaments of perfect sambhogakaya, including the
eight jewel ornaments and the five silk adornments. These ornaments
are also signs of blessing. If we have faith, with the proper causes
and conditions coming together, we can also be blessed by Tara’s
ornaments. There is a story of Longchenpa in his biography that
illustrates this: while Longchenpa was studying in Sangphu, some
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Khampa people made his life difficult and actually threw him out of
his rooms seven times. Finally, he decided that it was time to leave
Sangphu for good. Leaving behind a poem he had composed about
his weariness with the samsaric life, he departed. Begging along
the road to sustain himself, Longchenpa came to a valley, where he
met a geshe (a title awarded to scholars in the Gelugpa school) from
Gyama. Longchenpa asked him whether he knew of a cave in Gyama
associated with Druptop Chokla in Gyama and the geshe replied,
“That is indeed an excellent cliffside cave. Why do you ask this?”
Longchenpa said, “If I can gather a full bag of tsampa barley while
begging, I will stay there for the winter.” The geshe replied, “I am
also planning to stay there for the winter. Let’s go together.” From
that point on, many favorable conditions emerged and so they had no
problems getting provisions. So, they continued on to the cave with
the determination to remain in retreat there for the following eight
months.
During the retreat, Longchenpa taught the Ornament of Clear Re-

alization to the geshe every morning at dawn. When not teaching,
Longchenpa remained in meditative absorption in complete darkness.
After five months of practice in total darkness, one morning at dawn
he had a profound and visionary experience, in that Tara appeared
before him as a sixteen-year-old girl of unparalleled loveliness, riding
on a horse and richly dressed in brocade clothes, a jeweled tiara, and
a golden veil, replete with gold and turquoise ornaments. He then
supplicated to her, saying, “Noble lady, please take me under your
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compassionate care!” She removed her jeweled crown and placed

it on his head, saying, “From now on I shall always bless you and
grant you siddhis.” She also conveyed to him the prophecy that he
would meet his destined guru, the great Rigdzin Kumaradza. After
receiving this blessing from Tara, for a month he remained absorbed
in a state of bliss, clarity, and nonconceptual awareness, and from
that time on, Tara would appear to provide assistance at almost every
critical time of his Dharma activities.
So, these stories illustrate why I think Dharma friends attending this
teaching should generate faith toward Tara. Last year I printed some
images of Tara and distributed them to you, however, you might not
feel anything towards them as I hadn’t yet introduced any of Tara’s
qualities. Last year, I also made some cards of Tara which should be
accessible to you. We did distribute them, didn’t we? Did you get
them? It may be that you do not care much about them either, and have
just left them aside. I think it’s necessary that large numbers of people
should perform Tara practices regularly. In the past, when epidemics
or other kinds of unfavorable conditions occurred in Larung Gar, H.
H. Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche often asked the sangha members to
engage in Tara practice together. We used to pray to her when we
were facing major problems. Therefore, I want to stress to you that to
practice Tara brings significant benefits in our daily life.
There is a present-day story of how one particular woman received

Tara’s blessing. Having been married for years, the lady was no longer
young and pretty as she used to, but her husband still cared for her
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very much. When he looked at her, his eyes were as full of love as
if they were still newly married. Many people admired her for this
and asked her what her secret was. She said, “Actually in the past,
my relationship with my husband was not harmonious. In his eyes,
I was almost an eyesore. Then, a master told me that if I were to
recite the Tara mantra 400,000 times, things would change for the
better. So, I started to recite the mantra and by the time I had reached
200,000 recitations, our relationship had already begun to change
for the better. From that time until now, our relationship has become
more and more harmonious. Therefore, I aspired to chant more and
decided to complete a million recitations of the Tara mantra.”
It is surely the case that many people have experienced blessings

after practicing Tara, As a matter of fact, whether or not one receives
the blessing of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas depends upon one’s faith.
In this lecture series, we are just learning the outer or the literal
meaning of this Praise, which is focused primarily on visualizing
the appearance of Tara. Perhaps some of you who practice Chan or
Dzogchen are thinking, “Oh, don’t tell us these things. We shouldn’t
be attached to anything.” Although that statement is true, there are
times when we still need to be attached to what is good and virtuous.
As I mentioned in the last lecture, if the Dharma protectors, dakinis
and yidams frequently grant us their support, then regardless of
whether our activities involve our personal practice, our career or
propagating the Dharma, all aspects of our life and practice will go
smoothly and we will become extremely capable and powerful in
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whatever we do. This is clear.
Cherish the Opportunity of Dharma

Study and Carry on the Holy
Teaching
In this Age of Degeneration, Buddhism in different places doesn’t

seem to be that prosperous. To be honest, many temples in mainland
China, I’m not saying all of them, but some, have turned into business
operations and tourist attractions. If one visits these temples, one can
hardly find the authentic essence of Buddhism, as in these places
there’s no propagation of the real philosophies of Buddhism. Many
people go to worship the Buddha only to pray for their own personal
well-being: that their kids might enter college, that their businesses
will be successful or that by praying to the Buddha, they will end up
making a fortune, or other such entreaties. In fact, although they pray
to the Buddha, there is no true desire for spiritual improvement. Even
if there are few that are sincere in seeking liberation, there are not
many qualified masters in the temples who can expound Buddhist
scriptures and philosophies to them. The situation in the Tibetan
region is not optimistic either. While there are many monasteries, old
monastics are passing away, one after the other. Meanwhile, distracted
by the internet, television and other external temptations, many young
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monastics demonstrate inappropriate behaviors or even return their

vows. Children are prohibited from becoming ordained as they are
now mandated to receive compulsory education according to the
laws of the nation. Therefore, many monasteries are facing the risk
of a monastic shortage. Although in the Tibetan region, there are
many magnificent monasteries, a monastery should be more than
just a splendid architectural construction. To run a monastery isn’t as
simple as building a majestic construction. The quintessence of a real
monastery is the spirit of Buddhadharma.
In times like this, it is amazing that several thousand monks and nuns
are able to gather at Larung Gar to study and practice the Dharma. In
addition, we are able to hold Dharma assemblies smoothly here at
Larung so that sangha members are able to gather together to practice
in a relaxed atmosphere. This can hardly be seen anywhere else. In
other places, to hold a small puja with even seven, eight or ten people
would incur many kinds of troubles. Why is there such a difference? I
think, it can be attributed to the blessing and aspiration of H. H. Jigme
Phuntsok Rinpoche and many other great masters. Also, it could not
happen without the skillfulness of the masters in our academy. If
they couldn’t deal with matters skillfully, and our academy were to
get involved in political or financial issues, etc., it would not exist
for long. At the same time, we have the incredible blessing from
the noble ones, i.e., deities, Dharma protectors, and such Buddhas
and Bodhisattvas as Tara, Avalokitesvara, and Guru Padmasambhava
who was particularly powerful in pacifying obstacles in the time
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of degeneration with his might and great compassion. When these

causes and conditions come together, even in this time of degeneration,
it is still possible for us to carry the Buddhadharma forward and
study Buddhism together.
So, what I am trying to point out is that it is not easy for us to gather
here together to study the Dharma. Knowing this, if you attend a
Dharma assembly or Dharma lecture, do not think of it as an ordinary
social gathering. You should treasure the opportunity and regard
it as something as precious as the only meal you could have in a
hundred days. To maintain this heart of cherishing and appreciation
is important. It’s hard to say when one might lose an opportunity
like this to study and practice the Dharma or even how long our
academy will be able to sustain into the future. Look back on history,
Nalanda University, at one time, was a great monastery and one of
the earliest Buddhist academies in the world. Now it’s nothing but a
historic site. This is how things are now. So, will our academy exist
for a long time into the future? The lama shrine hall is now under
construction. It has been designed to be built very solidly. Just in
the foundation alone, the concrete below the ground is about one
meter deep. This compares closely with the foundation of an airport
runway, which is about 1.6 meters deep. Sometimes when overseeing
the workers laying the foundation, I think, “Even if our academy no
longer exists, the concrete foundation upon which it was built will
still remain very solid.” To think this way might be inauspicious when
we are still in the process of laying the foundation, but indeed, as the
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teaching on impermanence tells us, “whatever is born is impermanent

and is bound to die”. Personally, I am in the habit of contemplating
impermanence. There’s a tree in my backyard that grows about one
foot a year, year after year. At times, when I see this tree, it comes
to my mind to question whether it will still be there when I die. My
point is, whether we are speaking of an individual or the academy as
a whole, truly, all are impermanent. We now have the opportunity to
attend the Dharma assembly, to study the Dharma and make good
aspirations together, so we should never regard it as a common social
gathering. If we see it as just another worldly meeting or in the same
way as if we were going shopping with friends, then we are not
recognizing the true value of Buddhism. How much hardship did
the great masters of the past undergo on their way to India? And
why did they put themselves through such hardships? It was for the
pursuit of Buddhadharma. For some lay practitioners here, I believe
you have also gone through many challenges to come here, but in
order to acquire the Dharma, every effort is worth it. Just to obtain
some simple knowledge, secular people spend lots of money and
undergo many hardships. This is not uncommon. So, I think that
in order to acquire knowledge of Mahayana Buddhism, even just to
listen to one teaching, is worth all of our effort.
In sum, whether it’s for the good of our personal practice or in order
to benefit all of Buddhism, we should consistently pray to the noble
ones, constantly make good aspirations, and stay brave the whole
while. While we are in samsara, both blessing and bravery are needed.
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As part of the teaching on Buddhist logic that was given a few days
ago, I mentioned that a vase needs many causes and conditions to
stay “alive” or present in this world. If we want to carry forward
the Buddhadharma, we need to make an effort ourselves, as well as
relying on the support of non-human beings, such as the powerful
blessing of Bodhisattvas and Buddhas and the strength of the Dharma
protectors. It is only when all of these forces have gathered together,
that the wonderful vase of the Dharma can sustain in this world. As
long as the Buddhadharma exists, people will definitely receive both
its temporary and ultimate benefits.
Tara, Fortune and
Sukhavati
Lecture Four
I hope that everyone can take Tara practice
as a lifetime practice to dispel all the
unfavorable conditions and to increase the
favorable ones. With the blessing of Tara,
all sorts of restless emotions can be pacified
and bliss and joy will naturally arise and
fill up one’s mind.
– Khenpo Sodargye
Enjoy Happiness and Success in Life
and Practice
Let us continue on with our study of Praises to the Twenty-One Taras.

This prayer consists of only twenty-one stanzas. So, put simply, there
really isn’t that much content in it. However, if we analyze its meaning
from its various aspects, every stanza can be interpreted from the
perspective of both the Mahayana and Vajrayana points of view.
Looked at from the perspective of the Vajrayana aspect, it can be
expounded upon from the generation stage, the completion stage, and
from the view of the Great Perfection. During this lecture series, I will
be giving you a general explanation from the Mahayana point of view,
together with some stories that will be recognizable to those familiar
with Indian and Tibetan history. I believe that this is the easiest way to
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convey a general understanding of its essence. Through this teaching,

I hope that most of you will be able to generate a genuine faith in Tara
and in the Tara practice.
Many years ago, some Taiwanese scholars and practitioners told me

that they felt that it was a pity that on the Chinese mainland, the Tara
practice was not that popular, and that so many people could benefit
from Tara’s support and blessings in various aspects of their life, such
as marriage, finances, career, etc.. Many practitioners, through having
prayed to Tara, have indeed received auspicious signs, as well as
obvious benefits in their lives, so they are certain about Tara’s swift
blessing. I agree that not only should we spread the Tara teaching
widely but we should also engage in the practice ourselves. Praises to
the Twenty-One Taras had become widespread in Europe and North
America since the 1970s and 80s. My hope is that this prayer will
become a common practice for Han practitioners at Larung Gar and
as well as for people everywhere else around the world.
There are many different translated versions of this prayer in both

Chinese and English. Regarding your personal practice, whichever
version you have faith in, you can use it for either recitation or practice.
Whichever one you choose should not be cause to negate the others.
Several days ago, some students came to me and asked, “Before
this, I used to recite another version, should I now switch to your
translation?” I said, “That’s not necessary. Whichever version you
are used to, should work just fine.” This is not only true for the Tara
prayer, as many sadhanas or scriptures also have multiple translations.
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In Tibetan Buddhism, many schools, such as the Madhyamika, have

multiple translations of their main scriptures. Likewise, in mainland
China, there are many Chinese versions of the Heart Sutra, the Diamond
Sutra and the Amitabha Sutra. Undoubtedly, due to the power of
a particular translator’s aspiration, along with his Dharmapala’s
blessing, the circulation or popularity of a specific version can vary
a lot. For example, the Diamond Sutra has about five or six Chinese
versions, among which, only one or two are commonly recited, while
the others remain practically unknown. As I said, this is probably
due to the power of the translator’s aspiration and his Dharmapala’s
blessing. Anyway, regarding which of the translations of this Tara
prayer one should choose, one is free to use whichever version one
likes best or feels most connected to. There is no problem on that,
but there is one thing that we don’t appreciate nor agree with—that
is to revise a couple of words in another’s translation and then add
one’s own name to it. There are also some people, who rather than
correcting any grammar or misspellings, have made incorrect changes
to the correct words, with the result that their meaning is altered.
This is also not appreciated. If you are really capable, just do your
own translation. That would make much more sense.
If one wishes to dispel all unfavorable conditions and receive favor-

able support, one can certainly rely on Tara, and in particular on
this prayer, the blessing of which, without doubt, will bring forth
many accomplishments. Many great Tibetan masters, although they
never declared it openly, included Tara in their practice of the Three
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Roots, which, as you know, is an essential and necessary practice for

every Vajrayana practitioner. Therefore, it can be said that Tara was
one of their primary practices. They regard Padmasambhava as their
guru, Avalokiteshvara or Manjushri as their yidam, and Tara as their
dakini. Some female practitioners wonder if it is appropriate for male
practitioners to take Tara as their dakini, but how about female practi-
tioners? Indeed, the so-called dakini is often misinterpreted. When
practicing the completion and generation stage, the visualization
remains the same, regardless of whether the practitioner is male or
female. A female practitioner should also have her own Three Roots.
She can take one female Buddha such as Sarasvati, Tara, or Ekajati as
her dakini, Padmasambhava as her root guru, and have a yidam which
her root guru chooses for her or one in which she has confident faith.
In our course of practice, if we wish for blessings, we rely on our guru.
If we wish for spiritual accomplishment, we rely on our yidam, and if
we wish to swiftly fulfill our activities, we rely on our dakini, whose
blessing and power are immense. In particular, for many practitioners,
the Tara practice should be included in their practice of the Three
Roots, because Tara can bestow the most reliable and swiftest blessing.
Moreover, her blessing is particularly fierce. Other than the karma
created in past lives, that will irreversibly mature in this life, Tara can
dispel any temporary unfavorable conditions in whichever aspect of
your life they may occur.
It is really important to have the blessings of the Three Roots. For

many practitioners, even though over the course of their practice life
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certain kinds of obstacles sometimes appear, in general it can be said

that their practice is successful, when viewed through the perspective
of their entire life. But there are also some practitioners who regularly
encounter obstacles to their practice and can seldom surmount them.
Why is there such a difference? Mainly, it is due to whether or not
one receives the blessings of the Dharmapalas, yidams or dakinis,
and whether or not one prays to them sincerely. This follows the
principle of dependent arising. If you pray to a deity with faith, you
will certainly receive the corresponding blessing. However, if you
don’t pray, or even worse, if you hold wrong views and negative
thoughts, or maintain a scornful attitude towards the deity, then
it is certain that you will not receive their blessing. So, I hope that
most of you will exert yourselves in your practice of dakini, and in
particular, in the Tara practice. After some time has passed and you
have received some auspicious signs, or after you have experienced
the true benefits of your Tara practice, you will be more than happy
to share this practice with others.
I’d highly recommend the Tara practice to as many people as possible.

In many aspects, most people these days seem to be living a comfort-
able life. They are dressed well, they eat well and by most external
criteria, they are pretty well off. But in their inner worlds, many suffer
from mental afflictions and sicknesses, which force them to endure
various kinds of suffering and pain. In this regard, I believe that they
can rely on the power of Dharma practice to dispel most or all of
this suffering. This is essential. Without the power of the Dharma,
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ordinary beings caught in the cyclic existence of samsara, regardless

of whether they have a fancy life, a successful career, or great wealth,
will be weighed down with heavy suffering and affliction. This may
not be obvious from outside, but if one’s mind is nurtured by the
Dharma, no matter how miserable or poor one appears to be, this
person is actually filled with happiness and finds everything joyous.
So, deep in my heart, I always think how wonderful it would be if
everyone were infused with the blessings of the Dharma. Once one
has achieved a certain level of enlightenment, regardless of what kind
of suffering or challenges one is dealing with, he or she is still able to
remain unperturbed, as they are secure in the belief that nothing can
defeat them. Without the support of the Dharma, however, no matter
how outstanding one’s talent and status might be, one will still be
unable to shatter the shackles of their mental afflictions. Therefore,
I’d encourage you to constantly pray for the blessings of deities like
Tara, and once you are able to integrate your devotion with your
wisdom, you can eventually dispel the darkness of ignorance within
yourselves and others. This can be of great significance.
The Blessing of Masah Tara
Speaking of Tara practice, if you pray to Tara with your sincerest

faith, she will take care of you in various ways and even render
you special blessings, causing your wisdom to increase and many
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Mahayana or Vajrayana teachings to naturally appear in your mind.

An example of this is the great master Sthiramati, who was the author
of the Abhidharmakosa. Being one of the most prominent disciples of
Vasubandhu, who was revered as the “Second Buddha”, Sthiramati’s
understanding of Abhidharma even surpassed that of his teacher,
Vasubandhu. As such a great master, Sthiramati exhibited the signs
of an auspicious connection with Tara. This began in his former
life. When Vasubandhu was reciting from the extensive collection
of the prajnaparamita, which consisted of ninety-nine sections, a
pigeon was dwelling underneath his rooftop, and so was frequently
able to listen to the master’s recitation. From time to time, virtuous
seeds in the pigeon’s mindstream awaked and it would listen to
Vasubandhu’s recitation with great joy and would sometimes even
bow its head in respect. As a result of this, the pigeon was able to
accumulate a great deal of merit, and in its next life, the pigeon
was reincarnated as a human child in an Indian family in a country
different from that of Vasubandhu. Vasubandhu was born in, what
is today known as Pakistan and later taught the Dharma in middle
India. Immediately after his birth, the child started to ask, “Where is
my teacher?” When asked, “Who is your teacher?” the boy replied,
“Vasubandhu.” After years of asking around, his parents finally
figured out that Vasubandhu was a widely renowned master. So,
they took the seven-year-old boy to Vasubandhu and asked him
to accept the boy as his disciple. As the boy studied closely with
Vasubandhu, he was very diligent in his studies, displayed a great
deal of intelligence and also demonstrated great compassion. Since
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he had heard of prajnaparamita in his previous life, and also had an

excellent memory, he was able to follow Vasubandhu and study the
Dharma diligently day after day.
Once, when the monastery was distributing food, Sthiramati received

a handful of beans. As he enjoyed his meal, he recalled his favorite
Tara statue and thought, “It’s not right that I eat these beans by myself.
I should offer them to Tara.” So, straightaway, he ran to the Tara
statue to make an offering of them. He wanted to place the beans on
the statue one by one and with the hope that Tara would accept his
offering, but as the statue was highly polished, all the beans slipped
to the ground one after the other. He took this as a rejection from Tara
and so was very sad. Also, he saw that beneath the statue, many mice
came to pick up the beans that had fallen, often fighting with one
another over the fallen beans. Finally, once all the beans were taken
away, the mice ran back into the darkness. In the end, there were no
beans left in front of the Tara, nor were there any left on the ground.
When the boy saw that not only hadn’t Tara received his offering,
but that he also had no more beans for himself to eat, he became so
sad that he burst into tears. Just then, Tara appeared to him and said,
“Don’t be sad, my child, I’ve accepted your offering. From this moment
on, I will grant you my blessing and remain close to you as you go
forward in your life.” Beginning in that moment, his intelligence
soared and he gained an unfailing memory for the scriptures that he
read. Together with his karmic connection, gained during a previous
life, and the Tara’s blessings in this life, his wisdom was able to grow
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magnificently. He later composed many commentaries and became

renowned for his teachings and made many great contributions to
the flourishing of the Dharma. The statue became known as Masah
Tara, the “Tara of Beans” and, though I have not seen it personally, it
is said to still exist.
When reading this story, I was thinking that Sthiramati certainly had
a deep connection with his teacher, Vasubandhu. Indeed, because
when a teacher and a disciple have established a connection in their
former lives, when they meet again in this life, they will be able to
carry out certain activities together. This is one of the more profound
types of relationship that are found in samsara. Also, it occurs to me
that for such a great master as the renowned Sthiramati, who was
an exceptional scholar of the Abhidharma and had demonstrated
better comprehension and accomplishment on this subject than his
teacher, he still behaved in a kind of childish manner. So, it is quite
understandable that some new Buddhists will speak to yidam, make
naive wishes and act in some unusual ways.
From this story, we can see that for those who hold great faith in Tara,
Tara’s wisdom will enter into their mind in a very natural way. In
the past couple of days, I feel that my devotion to Tara has gotten
more intense, probably because I’m teaching this Tara prayer, as well
as the length of time I’ve been practicing Tara and have had great
faith in her, going back to when I was very young. The other day, I
suggested that we should install a Tara statue in the shrine hall. When
I shared this idea with others, they all agreed. In the past, we had
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some wall paintings of Tara at Larung Gar. When we have visited

temples, Tibetan monasteries or other sacred sites, there would always
be the figure of Tara in the shrine hall./If we visit temples, Tibetan
monasteries or other sacred sites, there are always the figure of Tara in
the shrine hall. Whenever we visit a temple and see an image of Tara,
we should pray to her with devotion. As a result, whatever wishes
we have for this and future lives, can be all fulfilled.
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Drolma Nor Terma, the Tara Who

Dispels All Disasters and
Misfortunes
Now let us return to the Praise. We are still in part D2) Praise for
the Wrathful Body Aspects, of which there are seven praises. We’ve
finished three of them, now we will also talk about E4) Praise for
Dispelling Destitution.
E4. Praise for Dispelling Destitution
Homage to you, who can summon

The hosts of earthly guardians.
Your frown it quivers, and the syllable hūm
.
Delivers us all from every misfortune.
This is Tara Vasudā, or Drolma Nor Terma in Tibetan, known as the

Tara who has the power to dispel all disasters and misfortunes. Her
body color is reddish-yellow or orange, with her right hand held in
the mudra of bestowing the sublime and her left hand holding a lotus,
on top of which is a treasure vase. She can magnetize or summon the
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hosts of earthly guardians, including Indra, the Eight Divisions of

Dragons and Devas, land gods, earth gods, water gods, mountain
gods, gods of the Seven Luminaries (including the sun, the moon and
the five stars), as well as many other well-respected worldly gods.
All of these gods will protect us because of the power of Tara. So,
wherever we go, even when we’re walking at night and filled with fear,
or if we are going somewhere dangerous, if we can recollect Tara and
pray to her, she will surely dispel our fear. Although this Tara does
not appear in the complete wrathful form of other deities, her face
exhibits a frown, indicating a slightly wrathful appearance. The light
of the syllable HUNG radiates from her heart. This light can dispel
all suffering, throughout the three realms, caused by destitution, as
well as having the power to gather wealth, fortune, and merit. So, this
Tara can liberate sentient beings from the sufferings of poverty.
In general, praying to Tara, and Tara Vasudā in particular, is the

same as the practice of the wealth deity. Many people want to have
good fortune and therefore, request the transmission of the Dzambala
practice. Since about twenty years ago, I’ve often received requests
for this teaching. I haven’t yet given one as it may be that there’s
has not been the right timing, or it may be because it is hard to say
whether wealth is beneficial or harmful for people, as with too much
wealth, some practitioners become distracted from their practice.
Even at Larung Gar, those who possess great wealth often face unique
obstacles, while those without it are often able to maintain a purer
practice. For lay practitioners, it may be a different case, since they
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certainly need some amount of good fortune and merit, as without it,
they would have difficulty carrying on with their practice. Today, the
practice of Tara Vasudā is exactly same as the practice of the wealth
deity. By praying to this Tara, her blessing will shower us with wealth
naturally. With the wealth that she has bestowed, happiness can also
be obtained.
So, we can just rely on Tara to dispel destitution. When I was teaching
The Words of My Perfect Teacher, I shared a story of Tara that took place
in the Tibetan region. Long ago, there was a poor child who had lost
his parents while still very young. Leading a life of poverty, he often
went days without meals, wore threadbare clothing and was often
mistreated by the people of his village. He had no permanent shelter
and slept on the bare ground in the wilderness, near to where there
was a stone statue of Tara. Not having parents to confide in, the boy
thought of Tara as his mother and often shared his happiness and
sorrow with her. Once, after the boy had been bullied terribly by some
of the other kids, he was so sad that he wrapped his arms around the
statue and began to cry uncontrollably. As the poor child continued
to cry, the statue came to life and held the child in her arms. Tara
continued to comfort the boy and played with him until he was able
to stop crying. As he was about to leave, Tara took off her jeweled
necklace, and placed it around the boy’s neck. The next day, when
others saw the boy wearing the precious jeweled necklace, they asked
how he got it. He answered, “My mother gave it to me.” “Didn’t your
mother die long ago? Where is she?” The boy answered, “She is the
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mother Tara.” When the crowd went to see the statue, they could see
that the necklace was gone, but as there were no chisel marks to be
seen, they had no choice but to believe the boy. From that time on,
the boy lived with great blessing and no longer had to suffer from
the hardships of poverty.
In India, there are many stories of how Tara helped people dispel the
suffering of poverty. There is one story that took place in ancient India
about a poor Brahmin who was greatly afflicted by poverty. Upon
seeing a Tara statue by the roadside, he poured out his suffering to
her with great sincerity. After hearing of his suffering, Tara instructed
him to go to a stupa nearby, and said, “Dig there and you will find
treasure”. He followed her instruction and found so much treasure
under the stupa, that he was able to eliminate the suffering of poverty
down to the seventh generation.
There is similar story that also took place long ago in India and
involved a man who was really poor. Suffering so badly from poverty
and wishing so much for good fortune, he started praying to Tara.
In responding to his prayers, Tara manifested in a dress of leaves
and instructed him to go to the east. Following her instructions, he
immediately took off for the east and after crossing a desert, the man
fell asleep in the wilderness. After sleeping for some time, he was
awakened by the sound of bells, and saw near to him, a horse with
bells as ornaments, digging in the sand with its hoof. As suddenly as
he had appeared, the horse was gone and when the man dug in the
mark left behind by the horse’s hoof, he discovered seven doors made
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of seven different precious treasures. After opening these seven doors

one after another, the man entered the palace of the naga, where he
resided for quite a long time, enjoying much wealth and experiencing
all kinds of pleasures and happiness. By the time that he returned to
the human world, the reigns of three king had come and gone.
These stories are part of a valid history that goes beyond our ordinary
thinking. Those who are skeptical might consider them as myths,
but there are many true stories about Tara’s blessing. It is impossible
that all of them are fictitious. I encourage you to read some of these
histories, and you will see the unbelievable blessing that can come
from praying to Tara. I hope that reading these stories, will convince
you to embrace the Tara practice. Many Tibetans, after praying to Tara,
have, within a short period of time, naturally obtained great wealth.
This kind of story is very common. Because some people may have
failed to practice generosity in their past lives, they are trapped in
deprivation, in this life. This kind of poverty can be eradicated by the
accumulation of merit from doing good deeds, praying and making
good aspirations. When one is sincere in performing these kinds of
actions, poverty can be alleviated.
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Drolma Tashi Donche, the Tara Who

Brings Auspiciousness
E5. Praise for Having the Lord of Her Family as Crown Orna-
ment
Homage to you, so brightly adorned,

With a sliver of moon as your crown,
Your locks are graced by Amitābha,
Whose gleaming rays stream forever forth.
This is Tara Maṅgalārthā, or Drolma Tashi Dönché in Tibetan, the

Tara who brings auspiciousness. This Tara is yellow in color, with
a crescent moon on top of her crown and holds in her left hand a
lotus topped by an auspicious infinite knot. All of her ornaments are
extremely splendid, dignified and beautiful, bringing everyone who
sees her incredible joy. Buddha Amitabha sits in her piled hair, as
the Lord of her Family. The Buddha Amitabha constantly radiates
light, which can dispel mental illness and the suffering of sentient
beings, and can bring forth all worldly and transcendental happiness
and auspiciousness. As she is called the Tara of auspiciousness,
those who wish for a happy life, a good family, a prosperous career
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or for everything to be auspicious from the beginning to the end,

should pray to this Tara. She can transform any and all things into
auspiciousness, change unfavorable conditions into favorable ones and
suffering into happiness, making all unfavorable things smoothened
and perfected.
The Tara practice and the Pure Land practice are deeply connected.
Karma Chagmed Rinpoche’s, Aspiration Prayer to be Reborn in the Pure
Realm of Sukhavati says,
The dharmakaya Amitabha as the Lord of the Family

Radiates light from his right hand, which transforms into Avalokiteshvara,
Who then disperses ten million Avalokiteshvaras;
(He) radiates light from his left hand, which turns into Tara,
Who then disperses ten million Taras;
(He) radiates light from his heart, which turns into Padmasambhava,
Who then disperses ten million Padmasambhavas.
Therefore, those who wish to take rebirth in the Pure Land can also
pray to Tara. By praying to Tara at the moment of your death, all the
malicious non-human beings or ghosts and spirits that may bring you
harm will be cleared away. Many great masters, when passing away,
have received the blessing of both Tara and Amitabha. In some cases,
even their remaining relics showed the image of Tara. My book, Brief
Records of Those Who Attained Rainbow Body, describes a guru named
Pema Gyatso, who lived in Garze and passed away in 1997. He was a
disciple of H. H. Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche. Upon his passing, he sat
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in the Dzogchen posture of Finding Comfort and Ease in Meditation,

recited PHAT three times, and then entered into nirvana. Later, a
monk from his monastery told me that his body shrank until it was
only one cubit in height. After the cremation, lots of relics were shown
and among them was a small relic that had taken the form of Green
Tara. I assume this means that his accomplishment must have been
related to the Tara practice. Although I didn’t hear anything about his
Tara practice, many great masters did indeed engage in Tara practice
for their entire lifetime. This is very common in the Tibetan area. But
even those who aren’t great masters, including lay practitioners such
as housewives and the like, would recite the Tara prayer and the
Aspiration Prayer to be Reborn in the Pure Realm of Sukhavati throughout
their entire lives. I would say that the reason that the great master’s
relic displays the image of Tara is likely related to his rebirth in
Sukhavati.
It is also mentioned in the Aspiration Prayer to be Reborn in the Pure

Realm of Sukhavati that after rebirth in Sukhavati, one can go to visit
Tara’s pure land or other pure lands. As mentioned by H. H. Jigme
Phuntsok Rinpoche, when viewed from a larger scale, the pure lands
of Tara, Manjushri or Akshobhya, can all be included in the realm
of Sukhavati. This is because all bodhisattvas in Sukhavati may go
to different pure and impure lands to liberate sentient beings, and
then return to Sukhavati. Therefore, all Dharma friends, especially
those who consider themselves to be Pure Land practitioners, should
never think that the Tara practice only belongs to Tibetan Buddhism
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or is completely separate from the practices of the Pure Land School.

In my opinion, some individuals in the Pure Land school are very
conservative and outdated. It is a matter of simple fact to state that
we are now in the 21st century, a modern age that human beings
have advanced into, and that everything in the world, including
ideologies and cultures, must adapt to the new modernity. Certain
Buddhists are still stuck in the 1970s or 1980s, and in their thinking,
may not have yet stepped out of the 20th century. I’m not saying
that we should get carried away by secular influences, but Buddhists
should always strive to have an inclusive mind. The philosophy of any
Buddhist school should be able to harmoniously embrace all other
Buddhist schools without the feeling of there being any contradiction.
So, along with this way of thinking, I’d encourage any Pure Land
practitioners to pray to Tara with sincerity. It certainly won’t bring
you any harm. Without such praying, in an Age of Degeneration
such as this, riddled with rampant, negative conditions and demonic
obstacles, and lacking the powerful blessing of dakinis like Tara
and the protection of the Dharmapalas, reciting only the name of
Amitabha or practicing alone by oneself, is not enough to overcome
obstacles and unfavorable conditions. Therefore, while each of us
should possess a strong resilience, it is also important to rely on the
blessing of Tara as our support and backbone. In this way, we will
definitely reach a level of accomplishment, rather than having our
efforts result in defeat.
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Drolma Drapung Jomma, the Tara

Who Destroys the Power of Enemies
E6. Praise for Taming Ferocious Beings
Homage to you, seated in a halo

Blazing with apocalyptic flames.
Your right leg stretched out and left bent inward,
Immersed in joy, you crush legions of foes.
This is Tara Ripu-cakra-vināśinı̄, or Drolma Drapung Jomma in

Tibetan, the Tara who destroys the power of enemies in war. She is
in red color and holds in her left hand a lotus flower with a vajra on
top. She sits in a halo, blazing with flames, which are as powerful as
the eon-ending conflagration that destroys everything beneath the
heaven of the First Dhyana, including Mount Meru. With her flames,
she can destroy vicious devils and tirthikas and liberate them so that
they can enter into the pure Buddha field. Such flames can crush all
external harms. Those who pray to this Tara will wear a vajra garland
of protection. As we often say, Tara practitioners are protected from
external harm-doers. With her right leg stretched out and left bent
inward, she is immersed in joy. Such a gesture of joy indicates that
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she works with amicable beings through the turning of the Dharma
wheel. While residing within her wrathful appearance of fire and
rage, she can destroy the hosts of human and non-human enemies
and harm-doers. In this degenerate age, we need the practice of a
powerful and wrathful deity. In fact, wrathful deities like Vajrakilaya,
Dorje Trolo, Yamantaka, etc., can also be considered as manifestations
of Tara. Thus, it is extremely beneficial for us to perform the practices
devoted to these deities. By praying to this particular Tara, obstacles
and enemies can all be destroyed.
Once upon a time, a king was crossing a forest. Troops of his enemies
were coming towards him, equipped with various weapons and ready
to act. The king was so terrified and desperate to find a way to escape,
that he began to pray to Tara. Hearing his prayers, Tara immediately
responded with a gust of wind that blew all of his enemies back to
the country of their origin. There are many stories like this told in the
Tibetan area. I often think that, in this Age of Degeneration, with so
many countries suffering from the dangers of war and civil unrest,
people do need a way to protect and defend themselves. That being
said, it is not absolutely necessary to impose harm on one’s enemies.
There should be some skillful means to bring them happiness, too.
People often ask, “If you Mahayana Buddhists keep your bodhicitta
vows, what will you do if enemies attack you with weapons?” Indeed,
if we truly have devotion, by praying to the Tara sincerely, our enemies
will often abandon their attack before they bring harm to us.
There is a story of an extremely wealthy merchant in India who was

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once on his way to a distant place. On the way, his route led him
through a wilderness where there lived many bandits and where
many merchants had been robbed of their goods and wealth. Being
very afraid, the merchant began to earnestly pray to Tara, and in
an instant, he was surrounded by soldiers, each of whom was an
emanation of Tara. They protected the merchant and drove away
the bandits, without killing any. Thus, the merchant was able to
safely arrive at his destination and get back home safely. Indeed,
at your most critical moments, if you quickly pray to Tara without
any hesitation, miraculously, all harmful situations will dissipate.
However, if you hold any doubt or negative thought, more troubles
are likely to emerge.
Therefore, at times when we are scared, praying to Tara is very crucial

action that you can take. I have a story from my own days at junior
high. One evening as the sun was setting, a telephone nearby, that
had seen better days, began to ring. Being informed that it was from
my family, I came to answer the phone. It was an acquaintance from
my village. He told me that my father was terribly ill and asked me
to hurry back home. At that point, the phone broke down again, or
something went wrong with the sound, and I wasn’t able to hear
anything further. Being convinced that my father was dying, I began
to walk home, even though the sun had already set. By the time
that I reached about the halfway point, it had become completely
dark and I could no longer see anything around me. I needed to go
through a place which was considered very scary because quite a few
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people had died there, and some said that the corpses had turned
into zombies that would attack you, even in broad daylight. It was
also known that recently someone had hung themself from a tree in
that place. Yet, I had no choice but to walk through there because I
thought to myself, “If I don’t reach home tonight, I’ll never see my
father again. This is my only chance.” As I was walking alone, I felt
as if there were no other sound in the whole world except for the
sound of my footsteps. . . nothing else. Even the slightest sound, no
matter how small, was enough to startle me. The person who had
committed suicide was someone that I had been familiar with and
his face filled up my mind. I was so scared that I kept praying to Tara
until I eventually, got through that place. Even after I had passed by
it, I dared not look back, as I was afraid that the dead person might be
following me. When I got home, it turned out that there was actually
no big deal. My family had some good news, so they wanted me to
return home so that they could tell me about it. They worried that
I might not be able to get the permission to leave school, so they
made up an excuse that sounded very serious. I then started crying,
thinking about what a terrible night it had been. I didn’t get home
until around 3 am, and I truly believed that the reason that I was able
to make it home safely was due to the blessing of Tara. Not only had I
been terrified by the tiniest bit of sound, but I couldn’t even imagine
how petrified I would have been if I really had encountered ghosts or
spirits. Also, that mountain road was very narrow and because of the
darkness, it had been difficult to see anything around me. It truly left
me with a deep impression.
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All of these stories are to make the point that if we can recollect
Tara constantly in our life, all of our fear, suffering and unfavorable
conditions can be dispelled by the power of Tara. Long ago, in the
Kashmir area, there was a prominent master named Devasinha, who
was the imperial preceptor of the king in that area. As Devasinha was
extremely knowledgeable in the Sutrayana and Tantrayana teachings,
he often taught the Dharma to people in the surrounding area and
had built 500 temples in his lifetime. In one of the neighboring coun-
tries, where the people mainly believed in Islam, many of them had
converted to Buddhism and had gone to hear Devasinha’s teachings
and to take refuge. Now, the king of that country, who also believed
in Islam, was very angry with Devasinha and sent a message to the
master demanding that he, “Give up your faith in Buddhism and
embrace the Muslim religion or you will be killed.” The master replied,
“I will never forsake Buddhism. I’d rather die than convert!” So, he
was put in iron shackles and thrown into prison. While in prison,
Devasinha silently prayed to his deity, Tara. By the blessing of Tara,
the iron shackles on his body turned into flower garlands. When the
king came to investigate and saw what had taken place, he demanded
that his guards shackle the master with another set of iron chains.
Again, the chains turned into flower garlands. When seven sets of
iron chains became flower garlands, the king was unable to contain
his shock and eventually, he also took refuge with Devasinha. During
the Cultural Revolution, many practitioners were put in prison and
relied on Tara to help them through their difficulties, and to inspire
others, including their enemies, to generate faith. There are many
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cases like this.
As practitioners, we don’t need to say much, but should cultivate an

unshakable faith, always rely on Tara as our root yidam or dakini, and
pray to her throughout our lifetime. Once we have shown our devotion
to Tara, she will definitely grant us blessings and accomplishment.
Surely, Tara is unlike worldly earth or land gods. If you make an
offering or pray to a local land god on regular basis, they will grant
you a corresponding blessing or success. However, if you stop or
forget to make offerings, they won’t be pleased, and may even punish
you. So, in that way, local deities are a lot like ordinary human beings.
Ordinary people are pleased if you maintain good relations with
them, but once that is no longer the case, they will treat you badly.
This will never be the case with Tara. She is watching out for sentient
beings at all times. But even though Tara is looking out for us, if
we lack faith and devotion, do not engage in prayers, recitations, or
offerings, Tara’s blessing may come so slowly that we may not even
notice it. Nonetheless, Tara will never punish us for that. On the
other hand, if one has an intense faith and joy, her blessing will, with
certainty, come incredibly swiftly.
I believe, that this time of giving the Tara teaching enjoys an excellent
initiation. Larung Gar was founded thirty-two years ago. During
all of that time, up until yesterday, we’ve never performed a puja
entirely devoted to Tara. But yesterday, as we prayed for the long life
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of Lama Mumtso, and also to dispel various disasters in the world, we

held a Tara Puja for the first time. These days, tsunami, earthquake,
snowstorms, terrorist attacks, epidemics, and many other kinds of
disasters and catastrophes are taking place all around the world. While
the outside world is in such a chaotic state, it is also entirely possible
that our own personal life could also become afflicted by various
problems. Many people, including practitioners, are troubled by
emotional problems, physical sickness, career crises, family conflicts,
or other difficulties. Several people have told me that these past
few years, they have been enduring constant and nonstop suffering,
and that nothing has been going smoothly for them. It seems that
nowadays, there are very few who would consider themselves to be
very happy or to have a smooth and easy life, although, monastics may
be better off than most. My impression is that some monastics are kind
of okay, some are kind of dull, while others are absent-minded, as if
they were in the dream-like state described in Dzogchen realization.
In many ways, it seems like they’ve reached certain level of realization,
and if that is true, I am very happy for them. But many ordinary people
are living with lots of stress. From the outside, the economy and the
overall conditions in China are doing pretty well, compared to many
other countries. However, many powerful nations such as the US,
Japan, and Singapore, are struggling with their own economic crises.
Their overall economies and national power are declining, creating
more tension and anxiety for the whole world. This situation is quite
obvious in the big cities. Compared to two decades ago, people’s
mental anxiety has heightened, and the same goes for physical stress.
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It seems that people are struggling to catch up with the fast pace of
the world and have to spend all their effort just to lead a toilsome life
that forces them to suffer for many decades. I am especially struck
by how many young people now experience all sorts of suffering in
life. I have heard that there are some people who have wanted to take
on monasticism immediately after visiting the charnel ground, but I
believe that this is too much of a rushed decision. As we look around
us, we can see that other than through the Dharma, people can hardly
find a bright future from following any other path. So, I hope that
everyone can take Tara practice as a lifetime practice to dispel all the
unfavorable conditions and to increase the favorable ones. With the
blessing of Tara, all sorts of restless emotions can be pacified and bliss
and joy will naturally arise and fill up one’s mind.
Tara, Your Forever
Protector
Lecture Five
When I was young, I always thought of
Tara as my mother. In my mind, I trusted
her in exactly the same way that I trust my
own mother and I always hold a sincere
devotion to her, and felt secure in the belief
that by praying to her, all obstacles and
disasters in this world can be dispelled.
When faced with a problem, my first
thought is always: “Tara, please come to
help me.” Such devotion and conviction
have been within me since I was a kid.
– Khenpo Sodargye
Miraculous Stories of Tara’s
Blessing
Now let us continue with Praises to the Twenty-One Taras. As you have
been learning this teaching, you have probably been realizing that
Tara has the ability to provide great blessing. Her blessing is not a
myth nor is to speak of it making a groundless statement. Rather,
if we pray to her, and think of her constantly, we will undoubtedly
experience the swift infusion of her blessing. I’m sure that after
having absorbed this teaching, many Buddhists listening to this, will
purchase an image of Tara and worship her in their shrine rooms or
place her image in their offices. The image of Tara is normally found
in the form of a thangka painting or a gold-plated statue. In India,
there are also many statues of Tara that are exquisitely crafted from
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sandalwood or other highly valued woods. In fact, the Tara teachings

are very popular in both the Tibetan region and in India, as can be
seen from their local arts and cultural traditions. In the Tibetan region,
almost every household has a Tara statue on their shrines and if you
go into the shops that carry Buddhist items, you will notice many
people purchasing images of Tara. People who recite the Tara mantra
can be found everywhere, as well. So, as we learn the devotional
practices dedicated to Tara, as well as listen to the many miraculous
stories about her, we should realize that this practice is not restricted
to Tibet, but is applied quite broadly throughout India, as well.
Around the Vajra Seat in Bodh Gaya, it is well known, that many
miracles related to Tara have taken place near to there. One story
refers to a bhikkhu from the Theravada tradition who had rejected
and slandered the deity of Tara. Once, while crossing a river near
Bodh Gaya, he fell into the rushing water and was swept away and
nearly drowned. At that moment, it occurred to him that: “People say
Tara is a protector who saves beings from the fear of water.” So, as
he was feeling very afraid, he cried out, “Tara! Tara!” and suddenly,
a wooden statue of Tara that was in the Vajra Seat, appeared to him
and said, “You never think of me or respect me—why do you call
for my help now?” But the Tara got him out of the water anyway.
Since then, that particular statue is known as the “Tara who Enters
Into the Water”, because she went into the water herself to rescue
the drowning bhikkhu. Another story about Tara took place at the
Vajra Seat itself: There was an old lady who was very devoted to Tara
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and intended to build a shrine room for her near to the Mahabodhi.
To accomplish this task, she hired people, at great cost to herself, to
build the shrine room. When it was completed, the woman found
that the door of the shrine hall was facing in the opposite direction
of the Mahabodhi, which is not correct. Although, she felt very bad
about this, she could not afford to reconstruct it. As a result, she felt
remorseful and regretful that she hadn’t thought the construction
through more completely before the construction began, and now that
the building was nearly completed, she didn’t have a clue of what to
do to fix the mistake. As she was feeling very sad and distressed about
this, the statue of Tara spoke to her: “If you are not pleased, I shall turn
my face towards the Mahabodhi.” At that moment, both the door to
the shrine room, and the statue, on its own, turned around until they
were both facing the proper direction. This Tara later became known
as the “Tara of the Turning Face”. While there are many stories like
these that are well-known in India, such stories are also told in Tibet
where many monasteries have shrine halls dedicated to Tara. There
is a story that took place at the Tara shrine hall in Sera Monastery.
It once happened, that just as a monk was passing by the shrine, he
accidentally slipped and just as he was about to hit the ground, he
instinctively cried out: “Mama!”, at which point, Tara responded to
him, speaking in a clear voice: “Mama is here”. The monk looked up
and noticed that it was the statue of Tara who was talking.
When I was young, I always thought of Tara as my mother. In my

mind, I trusted her in exactly the same way that I trust my own mother
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and I always hold a sincere devotion to her, and felt secure in the belief
that by praying to her, all obstacles and disasters in this world can
be dispelled. When faced with a problem, my first thought is always:
“Tara, please come to help me.” Such devotion and conviction have
been within me since I was a kid. In my shrine, I have many statues
of the Buddha Shakyamuni and also of Tara, made in many different
sizes, as well as with varying degrees of craftsmanship. Most of these,
I brought back from visits to such countries as India and Thailand.
When I was a child, we didn’t have a statue of the Buddha or Tara but
we used to play games where we would put little bones and pebbles
on a big rock and pretend that they were the green Tara, the white
Tara or other deities. We used to place fine sand in front of them as
offerings, and that’s how we played when we were little. I always
think that over the course of my life, many obstacles that might have
impeded my Dharma practice have miraculously disappeared. This,
I feel, must have something to do with my sincere devotion to Tara
and her powerful blessing.
I’m sure some of you who attend this teaching will one day have
great resources in respect of wealth and power. I hope by then you
will make use of some of that wealth or power to install some Tara
statues, whenever you have an opportunity. Say for instance, that
you become the abbot of a monastery, then, first thing, you should
commission a statue of Tara to be placed in the monastery, as that will
be very beneficial for the local people in terms of dispelling disasters.
As we have said previously, all kinds of disasters including tornadoes,
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floods, and fires, can be eliminated through Tara’s blessing. In this

degenerate time, practitioners who are able to overcome obstacles by
themselves are extremely rare. Even though we all wish our practice
to go smoothly and successfully from beginning to end, adverse
conditions will from time to time, occur, either as a result of our
afflictions or caused by demonic forces. When they appear, it will feel
as if the control of our mind has been taken from us. In times like
these, it is very difficult to overcome these negativities or bring them
under control on our own. However, by relying on transcendental
power by such actions as praying to Tara, adverse conditions can be
counteracted through her extraordinary blessing. The inconceivable
power of her blessing is not easy for us ordinary beings to describe in
words or to understand with our conceptual thinking.
The Thangka of Tara in the New Year’s Eve
Through this study, I believe that whenever and wherever you see the
figure of Tara, a great devotion to her will arise in you. I remember
that when I was a child of about six or seven years old, my family
was living in a neighborhood with several other households, who
were all, including my family, nomads herding yaks. A senior monk
lived next to our tent that was a very close friend of mine. He had
several thangkas that he kept in his tent, among which was a thangka
of Tara, and every New Year’s Eve according to the Tibetan calendar,
if there were no unexpected events taking place, he would hang up
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the thangkas for the entire day. When the old monk hung up the
thangka of Tara, all of us in the neighborhood, kids and grown-ups,
would enter his tent and pay homage to her. In my memory, I can
clearly recall that every time we saw the thangka of Tara, we were very
delighted. We all looked forward to the coming of the next New Year’s
Eve, so that we could see her holy image again. This was in the late
60s to the early 70s, which was an unusual period of time when the
religious policy was very strict and it was not easy to get the chance to
see Buddhist-related images. I was thinking the other day that these
days we can very easily purchase the image of Tara. The stores nearby
have thangkas of Tara for sale at reasonable prices. Moreover, many
these thangkas are embroidered in beautifully decorated patterns,
lovely colors and golden thread, and are far more exquisite than the
one owned by the monk from my old neighborhood. Looking back at
the impact of the Cultural Revolution, I can tell you that Buddhism
was virtually devastated and no Buddhist symbols whatsoever could
be seen. The Cultural Revolution began in 1966, which coincided with
the years of my childhood. During that unusual time, people felt very
grateful and excited when they got the opportunity to see an image or
a thangka of Tara. Many old people could not keep from crying, with
tears gushing out, when they saw the image of Tara. This happened
quite a lot.
So, I’d like to remind you of the fact that you are very fortunate to live
during such a liberal environment. I am sure that long past period of
history is difficult for you to imagine. At that time, Buddhism as a
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whole was severely damaged, and on the verge of vanishing entirely.

Unlike in the past, these days you are free to own Buddhist images
and display them to anyone, anywhere you like. Back during that
time, if we had a Buddha statue, we had to keep it secretly hidden
to avoid getting into trouble. I remember that my family had a book
about the sadhana of the Tsok feast of Guru Rinpoche. Every time
we moved to a new place, we had to find a cave to hide it in. Even
now when I see a cave, the first thing comes to mind is: “Wow, this
would be a good cave to hide scriptures.” At that time, as soon as
we moved to a new place, my parents would ask me to go to the
mountains nearby to see if there was a good cave to hide the book, and
I would hike all around the area to find one. Nowadays, we are free
to keep as many scriptures as we like without needing to worry about
getting into trouble because of it. Also, we have the freedom to follow
Buddhism, and even take ordination if we want to. Ironically, these
days we tend to abuse these freedoms and privileges. In contrast,
during difficult times, people were more devoted in cultivating their
Buddhist practice. I sometimes feel that if we were living in an age
similar to the Cultural Revolution, many practitioners would be more
determined and diligent in their studies and practice, but with so
many favorable conditions, such as, qualified masters, good Dharma
companions, and access to authentic teachings, we don’t recognize
the rarity of this opportunity and thus we fail to cherish it. We
honestly don’t realize how invaluable this opportunity truly is. Well,
just thinking about a Tara statue has triggered lots of memories and
brought back to me, some of those early meaningful experiences.
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I hope that all of you here, after attending this teaching, and on
into the future, regardless of whether when you’re propagating
the Dharma or practicing on your own, you will devotedly follow
Tara as your principal deity or dakini. The Praises to the Twenty-One
Taras was expounded by Buddha Shakyamuni, who manifested in
the Dharmakaya form of Buddha Vairochana to Manjushri. This is
mentioned in the afterword. You may not find this afterword in the
version of the Praise we are using here, but you can find it at the
end of the Tara Tantra. So, there are many good reasons that we
should recite this Praise consistently. In fact, Tara is the mother of
the Buddhas of the three times; so as long as we pray to her, she
is able to grant to us all of the common and supreme siddhis. Of
course, to some individual Theravada practitioners, or people who
hold wrong views or those who simply reject Buddhism, Tara will
not be recognized as great and powerful. We can hardly change their
views and unfortunately, such phenomena are quite common. In the
eyes of people with little merit, even gold is seen as worth no more
than common stone. There are plenty of analogies like this in the
world.
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Drolma Tronyer Chendze, the Tara

who Gives You Protection
Let us now return to the Praise. We are at B2) Praise for the Body
Aspects, which has two parts, C1) Praise for the Sambhogakaya
Aspects, and C2) Praise for the Dharmakaya Aspect. Now, let’s look
at the last praise under section C1.
E7. Praise for Protecting Self and Others
Homage to you, who on the earth’s surface

Strike your palms and stamp your feet;
. you smash
The seven netherworlds to nothing but dust.
[Homage to you, who smites the ground with

Your palm, and with your foot stamps on it!
. you smash
The seven worlds to nothing but dust.]
Homage is paid here to Tara Bhr.kut.ı̄ or Drolma Tronyer Chendze,

the Tara with the furrowed brow. This Tara’s color is blackish or
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blue, and upon the utpala in her left hand is her implement—a vajra
emitting flames, through which all demonic forces can be rooted out
and destroyed. With her furrowed brow, her forehead appears as if
there are deep wrinkles on it. This indicates that this Tara manifests
in a wrathful form. But the wrathful form here is not the same as the
fully wrathful deities such as Dorje Drolo and Vajrakilaya. This Tara
manifests a slightly more fierce and wrathful appearance compared
to the peaceful and smiling appearances of some other Taras in order
to tame vicious and stubborn beings who are notoriously difficult to
subdue. She strikes the ground with her right hand, exhibiting the
gesture of bestowing the sublime. This shows that she takes control
of all negativities and demonic forces. She stamps her feet on the
ground, indicating that she is able to smash all the negativities and
evil influences in all of the seven worlds. The definition of the seven
worlds was already discussed in our second lecture. With her brow
deeply furrowed, she utters the syllable HUM, whose sound can
destroy all obstacles and unfavorable conditions in the universe.
In some practices, we visualize protective spheres to prevent negative

influences, but in actuality, this Tara is one of the best protections for
us. Nowadays, many people love to buy and wear amulets. It is my
belief that the image of Tara offers the best protection of all. Last year,
I had some small Tara cards made and gave them to students here at
Larung. For those that received one, if you carry it with you at all times
or keep it in your car or in your house, it will benefit you immensely.
This is because, under Tara’s protective spheres or through her flaming
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vajras, all external obstacles and disasters can be destroyed. She is

also able to save us from every kind of danger. I have mentioned
before, that Tara can protect us from the eight great fears, such as the
fear of fire, water, snakes and poison. All of these disasters can be
eliminated by Tara’s power. This is particularly true for those people
who suffer involuntarily from demonic influences. Although they
don’t seem to encounter any major negativities externally, their minds
are very much afflicted and full of obstructing emotions. Praying to
Tara can help to overcome such obstacles as well. The reason that
some people’s practice is incredibly smooth and successful is that
they have protection from within, from their deities. Tara is such a
deity who can bestow her protection upon you.
There was at one time, a Buddhist teacher called Drubthob Rinpoche

who was born in central Tibet. I have read stories about him that
described his experience during the Cultural Revolution. His father
had served as the Nepalese Consulate in Lhasa and his mother was a
simple Tibetan lady. During the Cultural Revolution, master Drubthob
was arrested and put in prison for three years. While he was in prison,
he was asked to forsake his faith in Buddhism. When he refused
firmly, the prison guards gave him a hard time. They said: “Well, since
you won’t forsake the Three Jewels, there will be no food for you here.
If you want to eat, ask your Three Jewels for food. Let’s see if your
protector will keep you from going hungry.” Thus, for the next few
days, Drubthob Rinpoche was given no food to eat at all. So, instead
of eating, he prayed silently to Tara. Surprisingly, even though he
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didn’t have any food for many days, his complexion became even
more radiant and he didn’t feel any sense of hunger. Seeing this,
the guards were astonished and came to believe that he must be a
very unusual person. When he was later released, as a result of his
father’s connections, he went to Nepal and India. When asked about
the conditions in the prison by journalists and spiritual masters, he
talked about how the blessings he had received from Tara had helped
him to get through those difficult times.
Therefore, regardless of who we are, whatever situation we encounter

and whichever danger we are in, as long as we pray to Tara, she will
help us get through it. There are certain some individuals who may
think that Tara can’t possibly be that powerful or that her blessings
can’t possibly be that effective, but when people such as these are in a
dreadful situation, they will try any way they can to get themselves
out of it. Many people don’t pray when things are going well, but
they will pray when times are difficult. It’s like when you are healthy,
you don’t think at all about doctors or hospitals, but once you get
sick, you are sure to go to and seek one out. If a doctor, who is
filled with kindness, cures you, your attitude towards him will be
completely different from what it was before. I saw many people who
didn’t care about healthcare or doctors when they were healthy, but
after they had fallen sick and later recovered, they showed so much
gratitude to the doctors who cured them. Similarly, when nothing
bad or difficult happens, people tend to ignore the blessing of Tara.
They think: “However sublime she might be, it has nothing to do with
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me.” But when they are caught up in difficulties, they want to receive
help from the most powerful god or Buddha. We all seem to have
thoughts such as these. All in all, when we do our daily chanting, we
should include a prayer to this Tara.
There have been manifestations of this Tara throughout history. Ac-

cording to some Tibetan records, the Nepalese princess Bhrikuti was
a manifestation of this Tara, Drolma Tronyer Chendze. Regarding this,
in order to benefit beings, compassionate Buddhas or Bodhisattvas
can transform into various forms, both masculine and feminine, and
in various appearances, either wrathful or peaceful. It is important
that we keep a pure mind when praying to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
and not regard them as substantial beings. For example, when we
see Dorje Drolo, we may think he is and will always remain in his
wrathful form. That is not the case. A good teacher with skillful
means may at times appear to be very kind, while at other times,
he may manifest in a way that we find quite scary. This should be
seen as an expression of his skillful means. If an ordinary teacher
can present differently to various beings, it is quite reasonable for
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to manifest in numerous forms in the
course of benefiting sentient beings. So, we must hold the conviction
that Buddhas and Bodhisattvas can assume any form they wish and
can perform any deed. All we need to do is to pray consistently. If
you make this a habit, the blessing of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas can
dissolve into your mindstream at any time.
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Drolma Rabtu Shyiwa, the Tara Who

Is Blissful, Virtuous and Tranquil
We’ve finished C1) Praise for the Sambhogakaya Aspects, and now
we will start with C2) Praise for the Dharmakaya Aspect.
C2. Praise for the Dharmakaya Aspect
Homage to you, blissful, gracious and tranquil,

Whose domain is the peace of nirvān.a.
With om
. and svāhā in perfect union,
You lay to waste every terrible evil.
[Homage to you, blissful, virtuous and tranquil,

Whose field is the peace of nirvān.a.
By the root mantra with the om
. and svāhā,
You lay to waste every terrible evil.]
This Tara is also called Tara Praśāntı̄ or Drolma Rabtu Shyiwa, the
Tara who is blissful, virtuous and tranquil. This Tara is white in color.
On the pistil of an utpala flower, held in her left hand, stands a perfect
vase from which nectar rains down.
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“Homage to you, blissful, virtuous and tranquil”: “Blissful” here refers

to the fruit this Tara has attained, which is one of uncontaminated
bliss, free from suffering. The second quality she has is “tranquil”.
“Tranquil” means that she has exhausted the objects of karma and
afflictive emotions. “Virtuous”, states that from the aspect of the
causal stage, all of her conduct has been virtuous, and that she has
refrained from all conduct that was non-virtuous while still in the
causal stage of her spiritual practice. Because of these three qualities,
she is also called “mother of bliss”, “mother of virtue”, and “mother
of tranquility”. Because she has realized all Dharmas and is free
from the two obscurations, her field is the peace of nirvana, meaning
that she has actualized the nondual Dharmakaya that is mentioned
in The Ornament of Clear Realization. She is the true Samantabhadri.
According to the Tantrayana, Samantabhadri is the Dharmakaya of
Tara and Tara is the Sambhogakaya of Samantabhadri. Thus, she
abides within the peace of nirvana. With OM at the beginning and
SVAHA at the end, her complete root mantra is “Om Tare Tuttare Ture
Svaha”. By reciting this mantra and visualizing light emitting from
the body of this Tara, all the negative karma that we have committed
since beginningless time can be purified. Even such great downfalls
as the five heinous crimes, killing people and breaching the four
root downfalls of the vows of “individual liberation”, can be purified
through reciting this mantra and visualizing this particular Tara.
From the vase that rests upon the utpala flower, held in her hand,
nectars rain down that purify all the wrong deeds that have been
committed by sentient beings since beginningless time.
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In certain Tara sadhanas, Lord Atisha taught that the Tara practices
include the four activities of pacifying, enriching, magnetizing, and
subjugating. In particular, the activity of pacifying our wrong deeds,
illnesses and suffering, can be accomplished through the Tara practice.
In the Venerable Jigme Lingpa’s terma, there are also Tara practices.
In one of these termas, it mentions the ten qualities of Tara practice,
including, increasing wisdom, merit, and dispelling demonic forces.
The last of the ten says that Tara practice purifies negativities. In terms
of purifying negativities, while practicing Vajrasattva is a good choice,
reciting the Praises to the Twenty-One Taras and the Tara mantra are
also good ways of confessing our misdeeds.
There are many cases where misdeeds have been purified and illnesses
dispelled through the Tara practice. In India’s historical past, there
was once a well-known Brahman teacher that had many Brahman
followers. At one point, due to the ripening of his karma, this Brahman
teacher contracted leprosy. Because this disease is highly contagious,
one by one, his followers became ill until all 500 brahmans had become
infected with this lethal disease. This made their lives very difficult
because, up until that point, they had depended on the support of
others to survive. When their supporters learned that they were
all sick with leprosy, they no longer brought them food and other
donations, so the entire sangha was forced to live as beggars. One day,
they saw a carved stone Tara by the side of the road holding a slim
vase in her hand. Sincere devotion to this Tara arose in them, and so,
they prayed to her to cure their disease and to dispel the suffering
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they were experiencing as a result of their extreme poverty. As they

began to earnestly pray, a stream of nectar began to flow from her
vase, and as the nectar fell upon their emaciated and disease-ravaged
bodies, their leprosy was immediately cured.
Whenever I think of sick people who are suffering miserably, especially

those who are bed-ridden for long periods of time, I feel terribly for
them. We might find it hard to empathize with those who are ill, when
we are healthy, but once we fall sick, we will certainly understand
how unbearable their suffering is. Some illnesses are simply living
torture. Whenever we fall sick or see others who are ill, we can
dispel the suffering of this illness by visualizing Tara. There are many
methods of visualizing Tara, through which others’ suffering of illness
or our own diseases can be dispelled. For example, by visualizing
the image of Tara and of her nectar showering down upon us, our
misdeeds, suffering and illnesses can all be washed away. This is
an extraordinarily effective practice to clear away negativities and
illnesses. All the negativities we create, as well as the suffering that we
experience due to the ripening of karma, can be purified by practicing
Tara. I once read a story about a Han Chinese woman who was very
distressed for having brought forth no children after eight years of
marriage. She tried every way possible to get pregnant but all of her
efforts had failed. Hearing that Tara was very powerful, she prayed
to Tara and recited her mantra earnestly, and after only one month
of performing this practice, she became pregnant. By the blessing of
Tara, much of her negative karma had been cleansed and favorable
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conditions for her pregnancy had emerged, after which, she aspired
to continue her Tara practice for the rest of her life.
Personally, I believe that the Tara practice is especially suitable for

people in these troubled times. Tara not only bestows upon us the
ultimate bliss of nirvana, but also is very powerful in helping us to
fulfill our worldly wishes. Why do Indians and Tibetans like Tara
practice so much? It is because they are ordinary beings with worldly
wishes. Almost all ordinary people wish for power, to become rich, to
have a pleasant appearance, to manage a successful business and to
be healthy and live a long life, and so on and so forth. None of these
wishes are beyond Tara’s power to fulfill. In particular, if you want
a good job or a successful career, this can be achieved by receiving
the blessing of Tara. There are certain kinds of severe karma that
can’t be reversed, such as the grave karma committed in the past or
in this present life, the results of which are certain to ripen and be
experienced in this life or in future lives. Besides these though, all
other negative karma can be swiftly reversed with Tara’s blessing.
I believe that most ordinary people like blessings. Today at noon,
a young girl followed me as I was walking on the road. I looked
back and walked faster, but she caught up to me. Holding a khata in
her hands, she said that she wished for my blessing. When I asked,
“What do you want the blessing for?” She replied, “Peace, safety and
a smooth life.” I felt that her wish reflects the expectation of most
ordinary people. Few people ask for a blessing for the next life or
for the attainment of perfect Buddhahood, or to be able to benefit
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numerous beings. Quite simply, they don’t ask for these things. All
they ask for are felicity and a happy and secured life. Felicity and
happiness are wishes that Tara can easily fulfill. So, if you want these
things, you should diligently engage in Tara practice, right?
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Drolma Barwé Öchen, the Tara Who

Is Ablaze with Light
Now, let’s move onto the next stanza, which belongs to B3) Praise for
Her Activities. It has six subsections, the first of which is C1) Praise
for the Activity of Bestowing Wisdom.
B3. Praise for Her Activities

C1. Praise for the Activity of Bestowing Wisdom
Homage to you, who, immersed in rapture,

Shatters the bodies of all your foes.
You manifest from the wisdom-syllable hūm
.,
And display each of your mantra’s ten syllables.
[Homage to you, who, immersed in rapture,

Surrounded by the hosts of noble ones,
Shatters the bodies of all foes, with hūm
.
The wisdom-syllable adorned by the ten syllables.]
This Tara is called Tara Kiran.ojjvalā, or Drolma Barwé Öchen, the

Tara who is ablaze with light or the Tara of the radiant and luminous
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HUM. She is of red color, holding in her left hand, the stem of
an utpala flower, on the pistil of which is a double vajra. She is
surrounded by the assembly of highly realized beings, vidyadharas
(“awareness holders”) and Bodhisattvas, etc., who are endowed
with such extraordinary attainments as, true speech, extraordinary
samadhi, eloquence, wisdom, etc. Encircled by those holy beings, her
mind is filled with supreme joy. Immersed in rapture, wisdom light
radiates from her body which destroys the bodies of her enemies.
Some commentaries say that enemies here refers to ignorance. With
her mind filled with supreme joy, her body emits the syllable HUM
and delightful rays of wisdom. Ornamented and surrounded by the
array of the ten-syllable mantra, "Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha", HUM
also radiates immeasurable light. The light from the syllable HUM
and the body of this Tara can totally dispel the darkness of ignorance
and self-grasping—the grasping of “I” and “mine”—in the minds
of sentient beings, in addition to all kinds of external foes in this
world.
If we consistently recite the mantra of Tara in our daily lives, all of

our enemies and adversities can be dispelled. Here’s a story that
took place in India a long time ago: Some 500 merchants set out
across the ocean south of India in three ships to seek treasure. As they
were setting out, their families came to see them off, feeling reluctant
to let them go, because seeking treasure was a risky business and
many never returned from such a journey. The ships carrying the 500
merchants set off, and after great effort, finally reached the Island of
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Jewels where they quickly filled the ships with ample treasure. As
they set off on their return voyage, the guardians of the treasure and
the lords of the ocean, who were not at all pleased, began to make
trouble for them in the same way that if we over-exploit the natural
resources of the mountains and rivers to the point that they are
destroyed, it will certainly provoke the local protectors, the lords of
the mountains, earth, waters, and trees. Thus, the lords of the wealth
of the seas caused a fierce wind to blow and caused there to be such
violent waves that the ships were nearly engulfed. All the merchants
prayed day and night to their various gods, each according to their
own faith. Some called upon Indra, some cried out to Maheshvara,
some called upon the Sun and some called upon the Moon. Some held
jewels in their hands and called out the names of the jewels; some
cried out the names of their beloved ones. At this critical moment, a
lay Buddhist remembered that Tara could save people in the most
difficult situations as long as they prayed to her. So, he began to recite
the Tara mantra. As he was reciting her mantra, miraculously, the
fierce wind and waves gradually became calmer and the three ships
were able to reach home safely. Whatever obstacle we encounter in
life, whether it’s the harm caused by the spirits of the mountains, the
earth, the sea or other enemies, as long as we pray to Tara, we will
certainly be able to overcome them and to clearly see the signs of the
clearing of these obstacles. I am sure that there many more stories
about Tara in both mainland China and Tibet. I have not yet gathered
a collection of Tibetan stories, but in my daily life, I often hear people
telling stories about how Tara has saved sentient beings from various
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kinds of trouble.
According to some great masters of the past, this Tara mantra can
dispel the darkness of ignorance and bestow wisdom. These days,
when people want to pass an exam or to increase wisdom, many
prefer the Manjushri practice. In fact, practicing Tara can also enhance
wisdom. For example, practicing certain Tara sadhanas or taking
sacred pills blessed through certain Tara rituals can bring an increase
in wisdom. If you are not familiar, or do not have access to the above
means, reciting the Tara mantra or Praises to the Twenty-One Taras, also
works. I’ve heard of several cases of wisdom being gained by praying
to Tara. There is one story of some students who were afraid of not
getting good marks on their exams, so they recited the Tara mantra
1,000 times on their way to take the exam, and they were rewarded
with good results. There are many cases like this. This applies to the
students here (at Larung) as well. If you are not well prepared for
your exams, you may recite the Tara mantra, but if you fail your exam,
it may cause you to doubt Tara’s blessing: “Why did I still not know
the answer, even after I prayed so hard to Tara?” Just kidding. I don’t
think that you would be this unreasonable. Actually, all Buddhas
and Bodhisattvas have the ability to bestow powerful blessing in
many aspects, such as enhancing our wisdom and increasing our
compassion. It’s just that we lack the key of “faith”, and it is this
lack that prevents us from getting access to the treasures of their
boundless blessing.
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Drolma Pakmé Nönam, the Tara of

Limitless Subjugation
C2. Praise for the Activity of Protecting from the Horrors of
Enemies
Homage to Ture, your feet stomping boldly,

Formed from the seed of the syllable hūm
..
And all the three worlds, you cause them to quake.
[Homage to Ture, your feet stomping boldly,

Whose seed syllable appears in the form of hūm
..
And all the three worlds, you cause them to quake.]
This stanza pays homage to Tara Aprameyākraman.ı̄, or Drolma Pakmé

Nönam in Tibetan, the Tara who causes the three worlds to tremble, or
the Tara of limitless subjugation. This Tara is reddish yellow in color.
Her seated posture and mudra are the same as those of the previous
Taras, except that upon her utpala flower is a stupa. Speaking of this,
there are twenty-one Taras named in this Praise, and their images are
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all different. In this teaching, I’ve tried to introduce their features so

that you will know them better, but I didn’t go into the deepest level
of meaning, as this is very difficult to understand. This particular
Tara assumes an image of stomping her feet upon the earth. Her seed
syllable appears in the form of HUM, and from this HUM radiates
boundless light. The light causes the mountains of Meru, Mandara
and Vindhya to tremble. In the realms of gods, nagas, or humans,
there are mountains that are known in different realms by either the
same name or by different names. In general, it can be said these
mountains are not easily shaken by external forces. However, through
the power of Tara’s seed syllable HUM, the entire triple world—the
desire, form, and formless realms, including all the mountains, rivers
and grounds within them, can be shaken and caused to tremble. So,
there is nothing in this world that can’t be defeated by the power of
Tara. We can say that even the most horrendous forces in the world,
including demonic forces and other uncontrollable influences, can all
be subjugated by this Tara.
From both historical and contemporary reports, we know that the

blessing of Tara is beyond incredible. There are many people who
didn’t, at first, believe in Tara, but later generated a strong faith in
her. In ancient India, there was a great Pandita of the Theravada
school whose name was Sanghamitra. He was a scholar who was well-
learned in the Abhidharmakosa. One time, the Buddha Shakyamuni
appeared to him in a dream and beside the Buddha there was a
blue goddess. The goddess told him: “You should train well in the
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Great Vehicle, in addition to learning the Theravada teachings.” After

waking up, he decided to follow her advice. Actually, the blue lady
was Tara, who appeared as a goddess who was different from her
normal form. In order to follow her instruction, this great Pandita
decided to immediately go to Kashmir to study Mahayana Buddhism
extensively. On his journey to seek teachings, he was captured by a
troop of bandits. These bandits took him to the shrine of a Hindu
goddess and intended to kill him there as an offering to this female
deity. Faced with grave danger, he thought of Tara and began to pray
fiercely to her. Spontaneously, by the swift and responsive blessing
of Tara, the statue of the female Hindu goddess split into many
fragments. Seeing this, the bandits became extremely frightened and
ran away, leaving the master free to continue on his way.
Some individuals who have studied Theravada Buddhism, as well as

some practitioners of Chinese Buddhism, may doubt the practice of
Tara, or the Vajrayana teachings as a whole. This is a seriously mis-
guided view as their doubts are truly groundless. To study Buddhism
holistically, one needs to study not only the Sutrayana but also the
Tantrayana. Without learning the Tantrayana, one’s understanding
of Buddhism is not complete, and needs to be complemented. By
learning the Sutrayana and not the Tantrayana, we will remain ig-
norant of those vital and profound Tantric teachings. Many people
think that the Pure Land school is categorized as following only the
Sutrayana teachings, but that is not the case. Many theories found
within the Pure Land school can be interpreted as being based on the
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Tantrayana; this will give you a more complete understanding. Such

theories as the validity of Sukhavati, the true kayas of Amitabha and
how he liberates sentient beings, and even more, can be more fully
understood by including the Tantric approach. I wish to make this
point very clearly.
To continue with what we have been discussing, praying to Tara can

help to overcome lots of suffering, including unfavorable conditions
that occur in our practice. Some people say: “Demonic forces are very
scary. Wrong paths and evil demons are rampant. We will not be able
to defeat them.” At moments like these, the scarier the evil forces are,
the more sincerely we need to pray to Tara. Whether in your own
practice or in such activities of spreading the Dharma as establishing
a monastery, if you find the obstacle to be undefeatable, you must
remember to pray to Tara.
At one time in India, there was a Theravada monastery where many

monks of the Theravada school resided and were diligently engaged in
their practice. At some point, however, rakshasas began to often appear
around that monastery, and several monks who were meditating in
the forest around the monastery, were eaten by these rakshasas. This
happened frequently. One day, a novice monk was meditating under
a tree and a black, ugly rakshasa appeared to him, baring its fangs and
looking very scary. The rakshasa snatched the monk and began to run
away with him. Knowing that there was little hope for his escape, the
young monk thought: “They say there’s a deity called Tara who can
save beings from fear in times of great danger.” In order to survive,
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the novice began to call the name of Tara. Immediately, a wrathful

Tara, brandishing a sword, appeared and threatened the rakshasa. In
extreme dread of this fearsome deity, the rakshasa let go of the novice
and promised to Tara that no further harm would be imposed upon
the monastery or upon other monastics. From then on, no harm from
non-humans ever occurred again to that monastery or its residents.
Speaking of this, as we know, at a certain time in the past, rakshasas
were rampant in this world. Now we don’t see real rakshasas much,
but other spirits such as fox spirits do exist, especially in northeastern
China. These days, some people are afraid of extraterrestrial beings,
some fear fox spirits and some are intimidated by various other evil
spirits. It is important to pray to Tara in moments when this kind of
fear is present. When I read this story, I thought about the way that we
tend to ignore or simply don’t care about how to deal with suffering
when we are happy. For example, when I’m healthy, if someone were
to recommend an effective medicine to me, it would matter not at all
to me, but when I’m very sick, I will listen to others’ recommendation
of medicine, even if I had previously rejected it or paid no attention to
it. However, if I am ill and eager to be treated, I will take this medicine,
hopeful that it will cure my illnesses.
Whether it’s a historical account or the kind of history that has been
passed by word of mouth, we should know that they all convey
some profound messages to us. These messages aren’t meant to scare
people, nor are they intended to make people superstitious. Truth be
told, modern education gravitates towards theories like materialism,
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which we have been bombarded with since we were very young.

Having these kinds of theories forced on us amounts to a kind of
brainwashing. Because of this style of education, we are trained to
conform to a materialistic way of thinking. Thus, many people don’t
have a high regard for anything other than the love of money. I don’t
appreciate this kind of education. This system corrupts people’s mind,
causing them to believe in nothing other than science. Trained in
this way, they deny all of the inconceivable happenings in this world,
which is the same with refusing to admit the effectiveness of unusual
remedies or things of that sort. I think that it’s fair to say that this is a
tragedy of humankind. If we had received some amount of Buddhist
education, beginning at a young age, more would believe that “we
reap what we sow”. When something miraculous happens in our
life, we would then have the ability to comprehend it. Unfortunately,
in the modern age, we tend to negate everything that is beyond our
ordinary perceptions. Such an attitude is an indication of mankind’s
ignorance, instead of a form of improvement or a sign of progression.
We should really reflect on the education that we’ve received while
growing up and how we can improve upon it. Therefore, when you
find yourself faced with profound Buddhist teachings, never think
that they are simply meaningless sayings. The inconceivability and
profundity of Buddhist teachings cannot adequately be described
through language.
All in all, we should pray to Tara when we meet disasters caused

by the imbalance of the four elements of earth, water, fire and air,
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that threaten the entire world, or when we meet with obstacles over
which we are unable to triumph. Larung Gar has gone through many
adversities in spreading the Dharma over the years. Every time that
unfavorable obstacles occurred, the whole sangha gathered together
to recite the mantra of Tara Marici, the Praises to the Twenty-One Taras,
the Mani mantra and other prayers, and most often, the obstacles
would disappear within a couple of days. When many Buddhists
get sick or meet with adversity, they immediately do some kind of
chanting and often will offer money to ask the sangha to chant for
them, as well. Non-believers are of the opinion that this is foolish.
“How can it help when things are already critical?” Actually, if we
dedicate our practice to certain deities, with their respective powerful
blessing, problems can be solved at once. To give you an example:
Say you are stopped by the police for violating a traffic law and the
car is towed. If possible, you will use your connections and get the
car back, by asking for the help of a powerful person, or if you are
supposed to be taken into custody for fifteen days, if you can, you
will call a relative who has the connections and influence to get you
out. In that case, a phone call from your relative can immediately set
you free. Stories like these are not unheard of and we never dismiss
them by saying that they are only legendary, right?
Build Auspicious
Connection with Tara
Lecture Six
I hope that everyone who has attended
or read this teaching, will complete at
least 10,000 repetitions of the Tara mantra
and one hundred repetitions of Praises to
the Twenty-One Taras, within a period of
one year. Our one-year collective practice
will enable all the participants to make an
auspicious connection with Tara. I hope
that all of you will join this collective
practice. I surely will.
– Khenpo Sodargye
Stories of Three Great
Practitioners Who Received the
Blessing of Tara
This is the last lesson on the Praises to the Twenty-One Taras. By the
end of this lesson, the noble qualities of the 21 Taras and the benefits
of this practice will have been introduced completely. I would have
been able to expound on this Praise in great detail as there are many
sadhanas and texts of the Tara practice available in both Chinese and
Tibetan, however, the main purpose of my teaching at this time has
been to briefly introduce to you the extraordinary benefits of Tara
practice. Thus, it is my hope that you will apply what you’ve learned
in these lectures in your daily lives. It is also my hope that, whenever
possible, practitioners in monasteries, at Dharma centers and other
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Buddhist groups will recite this Praise, as well. I see that many of you
now are able to recite this Praise fluently. This is important as the
prayer is often recited in Dharma assemblies in the Tibetan regions.
For this reason, it’s best if you are able to recite it in Tibetan. This
Praise is also commonly recited in Dharma assemblies in India and in
other places, as well. Some Dharma friends have been able to recite
it very well after having attended a Dharma assembly elsewhere.
Up to this point, there hasn’t been a tradition of reciting this Praise
in mainland China, but as we now have two melodies to recite this
Praise in Chinese, you can choose either of them, as both the chanting
performed by the monks or the nuns would work just as well. With
these two new melodies, it is my hope that you will spread this Praise
extensively in monasteries and Dharma centers on the mainland and
elsewhere. If the sound of praising Tara can spread across different
Buddhist groups, as a result of my inference, I believe that many
obstacles related to Dharma propagation will be removed, while the
favorable conditions for an individual’s practice will gather. So, I
encourage you all to make an effort to accomplish this.
Now, let’s continue with the Praises to the Twenty-One Taras. As I men-
tioned previously, many earlier masters had an auspicious connection
with Tara. During this course, there has not been enough time to
introduce all of the many experiences of general practitioners who
have received Tara’s blessing, but I have shared with you a few cases
of some of the great masters. In fact, many masters in India and the
Tibetan regions have had miraculous experiences with Tara, one of
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them being Bhavideva, the author of the Fifty Stanzas on Following a

Teacher, which we may study at some point in the future. It’s said that
his composition of the Fifty Stanzas on Following a Teacher is closely
related to the blessing of Tara. At first, Bhavideva’s Dharma activity
wasn’t particularly influential, despite the fact that he was proficient in
the Buddhadharma. For this reason, he wanted to make a pilgrimage
to a Tara statue in Eastern India, but to get there required crossing the
sea. During his voyage, he was seized by the inhabitants of a certain
remote island and was taken against his will to the island where they
resided. While trapped there, he suffered a lot mentally, because he
couldn’t teach the Dharma, nor could he benefit other beings. During
this difficult time, Bhavideva prayed to Tara wholeheartedly, and one
day, Tara appeared in his dream and instructed him to, “Sleep with
your head pointed towards the direction you want to go and you will
arrive there.” As he desperately wanted to go back to his homeland,
he eagerly followed Tara’s instruction and slept with his head pointed
in the direction of his homeland. The next morning, he awoke in his
hometown.
Upon returning to his monastery, he found that great changes had

taken place. Many great masters had passed away during his absence,
and many of the younger monastics had been influenced by new trends
of thought. Therefore, it was even more challenging for Bhavideva
to expand his Dharma activity than it was before he had left on his
journey. Feeling upset and annoyed, he attributed the failure of his
Dharma activity to the islanders who had created such great adversity
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for him. To vent his anger and take revenge on those beings, he made
the tarjani mudra or the threatening gesture, and recited wrathful
mantras. As a result, the island where he had been held prisoner,
sank into the sea. Later, Bhavideva felt really regretful about these
misdeeds, so, in order to purify this grave negativity, he resolved to go
on a prostration pilgrimage, all the way from India to Mount Wutai,
the sacred place where Manjushri resides. Before he could carry out
his plan, Tara appeared to him and told him that, “Prostrating to
Mount Wutai alone, cannot purify your karmic debts. If you really
want to purify this negativity, you need to compose a treatise that
that will guide people to attain Buddhahood swiftly. This can purify
your negative karma.” After years of meticulous contemplation,
Bhavideva realized that among all practices, the swiftest way to
attain Buddhahood is to appropriately rely on qualified Dharma
teachers. Armed with this understanding, he composed the Fifty
Stanzas on Following a Teacher. Although this treatise is very brief,
it was written under the direct instruction of Tara and provides
a collection of profound pith instructions which are essential for
attaining Buddhahood over the course of one lifetime.
A lot of masters of the past, after attaining accomplishments in

their Tara practice, made big breakthroughs, not only in their own
practice, but also in the expansion of their Dharma activities. Many
Dharma friends here genuinely wish to complete their Dharma
practice smoothly. More than that, some aspire to do all that they
can to benefit beings and propagate the Dharma. Yet, in spite of this,
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your abilities may fall short of your expectations. In that case, your
eagerness alone won’t be enough to help you to achieve your goal. It
must be done with skillful means, one of which is to pray to Tara, as
benefitting beings through engaging in Tara practice is known to be
very effective.
As we have mentioned, there are plenty of stories about Tara in India

and the Tibetan regions. Here’s another story from the biography of
a Tibetan master. It is a story of Gyalse Tokme Zangpo, the author of
The Thirty-Seven Practices of All Bodhisattvas, which you may find in his
biography, and which I have previously translated into Chinese. Once,
after leaving his hometown to journey to Lhasa, Gyalse Tokme Zangpo
was walking along a big river, where he saw seven or eight people
crossing the river on horseback. Just as they reached the center of the
river, they were suddenly swept away by the strong current. Tokme
Zangpo, fearing for their lives, immediately began to pray to Tara,
and a short while later, the whole group miraculously reappeared at
the surface and quickly arrived at the far bank, safe and sound, except
for one man and his horse. Just as this man and his horse were about
to be engulfed by the water, a tall man in a white pulu, with a grass
belt around his waist, appeared out of nowhere, just behind Tokme
Zangpo. Without hesitation, the man said, “I’ll go to save them.” He
dived right into the river, swam to the drowning man, and pulled him
up to the bank. After the man and his horse arrived at the riverbank
safely, the tall man in white disappeared without a trace. Everyone,
including Tokme Zangpo, was astounded by this and exclaimed at
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what a miracle had taken place. “But what just happened?” asked
Tokme Zangpo. Those beside him replied: “It must be the blessing
of Tara! That man must have been a manifestation of Tara!” Tokme
Zangpo nodded his head in agreement and said, “Yes, it must have
been the blessing of Tara. As long as we pray devotedly, the Three
Jewels will never deceive us.”
In our daily lives, when obstacles or adverse conditions occur to

oneself or to a group, it is of vital importance that we pray to Tara.
Also, individuals who frequently run into unfavorable conditions or
tricky problems that require an immediate solution should pray to
Tara. This is crucial. I’m sure that you will have your own experiences
when praying to Tara and when the conditions are ripe, we can
compile a book of your special experiences when praying to Tara.
However, we must be sure that the experiences collected are all
truthful and authentic. In the biographies of many masters from the
past, their miraculous experiences related to Tara and other deities are
documented and recorded. I think we should pray to Tara sincerely
at all times so that our own suffering as well as the suffering of others
can be dispelled. Please take note of this.
In fact, Tara is here with us all the time. Professor Yu Fang, a Chinese
student of Norlha Hotogtu, who lived for about a hundred years, is a
female practitioner who had gained a high level of accomplishment in
the practice of Tara. There is an analogy that she often used, in which
she referred to Buddha Amitabha as the President, Avalokiteshvara as
the provincial governor or mayor, and Tara as a neighborhood officer.
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She said: “It’s rather difficult to have the President, the provincial
governor or mayor show up to fix your problems, but it is fairly easy
to get the neighborhood officer to help. Tara is an emanation of both
Amitabha and Avalokiteshvara, and we can seek her help at any
time.” This is kind of a mundane analogy, but it suggests that the
manifestations of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are inconceivable. Tara
is no different from Amitabha and Avalokiteshvara and will bestow
her blessing for anything that we may need in our daily lives. Tibetans
seek help from Tara with all kinds of things, even when a thief is
about to steal, he will pray to Tara to make sure that he will make it
back home unharmed. So, pray to Tara in all circumstances.
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Drolma Mabja Chenmo, the Tara

Who Cleanses All Poisons
Now we will continue with the third topic under B3.
C3. Praise for the Activity of Cleansing Poisons
Homage to you, who hold in your hand

A deer-marked moon like a divine lake.
You totally cleanse all of the poisons.
[Homage to you, who hold in your hand,

A moon clear and bright as a divine lake.
You totally cleanse all poisons.]
In this praise, who we are paying homage to? To Tara Mahāmāyūrı̄, or

Drolma Mabja Chenmo in Tibetan, the Tara who is as majestic as the
Great Peahen, or the Tara who cleanses poisons. The Great Peahen
has the power to neutralize all poisons, whether it is the venom of
the nagas or an ailment caused by the nagas. This Tara is white in
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color. “Who hold in your hand, a moon clear and bright as a divine
lake.” means that she holds the stem of an utpala flower, on which
there is a full moon, which is as bright and clear as a lake of white
nectar in the god’s realm. This moonlight can dispel the three inner
poisons of greed, hatred, and ignorance of all sentient beings and can
counteract all such outer toxicants as mixed poisons, food poisons
and the poisons by which we become infected simply by seeing a
certain kind of venomous naga. All toxicants can be counteracted by
the radiance of this moon.
“With tāra twice and then with phat.”, refers to the way to recite
her mantra. The mantra of this Tara is OM TARE TUTTARE TURE
SARVA VISHA TARA PHAT SVAHA, which adds SARVA VISHA
TARA PHAT to the root mantra of Tara, “OM TARE TUTTARE TURE
SVAHA”. By reciting this mantra with TARA twice and then with
PHAT, “You totally cleanse all poisons”. Among all the outer, inner
and secret poisons, the poison of self-grasping is the most terrifying
one, as all ordinary beings are harmed by it. So, we need to remove
this poison as well as all poisons from the external environment. We
should pray to Tara to protect us from becoming contaminated both
mentally and physically. All kinds of poisonous conditions, including
the venom of snakes can be remedied through the blessing of this
Tara. In other words, all hostile conditions caused by poisons can be
eliminated by the Tara’s blessing.
There is a story in India that speaks of a very beautiful prostitute who

was very pleasant to her clients, and with her lovely appearance, she
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attracted many. Once, a merchant offered to give her a necklace of

500 pearls, just to spend one night with her. The prostitute accepted
these terms and set off at nightfall on her way to the merchant’s
house. As she was passing through a forest, she became very tired
and decided to take a break beneath a large tree. Unexpectedly, a
venomous snake snuck up and tightly coiled itself around the lady.
Quickly, her greed and desire were replaced by a great fear. She then
recalled that praying to Tara would remove all obstacles including
the harm from poisonous snakes, so she prayed to Tara desperately
and soon after, a sense of compassion arose in the snake’s mind and
it released the girl. Therefore, no matter what kind of danger we find
ourselves in, we need to pray to Tara.
There is another story from India, in which a young girl met a mad
elephant on her way to gather flowers in the forest. This elephant was
so out of control that it trampled to death anyone it met. The bloodshed
that the elephant left behind was a terrifying sight to behold. This
elephant caught the young girl with its mighty trunk and was just
about to kill her, when suddenly, the young girl remembered the
name of Tara and began praying to her wholeheartedly. Compassion
arose within the elephant’s mind and it soon regained control of itself.
The elephant set her down in the town marketplace and prostrated
to her. It picked up the girl again and brought her to a temple and
once again, prostrated before her. Lastly, the elephant brought her to
the gate of the palace and for a third time, prostrated its mighty body
before her. People were convinced that the girl must be embodied
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with great merit for the elephant to show such respect. As the prince
of the country was at the right age for marriage, the king then wed
the girl to the prince.
So, anyone, any ordinary person, by praying to Tara sincerely, will

receive her powerful blessing. As it is mentioned in The Excellent
Benefits of the Praise, every wish of ordinary beings can be fulfilled
as long as we pray to Tara earnestly. Whether it’s the wish to have
children, wealth, status, or to remain safe, happy and healthy, all
of these can be fulfilled by the blessing of Tara. In Han Buddhism,
Avalokitesvara is the one who helps the needy and relieves those in
distress through his great love and compassion. So, if we recall the
analogy that we used earlier, besides being the provincial governor
or mayor, the role Avalokitesvara plays, sometimes resembles that
of Tara. When Tara is “off work”, Avalokiteshvara also works as a
neighborhood officer to solve our problems. In any case, we should
know that Tara possesses many noble qualities to fulfill our worldly
wishes. With this knowledge, devotion to Tara will naturally arise in
us. Even when we see stone-made or wooden statues or thangkas
of Tara, we should feel joyous and generate veneration. With such
veneration and joy, our obscurations can be dispelled.
We have sometimes seen that great masters of the past, in their younger
years, appeared to be just as common as any ordinary man, or as
Milarepa said, they were just the same as any others before practicing
the Dharma. However, through their persistent practice, as well as
by the protection and blessing from deities, Dharma protectors, and
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dakinis, their Dharma activities became incomparably vast. Just as

Mipham Rinpoche said in his Treatise on the Modes of Being, when one
has the support and protection from deities and Dharma protectors,
even when one is on their own, his or her capability and power can
surpass that of thousands of people. I think this is unquestionable
to all of us. For every one of us, we should dispel all the doubts and
wrong views about Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and establish right
views towards these noble beings by studying the Buddha’s teachings,
and meanwhile try to pray to them consistently in our daily lives.
Perhaps influenced by the environment where I grew up, I have always

had immense faith and joy towards all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Whenever I had a little bit of time, I would recollect and pray to them.
Wherever I see their figures, may it be thangkas or statues, I feel
extremely joyful. I think that this is a small virtuous root of mine. It’s
very important for everyone to cultivate such virtuous roots and to
habituate ourselves through virtuous thoughts.
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Drolma Mipam Gyalmo, the Tara Who

Clears Away Conflicts and
Nightmares
C4. Praise for the Activity of Clearing Away Conflicts and Night-
mares
Homage to you, who is served by kings

Of hosts divine, and of gods and kinaras.
Suited in armor of joy and splendor
You clear away nightmares, soothe away strife.
[Homage to you, who is honored by divine kings,

And served by gods and nonhuman spirits.
Armored with the splendor of joy
You clear away nightmares and soothe away strife.]
This Tara is called Tara Ajitarājñı̄, or Drolma Mipam Gyalmo in

Tibetan, the Tara who is honored by divine kings. She is also called
Sitatapatra, “the One with the White Parasol”. From the Dharmakaya
aspect, Tara is Samantabhadri; from the Sambhogakaya aspect, she is
Vajravarahi or Vajrayogini; from the Nirmanakaya aspect, she appears
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as Sarasvati, Palden Lhamo (Glorious Goddess) and many other

goddesses. The three kayas of Tara are inseparable.
This Tara, Sitatapatra, is venerated and served by all the divine kings,
such as Indra, Maheśvara, and Vishnu; they all serve and venerate
her. Since even the divine kings revere Tara highly, it is without doubt
that human kings, national presidents, and prime ministers should
venerate her. Whichever national leader it is, he or she should follow
the example of the divine kings and pay homage to Tara. Considering
that the leaders of mankind only lead, at most, several billions of
people, they pale in comparison to the celestial kings who lead a
retinue of numerous gods. In addition, gods and such worldly spirits
as the mountain spirits, the river spirits and the tree spirits, as well
as kim
. naras, asuras, yakshas, rakshas, hungry ghosts, and more, all
venerate and take refuge in Tara. Therefore, if or when you are caught
up in frightening circumstances, you should pray to Tara immediately.
With her blessing, disturbances from nonhuman beings, malicious
spirits or ghosts will be pacified. Nowadays, there are all kinds of
disturbances caused by demonic influences. Some people talk about
being possessed by malicious nonhuman spirits. My suggestion to
them is to recite the Tara mantra as it can dispel this, and any other
kind of harm.
Tara can also help to pacify wars, and drive away our nightmares, as
well as all physical and mental discomforts. So, we should put on
this armor of protection, which is to visualize Tara’s appearance in
our mind and recite the Praises to the Twenty-One Taras, or the mantra
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of Tara regularly. With the power of our delight-filled and devoted

veneration of Tara, we will be free from the suffering of nightmares,
and be protected from wars and disputes between countries, races,
and families, as well as conflicts among Dharma friends. Nightmares
can happen as a result of various reasons. Some of them are caused by
the physical imbalance of the four elements, and some are caused by
harms from malicious nonhuman spirits or karmic creditors. These
harms can be relieved or eliminated through the blessing of Tara.
When Dharma friends have asked for my help after having had a
nightmare, “I had a nightmare last night and I am worried that it
means something bad. What should I do?” I tell them that even if
the nightmare signals something ominous, it can be dispelled by
Tara’s swift blessing. Speaking of conflicts and disputes, when we
are influenced by malicious nonhuman spirits, we can become very
critical of others. This can happen to Buddhists, monastics and lay
practitioners alike. They despise others in their minds, yet, they
still smile at them when they meet. Because this is nothing more
than a false smile, their inner feelings can still be detected. Such
disharmony is a form of “small war”. Normally big wars are wars
between countries, like World War I and World War II, but within
some families, family members can also have their own “World War I”
and “World War II”. It has happened that some family members have
also been completely defeated in these so-called “small wars”. These
days, it seems that wars are happening somewhere in the world all
the time. If we pray to Tara, it will help end the wars and promote
world peace. Yet, if the war is inevitable, praying to Tara will help one
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to gain victory.
It’s said that in ancient India there were two kings who fought with
one another for many years. One king was named Kumicha, and the
other was Asoge. King Asoge had a strong military and considerably
better weapons. He was stronger than King Kumicha in many aspects,
as well. So, he was confident that would defeat King Kumicha and,
because of his confidence, he became a bit relaxed. However, King
Kumicha came up with an idea. He called on all of his generals
and soldiers and told them to pray to Tara for seven straight days.
Altogether, they recited the Praises to the Twenty-One Taras, 100,000
times. When the two troops next fought, King Asoge noticed that
King Kumicha’s troops had become much stronger than in their
previous battles. Also, while they were fighting, a great number of
female warriors in black appeared amongst King Kumicha’s troops
and fought ferociously. Their faces were fearsome and horrifying,
and because Asoge’s soldiers couldn’t fight them off, in the end, King
Asoge’s troops lost the battle. Speaking of this, it’s very likely that Tara
liberated and transferred the consciousnesses of the dead soldiers to
pure realms. I’m not completely certain about this, but one thing for
sure is that Tara will never harm sentient beings. This story shows
how immediately Tara responds to the requests of living beings.
As a matter of fact, as long as one prays to Tara devotedly, she will

definitely reach out, even if it is to a villain. In ancient India, there
was a Theravada Bhikkhu who had rejected the Mahayana teachings,
burned lots of Mahayana texts in a fire and slandered the Tantrayana.
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This irritated the king, who demanded that the Bhikkhu be punished.
When the king’s men came to arrest him, the Bhikkhu felt terribly
afraid and went before a nearby stone statue of Tara and prayed to
her. Beside the statue, there was a small ditch. As he prayed, the
statue began to speak: “Get into that ditch!” “But the ditch is too
small to fit in my body,” thought the Bhikkhu, “How is it possible
for me to hide there!” However, having no time to give it too much
thought, the Bhikkhu got into the ditch and was able to hide there
successfully, thereby escaping from the king’s men and the king’s
punishment. Thereafter, he generated a strong, enduring faith in Tara.
It may seem unreasonable that Tara would extend her help to one
who had slandered the Mahayana teachings, but whoever prays to
her will receive her response due to her unfailing vows. Gradually,
beings whom Tara has helped, will become regretful for what they
have done wrong and confess their misdeeds.
So, I think, whatever negativity we encounter in life, be it a nightmare

or an adverse situation, we should pray to Tara immediately. When I
was young and herding yaks, there were times that I couldn’t find
my yaks. Then, I’d pray to Tara. Sometimes I felt embarrassed that I
had to trouble Tara with small matters like this, but it had become a
habit to pray to Tara whenever I was worried. Her blessing is indeed
very powerful. But we should not lose faith in Tara when things don’t
turn out the way that we had expected after praying to her. This is
because when your karma has fully ripened, you need to experience
it. No one, not even Tara, can alter it as the effect has matured, but if
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there is even a slight chance to make a change, Tara will help us. The
more sincere we are, the swifter her blessing comes. As I mentioned
in the teaching on the Seven-Line Prayer, if you have a strong feeling
and generate sincere devotion when praying, whether it’s to Tara or
Padmasambhava, they will resonate with your prayers and respond.
However, if you do not have sincere feelings, or even worse, you doze
off when reciting the mantra or prayer, will you receive the response of
the deity? Undoubtedly, merely reciting the mantra also accumulates
merit. Yet, whether or not one attains accomplishments in yidam
practices is very much related to one’s conduct and attitude.
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Drolma Ritröma, the Tara Who

Pacifies Plagues and Diseases
C5. Praise for the Activity of Pacifying Plagues and Diseases
Homage to you, whose eyes shine with lustre,

You pacify the most intractable diseases.
[Homage to you, whose two eyes shine with lustre,

You pacify the most intractable plagues and diseases.]
This Tara is called Tara Śabarı̄, or Drolma Ritröma: Tara, the dweller
in the mountains or Tara, who pacifies plagues. She is yellow-red
in color, and holds a utpala flower on which is a jeweled container
full of immortal nectar. The nectar can heal contagious diseases and
plagues that make sentient beings suffer. Her eyes shine with lustre,
bright with a sheen like the sun and the moon. This radiance can
dispel all kinds of suffering and diseases that strike human beings.
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“With twice-uttered hara and tuttāre” suggests the way to recite her
mantra. By reciting the mantra with TUTTARE and HARA twice, all
deadly epidemics and contagious diseases can be annihilated. Her
mantra is OM TARE TUTTARE TURE NAMA TARE MANO HARA
HUNG HARA SVAHA. OM TARE TUTTARE TURE remains the
same with Tara’s root mantra. The latter part, NAMA TARE MANO
HARA HUNG HARA SVAHA has two HARA, and the former part
has one TUTTARE. This mantra can pacify deadly epidemics and
sicknesses in the world. Even such awful diseases that exist in the
world today, such as leprosy, cancer, and AIDS can be removed swiftly
by the blessing of Tara and her mantra.
There is a well-known story in the Tibetan region where a kind of

epidemic struck an area and almost wiped out the entire population.
People tried everything to control it but to no avail. There was a
practitioner in the mountains nearby, who had been in retreat for
years. The villagers went to him for help. Through divination and
observation, he told the people from the village to hang prayer flags
of Tara everywhere throughout the region. Speaking of prayer flags,
there are not only Tara prayer flags in the Tibetan region, but prayer
flags of Avalokiteshvara, Vajrasattva, and others, as well. The local
people followed the practitioner’s advice and they chanted praises
to Tara while hanging the prayer flags throughout the area. As the
flags fluttered in the wind, the people who were touched by the wind
were cured of their disease and no other epidemics ever happened
there again.
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Hence, we should pray to Tara when an epidemic or intractable

disease is going around. At the same time, we should also seek
medical treatment. Some practitioners don’t go to the doctor but wait
to die passively when they get sick. This is because they don’t trust
Chinese medicine, Tibetan medicine or Western medicine. This is
not wise. We should believe in the effectiveness of these types of
medicine. In the Lama Yangtik (“The Innermost Heart Drop of the Guru”),
it mentions several things that are inconceivable, stating that the
miraculous power of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is inconceivable, as
are the potency of medicine and mantras. Medicines contain within
them an incredible power. Similarly, mantras like the mantra of Tara, as
well as the Praises to the Twenty-One Taras, have their own inconceivable
power, as well.
Yet, such power is unknown to those who are not experts in these
areas. For instance, someone who has never learned about medicine
may find Chinese medicine quite odd. They may wonder, “How can
these piles of herbs treat illness?” If I knew nothing about Chinese
medicine, it would also be difficult for me to accept them immediately.
Personally, I find traditional Chinese medicine to be quite amazing.
The way that the doctors of Chinese medicine make their diagnosis
is very simple. By looking at your tongue or your eyes, they are able
to know your illness and prescribe herbal medicines accordingly.
Actually, there is a great deal of science behind this simple way of
diagnosis, so it would be unreasonable for those who know nothing
about Chinese medicine to criticize it.
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Similarly, people may wonder how a mantra which consists of nothing

more than several syllables strung together can be so powerful. Those
who don’t know about Buddhism may think that it’s meaningless to
hang prayer flags, hold a mala, turn a prayer wheel and recite sutras.
In reality, these activities are actually the opposite of meaningless. As
materialism is so deeply rooted in their minds, it is understandable
that some would think this way. A while ago, I met a teacher who
asked, “Why is it that turning a prayer wheel can be of great merit?”
I explained briefly to him about the logic behind. It is understandable
that he was holding some wrong views because he lacked a basic
understanding of Buddhist teachings and the function of mantras
from a Buddhist perspective. It seemed to me that he would need to
study Buddhism for a long time to understand all this. If, on the other
hand, we learn about the logic of the blessing mentioned in Buddhist
teachings, we will be able to understand and accept it. For instance,
in the Essence of Clear Light, it introduces the benefits and blessings
of samadhi and mantra. By studying this treatise, we will come to
understand the logic of these concepts and moreover, will completely
accept the point it makes as we will not find any points of argument
to refute it. There are things of mystery that can’t be perceived by
the eyes and mystical powers that can’t be physically touched, and
there is no reason for us to deny the existence of these things just
because we cannot see them. That being the case, what need is there
to say how improper it is for us to deny the profound meaning of the
Buddhadharma which we have not yet completely realized.
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As Buddhists, we must study these things systematically. On the one

hand, it can serve to dispel our own doubts and wrong views, and
on the other hand, when we are propagating the Dharma, people
will raise questions, either to challenge you or because they are
unfamiliar with the basic concepts of Buddhism. In times like these,
we shouldn’t just keep silent or find an excuse not to answer their
questions. That would be inappropriate. In fact, we should work
through their doubts by answering their questions in accordance with
the Buddhist teachings.
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Drolma Özer Chenma, She Who

Destroys Zombies and Malicious
Nonhuman Spirits
C6. Praise for the Activity of Accomplishing All Dharma Activ-
ities
Homage to you, who have the power to free,

You put forth the realities as a set of three.
The hordes of grahas, vetālas, and yaks.as.
[Homage to you, who with a set of three realities

Have the miraculous power to pacify.
The hordes of grahas, vetālas, and yaks.as.]
This is paying homage to Tara Mārı̄cı̄, or Drolma Özer Chenma in

Tibetan. She is Tara, “Rays of Light”. This Tara is white in color
and holds in her left hand an utpala flower, upon which stand the
auspicious golden fishes.
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How to practice the visualization of this Tara? “Who with a set of

three realities” refers to the three syllables of OM AH HUNG. Vividly
visualize Tara Mārı̄cı̄ with a set of the three syllables of reality—OM
AH HUNG. Centered at Tara Mārı̄cı̄’s forehead is the white OM, at
her throat is the red AH, and at her heart is the blue HUNG. Three
colors of light radiate from the syllables and touch all beings. By such
power, the bodies, speech and minds of those beings, are transformed
into the three vajras, i.e. vajra body, vajra speech, and vajra mind.
The light of Tara Mārı̄cı̄ has the power to bestow peace on all beings.
What does this mean? Ordinary beings lack many qualities such as
wisdom, compassion and faith. With Tara Mārı̄cı̄’s blessing, beings are
freed from afflictions and their virtues and qualities are then revealed.
“Supreme Ture, you completely destroy the hordes of grahas, vetālas,
and yaks.as.” suggests that Tara Mārı̄cı̄ can completely destroy all
such evil beings in the world as grahas, vetalas, and yakshas. In sum,
this practice is to visualize light emanating from the three doors of
Tara Mārı̄cı̄ which purifies the bodies, speeches, and minds of all
beings. As the light reaches those who create obstacles for Dharma
practitioners, including non-human beings and demonic beings, it
has the power to dispel their evil thoughts and bring forth happiness,
both to themselves and to the subjects they seek to harm. The practice
of Tara is nothing like the way that some countries use the military
and nuclear weapons to try to wipe out others in seconds. It is actually
an exceptionally powerful practice that frees from suffering those
beings who appear to have been destroyed by Tara.
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There is a story about Master Jnanadeva, who was a disciple of Shan-

tideva. After studying and teaching for a long time in Southern India,
he went to meditate in the snow mountains. When he arrived in a cer-
tain small town, he found that the town had been experiencing harm
from evil spirits. Many people in the district had died from the harm
caused by these nonhuman spirits, and corpses were everywhere.
When the Master arrived, a terrible vetala, or zombie, came running
towards him. At that moment, Master Jnanadeva threw his Phurba,
a ritual dagger over which he had recited Tara’s mantra, toward the
zombie. When his Phurba hit the zombie, it immediately collapsed to
the ground, yet its consciousness was transferred to the pure land.
Through Master Jnanadeva’s invocation to Tara, a rain of nectar with
the power of resurrecting the deceased began to fall. By the power
of the nectar, the dead townspeople were once again returned to life.
This is a very unusual story. From history, we know that in some
regions of ancient India, evil spirits such as rakshasas and yakshas
were, at one time, rampant and brought great harm to people. There
are also many folkloric stories about zombies in the Tibetan region
and the mainland China. Although there haven’t been too many cases
in recent years, last year, a Dharma friend told me that he had seen a
corpse before he went to sleep. He was terrified that the corpse might
rise during night, so too afraid to sleep, he stayed awake all night.
Generally speaking, these days, these types of stories are rare, but in
the past, zombies were not unheard of.
Anyway, I believe that we should pray to Tara Mārı̄cı̄ consistently. At

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Larung Gar, we often recite the mantra and prayers to Tara Mārı̄cı̄
collectively in order to dispel certain kinds of negative circumstances.
In this degenerate age, we will inevitably encounter certain obstacles
over the course of our practice. Some practitioners have the belief
that life is full of happiness, but this is not true. On the contrary,
life is full of suffering. This is what all of us must acknowledge and
accept. Without this knowledge, we may not have the courage to
face suffering when it befalls us, however, knowing that suffering is
pervasive in life, what matters is how to recognize it, how to deal with
it and how to transform it onto the path of enlightenment. At times
like this, we need to pray to Tara so that we can transform suffering
and obtain real happiness with her blessing.
The End of the Praise and Other

Brief Prayers to Tara
A3. Conclusion
This Praise with the twenty-one verses of homage is itself

the root mantra.
[This is the Praise of the root mantra with twenty-one verses

of homage.]
217
This phrase that appears at the end of the Praise is always recited
along with the Praise. “This is the Praise of the root mantra” means
that in this Praise, all syllables of the root mantra are included, with
different syllables, such as TARE, TURE and SVAHA, appearing in
different verses. “With twenty-one verses of homage” means that
it praises the noble qualities of Tara from twenty-one aspects. In
essence, these twenty-one Taras are the same and are all inseparable
from Samanthabadhri. Yet, for the benefit of different beings, Tara
manifests in twenty-one forms, which, like Avalokitesvara, appear
in various forms to different sentient beings. In general, it can be
said that all forms of Tara are included in these twenty-one forms,
however, if we are to analyze her manifestations more specifically, we
will find that the number of forms in which she appears is infinite.
Other Brief Prayers to Tara and Merits of Tara

Mantra
There is also a very short prayer to Tara called the Brief Prayer to Tara.
If you don’t have enough time to recite the Praises to the Twenty-One
Taras, you can recite this short prayer as often as you like:
jetsün pakma drolma khyé khyen no

I pray to you, noble savioress Tārā,
jik dang dukngal kün lé kyab tu sol
May you protect us from all danger, fear and suffering.
218
This means: Noble savioress Tara, please be compassionate, bless

me, and know me. I pray to you to protect me from all danger, fear
and suffering. As long as you are willing, it’s easy for you to make
use of this prayer at any time and in any place. As we have been
saying, praying to Tara can protect us from suffering and fear. The
Tibetan term “jik dang” means danger and fear. Generally, there are
eight great fears. For instance, there is the fear of venomous snakes,
the fear of floods, the fear of fire and the fear of elephants. Not only
can these great fears be removed, fears unique to the modern world,
such as the fear of an economic crisis, can be dispelled as well. So,
calling upon Tara with this short prayer is crucial. Avalokitesvara is
widely considered to be the one who helps the needy and relieves
the distressed with his great love and compassion, and we can say
that such a title also applies to Tara. If all of us can pray to Tara
consistently, her powerful blessing will be well-received and will
bring great benefit to many beings.
There is another brief prayer to Tara that was composed by Mipham

Rinpoche, which the Larung Gar sangha would recite regularly. It
is:
om chaktsal jetsünn taré lhamo

Om
. ! We pay homage to you, reverend goddess Tārā,
tuttaré shyé dungwa kün kyob
With Tuttāre, you protect us from suffering,
tukjé tokmé turé pamö
219
Your compassion is unobstructed, Turé, swift lady warrior,

dak la drub chok tsol chik soha
Grant us the supreme accomplishment, svāhā.
Additionally, at the end of this Praise, is included the root mantra of

Tara:
OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SVAHA
Ju Mipham Rinpoche indicated in his Merits of Hundreds of Mantra, that

this mantra can dispel all deteriorations and purify all non-virtues.
It is also the essence of the mantras of the five Buddha consorts. By
reciting this mantra on a regular basis, it can protect us from all
disasters. In such places as Taiwan and Singapore, many masters
say that the more one recites this mantra, the more attractive one’s
appearance will be. That is likely why so many females like to recite
this mantra. As long as you pray to Tara, by making use of either the
mantra or this Praise, she will fulfill all your wishes and bestow all
kinds of siddhis.
Khenpo’s Wishes for Those Who Attend this Teaching
When H. H. Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche was still with us, every one
of us recited the Tara mantra 700,000 times. I will not request you
to recite that much, but I hope that everyone who has attended or
read this teaching, will complete at least 10,000 repetitions of the Tara
220
mantra and one hundred repetitions of Praises to the Twenty-One Taras,

within a period of one year. I’ll do this too. This is not too much for
you to finish. If we recite Praises to the Twenty-One Taras once each day
of our Dharma class, at that rate, we will finish one hundred times
of accumulation in about 3 months. Whether we recite the Praise
together in class or you do the practice individually after class, our
one-year collective practice will enable all the participants to make an
auspicious connection with Tara. I hope that all of you will join this
collective practice. I surely will.
Now, we’ve finished the course on the Praises to the Twenty-One Taras.
Many signs have proven that teaching and learning the Tara practice
at this time is very auspicious. As for me, I have engaged in the
Tara practice since childhood. Although I didn’t have significant
experiences or amazing stories of my own, I have great faith in it
and for this, I’m kind of proud. Therefore, I feel confident that I
am qualified to give this teaching to you, as since I was young, I
have experienced great joy towards this practice. In my school days,
Buddhism was at a low ebb and whoever practiced it, for instance,
by reciting Buddhist prayers and mantras, would be expelled if
caught. Even at that time, I never stopped my practice and just recited
my prayers and mantras silently. I have firm faith in this practice.
Now I’ve given the entire transmission to you, and throughout the
entire teaching, I’ve kept praying to Tara that she may grant her
compassionate blessing so that every one of you will receive her
blessing quickly, and that your wishes will be fulfilled under her
221
glorious blessing.
We should also aspire to commission and place Tara statues in different

places around the world, when there are appropriate opportunities.
Happily, at present, there are many Tara shrines in the Tibetan
region. Usually, statues of the 21 Taras are placed in a giant hall. In
our newly built shrine hall, we will install three principal statues:
Buddha Shakyamuni, Tara and Padmasambhava. I made this proposal
yesterday and the board of our academy has approved it. To build
such shrines in other places and countries shouldn’t be too difficult.
If statues of Tara and Padmasambhava can be placed in the big cities
of different countries, I feel certain that Buddhism will definitely
flourish there. In this Age of Degeneration, with the swift blessing
bestowed by powerful deities, favorable conditions for propagating
the Dharma will come together spontaneously. I hope that in the
future, Tara statues will be seen everywhere and there will be more
and more people reciting the Praises to the Twenty-One Taras. With this
auspicious origination, obstacles for personal practice and Dharma
propagation can be removed and more and more favorable conditions
are certain to gather.

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Praises to Twenty-One Taras∗

Textual Outline and Root Text vii

Lecture Four 117

Lecture Five 149

Lecture Six 185

B1. The Title

The Praise to Tārā with Twenty-One Verses of Homage

B2. The General Homage

B1. Praise for Her Historical Origin

Homage to Tārā, swift and gallant,

[Homage to Tārā, swift and gallant,

C1. Praise for the Sambhogakaya Aspects

D1. Praise for the Peaceful Body Aspects

E1. Praise for the Luminous Countenance and Radiance

Homage to you whose countenance is

Homage, golden lady, your lotus-hand

[Homage, golden-blue lady,

Homage to you, whose victories are endless,

[Homage to you, whose victories are endless,

E4. Praise for Subduing All Beings in the Three Realms

Homage to you, who with tuttāra and hūm

[Homage to you, who with tuttāra and hūm

Homage to you, praised by Indra,

E6. Praise for Crushing the Opponents’ Yantras

Homage to you, who with trat. and phat.

D2. Praise for the Wrathful Body Aspects

E1. Praise for Destroying Foes and Demons

Homage to Ture, the fearsome lady,

[Homage to Ture, the fearsome lady,

E2. Praise for Safeguarding Others

Homage to you, whose fingers grace

E3. Praise for Magnetizing All Hosts of Maras and Worldly

Homage to you, supremely joyous,

E4. Praise for Dispelling Destitution

Homage to you, who can summon

Homage to you, so brightly adorned,

E6. Praise for Taming Ferocious Beings

Homage to you, seated in a halo

E7. Praise for Protecting Self and Others

Homage to you, who on the earth’s surface

[Homage to you, who smites the ground with

Homage to you, blissful, gracious and tranquil,

[Homage to you, blissful, virtuous and tranquil,

B3. Praise for Her Activities

C1. Praise for the Activity of Bestowing Wisdom

Homage to you, who, immersed in rapture,

[Homage to you, who, immersed in rapture,

Homage to Ture, your feet stomping boldly,

[Homage to Ture, your feet stomping boldly,

C3. Praise for the Activity of Cleansing Poisons

Homage to you, who hold in your hand

[Homage to you, who hold in your hand,

Homage to you, who is served by kings

[Homage to you, who is honored by divine kings,

C5. Praise for the Activity of Pacifying Plagues and Diseases

Homage to you, whose eyes shine with lustre,

[Homage to you, whose two eyes shine with lustre,

Homage to you, who have the power to free,

[Homage to you, who with a set of three realities