The Practice Sequence of Great White Soothing Tārā - Excerpt from "Tārā Illuminated - The Mandala of the 21 Tārās" by Melissa Shubha Abbott with Audio recording

Tibetan Buddhist Great White Soothing Tārā can calm profound disturbances such as illnesses and negative imprints. These are long-standing, deeply ingrained patterns that can be difficult to overcome.

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White Soothing Tārā is one of the 21 Tārās and is known as the second emanation of Tārā, or female emanations of enlightenment in Tibetan Buddhism. Her Tibetan name is Loter Yangchenma, and she is a manifestation of Tārā that symbolizes the transmission of Wisdom or non-dual enlightened consciousness from the Buddhas to all sentient beings. The first part of her name, Loter, means "knowledge-giver." The Tibetan term Yangchenma can be translated as “melodious, one who possesses melodies" or "source of melodies." Her name is Drolma Loter Yangchenma representing her innate capacity for giving knowledge through song, melody, or words. In Sanskrit, she is known as Sarasvatī and Vajrasarasvatī. In addition, the white color of Great White Soothing Tārā has the power to calm profound disturbances such as illnesses and negative imprints. These are long-standing or deeply ingrained patterns that can be difficult to overcome and she employs her pacifying and soothing effects on these circumstances. Tārā's peaceful expression reflects her ability to dissipate negativity and penetrate the innermost parts of the heart. Through her loving presence, she can help us to trust the connections we make within ourselves and with others in peaceful states of consciousness. Tārā's teachings remind us of the importance of cultivating peace, understanding, and kindness to achieve true and lasting inner peace. When this calming of the disturbances occurs, then the result is an opening in the channels of the body so that amazing knowledge, poetry, art, insight, and music can emerge.

Great White Soothing Tārās Appearance

Her resemblance to Green Tārā is striking, and she is adorned in a rich white color that represents her pacifying nature. Her radiance is akin to that of a hundred thousand autumn moons, and she exudes an exquisite glow. Her posture and hand gestures mirror those of Green Tārā, and she sits on a lotus throne with the full moon illuminating her from behind. In her left hand, she holds a blue utpala flower with a ritual mirror called a melong on its pistil. This mirror embodies all of her wisdom and reflects any offerings or gifts back to the practitioner in an enlightened manner. The HṚIH हृह् syllable is visualized in the center of the mirror, symbolizing knowledge and enlightenment radiating in all directions. This white light serves as a resource and gift for any situation, guiding the practitioner toward an understanding of non-dual consciousness and removing ignorance. Practicing White Soothing Tārā leads to an embodiment of compassion, love, and joy, ultimately leading to the Rigpa state.

The Melong activates what is known as the four wisdoms, which, is merely an expression of the one true wisdom, which manifests in four distinct aspects. In Tibetan, they are referred to as "so so yang dag pa'i rigpa zhi." "So so" translates to "individual," "yang dag pa'i" means "truly, perfectly," "rigpa" denotes "knowledge" or "wisdom," and "zhi" signifies "four." Therefore, this phrase signifies "four individual, truly perfect wisdom."

These four wisdoms are as follows: "don," which is the wisdom that accurately comprehends the definitive meanings; "cho," the wisdom that comprehends all phenomena, or dharmas; "nge pa'i trig," the wisdom that comprehends language or words; and "pob pa," the wisdom of ready speech that, through an understanding of beings' capacities, enables one to express great eloquence.

The Four Perfect Wisdoms of Speech

• The first wisdom of speech involves not just ḥuman language but also the sounds and vocals of animals and birds, as well as the elements of the earth: fire, water, air, and earth. It includes all sounds that our ears can perceive, from the faintest whisper to the loudest roar. This knowledge of speech reminds us of the power of communication and the understanding we all possess if we approach with open hearts and minds.

• The second wisdom of speech pertains to the concept of dharma or right action. This involves recognizing and appreciating the interconnectedness of all natural systems and entities as elemental intelligence. Dharma teaches us to embrace the interconnectedness of all life and to live in harmony with nature and one another. It encourages us to seek a deeper understanding of the world around us and to respond to challenging situations with wisdom and compassion with the innate knowledge that everything is part of the universal matrix.

• The third wisdom of speech enables us to gain a detailed understanding of the meaning behind all sounds and words around us, avoiding confusion or misinterpretation. This broadens our relationship with the world and helps us recognize the sounds of storms, wind in the trees, the ocean roar, and the vocals of animals. It also helps us appreciate the grace and complex elegance of language, encouraging us to use it as a tool for sharing ideas, opening to creativity, and building affinity which unites our experience of the world.

• The fourth wisdom of speech is the knowledge of communication and teaching. This wisdom involves developing a sensitive grasp of each individual's scope and abilities and using this comprehension to share our wisdom, understanding, and consciousness with others. When we recite Tārā's praises and mantras, we activate her blessings with this awareness, we enliven these four perfect wisdoms and spread her message of realization and mastery throughout the world.

The Praise of Great White Soothing TarI

I praise the One whose face is sublimely White Like a stack of a hundred full autumn moons, Who blazes with the illuminating light of a thousand stars together

Praise Breakdown and Meaning of the Teaching

Since the time of Buddha, anything perceived as beautiful, such as art or music, is believed to be a manifestation of Tārā's energy. Tārā is praised with the metaphor of a stack of a hundred full autumn moons, to express her beauty. The autumn moon is considered the most vibrant and clear in India and Tibet, symbolizing the radiance of Tārā's transformative energy. The reverence for White Soothing Tārā's enlightenment power is reflected in the homāge offered to her. The praise invites visualization and meditation on the bright, white light she emits, which is like the illuminating light of twinkling stars in every direction. If you think about the times of 1000+ years ago the full moon and all the twinkling stars were a bright but refined light, like a spotlight of energetic vision, when we understand this we can bring this subtle but brilliant visualization to our own practice too.

The meaning behind the praise of White Soothing Tārā encourages the use of visualization and meditation to uncover our genuine selves and understand the true nature of non-dual reality. This approach to visualization is not merely an intellectual exercise, but instead, it points us toward the direction of the non-dual state. Through the process of meditating and visualizing with these methods, we can gain a bonefide understanding of the potentiality and interconnectedness in our lives, leading us to develop true compassion, wisdom awareness, and equanimity to make enlightened decisions. The White Soothing Tārā practice is specifically outlined to assist us in uncovering our natural origin or nature-awakened state of consciousness as well as the genuine nature of the humanity around us.

The Praise to Great White Soothing Tārā contains deeper Vājrayāna teachings on the vajra body, a spiritual body that extends beyond the physical body. Specifically, the white element or white Bindu is linked to the crown chakra and can expand and move through all the various chakras and channels of the vajra body. The second line of the praise, Like a stack of a hundred full autumn moons, refers to a visualization practice where one visualizes one hundred full moons, one for each channel, to enhance the movement of the white element or white Bindu. By doing so, one can open, activate, and strengthen the inner channels or nāḍīs, enabling greater energy flow, and encouraging evolution and spiritual growth. So the praise contains a little meditation teaching for your practice, and unless you are very astute, you might not see that teaching right away but if you practiced enough you might stumble on to it by yourself. It was very common for teaching to be given in a way that might not be initially apparent to just anyone who came across it. These teachings are for serious and committed students and the practices of Great White Soothing Tārā are very powerful expressions of a higher power and directions to attain awakened awareness. These instructions are designed to help those who are ready to go beyond their limitations and gain new insights into the ultimate nature of non-dual reality. In addition, the energy of White Soothing Tārā is also connected to the release of darker destructive patterns and events in one's life. This release allows for higher and further teachings to come through unobscured by the stories, patterns, or saṃskāras of the mind. White Soothing Tārā acts as a sort of housecleaning, opening up the windows and doors and allowing the illumination of light to enter. This healing light energy helps to soothe and pacify the mind, allowing for a clearer and more peaceful state of being. Through the practice of White Soothing Tārā, one can tap into the transformative power of the white element or white Bindu within the spiritual body, leading to greater spiritual growth and enlightenment.

We are become illuminated with the white soothing light of wisdom, love, grace, power, and joy, and this inner radiance has the power to bring us to the Rigpa state and in turn benefit all beings. The stars in the sky serve as a reminder to us that we are all connected, sharing the same source of light, and the connective power of the universe.

The Mantra of Great White Soothing Tārā

Reciting the mantra of Great White Soothing Tārā has the power to disrupt (sarva) your usual patterns of thought. By chanting this mantra, one can find peace and clarity of mind. The repetition of these ancient Sanskrit syllables can soothe the physical sensations that trigger anxiety and distorted thinking. You are not just asking Tārā to dissolve and soothe you, you are commanding her with a strong word ( kuru), and you are invoking Tārā to pacify and eliminate all negative imprints (papam). Protecting from fears and negative energies, and bringing an overall sense of tranquility and pacification to the mind and body.

Oṁ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Sarva Pāpam Śintam Kuru Svāhā

ॐ तारे तुत्तारे तुरे सर्व पापं शिन्तं कुरु स्वाहा

Meaning of Great White Soothing Tārā’s Mantra Meaning

• Sarva - disrupt your usual patterns of thought calming

• Pāpam - eliminate all negative imprints

• Śintam - soothe and pacify

• Kuru - is the insistent directive to take action.

• Svāhā - so be it or let it be so

The Practice:

We will be starting with an Invitation and visualization of Tārā in our imagination. If imagining is difficult for you, then you can just feel the feeling of this Tārā within yourself.

To begin, we visualize or imagine large Spaciousness - night sky, open ocean, vast space, Hubble telescope, and in that vast space is a circle of the Māndala of the 21 Tārā’s with Green Tārā at the center and orbs of the different colored Tārās surrounding her in a circle.

Invite Green Tārā to take form before us. She appears as a luminous subtle body of green light, seated on a moon cushion in the center of her lotus throne. Surrounding her are our teachers and their teachers, with all twenty-one emanations of Tārā in the background, appearing in varying colors. We imagine ourselves surrounded by friends, loved ones, and supporters, who are also surrounded by their friends. The visualization continues until an infinite number of beings receive the blessings of Tārā's practice, with her light pouring into us and those around us.

We start by invoking the Green Tārā Praise begins with an homāge to Green Tārā and the root mantra.

Repeat the Green Tārā Praise:

All gods and non-gods bow down, touching their crowns to her lotus feet. She removes all forms of poverty, both material and spiritual. We prostrate to Mother Tārā and praise the Venerable Exalted Tārā. Tare, the Liberator, is swift and courageous, removing all fear through Tuttāre and bestowing all benefits through Ture.

Repeat Green Tārā Mantra 1X

ॐ तारे तुत्तारे तुरे स्वाहा

Oṁ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā

The Green Tārā Mantra can be broken down as follows:

• Oṁ is the sound of Enlightened Consciousness

• Tāre is an active form of the word Tārā, meaning Star, Navigator, Saviouress, and Liberator

• Tuttāre means supreme joy from having glimpses of the enlightened state

• Ture is the swift, remover of fear

• Svāhā so be it or let it be so

Speak the Refuge Prayer either verbally or internally to yourself.

For all of these beings and with all of these beings, I take refuge in the loving energy of Tārā, in the wisdom teachings from all traditions, and in the communities of spiritual practitioners around the world who have sought enlightenment in the past and are here now. May I be filled with love, compassion, equanimity, and joy, May I embrace true wisdom and understanding, and may I be surrounded by peace and compassion.

May I take refuge in the Buddha Tārā’s teachings and take refuge in the community of Tārā's Saṅgha or community. May my practice bring benefit to all beings everywhere throughout the entire world

Simple Version Refuge Prayer

I take refuge in the Buddha Tārā, the Dharma teachings, and the Saṅgha, a spiritual community of followers

Recite the Bodhichitta Prayer

Through the practice of giving, ethical conduct, patience, diligence, concentration, and wisdom, may I reach full enlightenment to be of benefit to all living beings. May I be filled with compassion and kindness, may I be an instrument of peace, and may I work for the benefit of all those around me. May my actions be pure and motivated by love, so that every corner of this world is touched by its radiance. May we all cultivate our inner light and use it to spread joy, understanding, and unity in this world.

Recite Four Immeasurable’s

May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness. May all beings be free from sorrow and the causes of sorrow. May all beings never be separated from the sacred happiness which is sorrow-less. May all beings live in equanimity, without attachment for those we hold close or aversion for those we hold at a distance, and live believing in the equality of all that lives.

Bring Forth a visualization of Great White Soothing Tārā

The 21 Tārā's practices have many types of White Tārās. The 2nd type is called Great White Soothing Tārā. She looks like bright moonbeams and is very beautiful and soothing. Many enlightened masters from the past used her energy to make art, music, and poems. They compared her to a spiritual white mountain called Mount Kailaśa (Kailash). She sits on a lotus flower throne with the full illuminating moon behind her. In her hand, she holds a blue Utpala flower. On the flower, there's a special mirror called a Melong. We can optionally visualize the seed syllable HRING or HRIH symbol in the center of the mirror or we can just see the center of the mirror as brilliant penetrating white light. This symbol reminds us to bring white light to any situation. This light helps us learn and understand things better by permeating it with this white light. It helps us to be compassionate to ourselves and to others. When we practice White Soothing Tārā, we become filled with the Rigpa non-dual state.

Visualize and bring Great White Soothing Tārās emanation before the Green Tārā in the Māndala of the 21 Tārās.

Summon your Masters, Teachers, Loved Ones, and Guides to be in the Visualization. Chant Great White Soothing Tārās Praise and Mantra.

Optionally: Visualize the Seed Syllables in your Tārā

The ṭam टं in the Heart, The Oṁ ॐ in the Crown: ॐ , the aḥ अः in the Throat, and the ḥum हुं below the ṭam टं in the Heart area. Visualize the HṚIH हृह् seed syllable in the Melong Mirror in the middle of the Utpala flower at Tārā’s ear.

Traditional Offerings

Make offerings to Tārā: Imagine placing in front of Tārā the traditional offerings of water to drink, essential oils flowers, incense, lights, bells, food, and music

Inner Offerings

You can offer any aspect of your life to Tārā for transformation. Whether you're struggling in your personal life or feeling distressed about the state of humanity, you can give those things to Tārā. Give your patterns, fears, shame, needs, ideas, problems, and situations - anything can be offered to Tārā.

Blessings and Transformations

Imagine Tārā sending you her blessings and insights, transforming the offerings you've given her into unobstructed wisdom blessings that you can use for your transformation but can then pass on to others.

Recite Great White Soothing Tārā Praise

I praise the One whose face is sublimely white Like a stack of a hundred full autumn moons, Who blazes with the illuminating light of a thousand stars together

Recite the Great White Soothing Tārā Mantra

Repeat the mantra for Great White Soothing Tārā at least 21 times or 108 times whenever possible. You can use a Prayer Bead mālā if you have one or use your fingers. Relax in the tranquility of repeating your mantra and allow its energy to envelop you both internally and externally. Take notice and absorb its essence.

Oṁ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Sarva Pāpam Śintam Kuru Svāhā

ॐ तारे तुत्तारे तुरे सर्व पापं शिन्तं कुरु स्वाहा

Meditation

Dedicate a portion of your time to meditation and reflecting on the genuine, deep-rooted bond you have with Tārā. This portion of the sequence is very important as it allows the energies and vibrations of the mantra to penetrate your being.

Dissolving the Visualization

Envision Tārā's emanation gracefully receding to its original place within the Māndala. Watch as the Māndala of Tārā dissolves into a luminous light and directs itself towards your heart, where a miniature form of Tārā is seated upon a lotus throne. Feel the light travel through your body in a counterclockwise swirl and out of your heart, permeating the cosmos. Remind yourself that Tārā is always with you

Offer the Merit

May the positive energy or merit produced by this practice spread throughout the vast universe. Dedicate the merits of your practice to the greater collective consciousness of the world, with the intent of bringing healing and enlightenment not only to yourself but to all beings.

Repeat the Great White Soothing Tārā Mantra One More Time to seal your practice.

Oṁ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Sarva Pāpam Śintam Kuru Svāhā

ॐ तारे तुत्तारे तुरे सर्व पापं शिन्तं कुरु स्वाहा

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Audio Great White Soothing Tara Practice: Listen and learn to do this amazing Tibetan Buddhist Practice. Tara is the Female Buddha of Enlightenment. Transform your World with Tara.

Thank you for reading and listening, Much Love, Melissa Shubha Abbott

Om Tara Tuttare Ture Swaha

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