TARA MEDITATIONS

GREEN TARA

Taking Refuge

I take refuge in all Buddhas

in the dharma teachings

in all bodhisattvas

and now especially in Green Tara

The enlightened thought

For the well-being of all beings and myself

I need to realize enlightenment

and especially to promote this fulfillment

and disperse obstacles herein

I practice this meditation on Green Tara

Offerings

Green Tara, I offer you sacrificial gifts

-       such as water, light, incense, flowers, and nectar –

with the purpose of cultivating my grateful attitude towards You

and our interdependent wholeness

Visualization

Out of emptiness emerges a lotus

that opens and surrounds a moon disc..

above the moon disc manifests Green Tara

in a meditation posture..

she has a youthfully maternal radiance

with emerald green grace..

in her left hand she holds an open pink lotus

and in her right a bowl of nectar

which clarifies intention..

she is adorned with beautiful and emerald-colored

clothing and jewelry..

she can assume two forms

one with a peaceful facial expression

and one with an angry one..

Amogasiddhi is on her crown

Prayers

Precious Green Tara

You who embody the intentionally accomplished wisdom energy..

I ask you, may You assist us all with

fulfilling our urgent dharma projects

and disperse jealousy, sluggishness, resistance, and other obstacles

that may arise herein..

I also ask you,

may You fulfill the following special wishes:

(here follow concentrated thoughts or recitation of today's wishes..

Tara dissolves into light energy which is absorbed by oneself,

after which the mantra is recited 36 times or as many times as possible..

after mantra recitation, one can meditate and rest for a while

and let the events in one's inner self fall into place)

Mantra

OM TARE TUTARE TURE SOHA

Dedication

May I and others, thanks to this meditation,my prayers and concentrated intentions

have our wishes fulfilled

and may the development towards enlightenment be promoted

and the obstacles on our path be transformatively dispersed

YELLOW TARA

Taking Refuge

I take refuge in all Buddhas

in the dharma teachings

in all bodhisattvas

and now especially in Yellow Tara

The enlightened thought

For the well-being of all beings and myself

I need to realize enlightenment

and especially to promote

transformative and enriching maturity

and transform obstacles into natural generosity

I practice this meditation over Yellow Tara

Offerings

Yellow Tara, I offer you sacrificial gifts

-       such as water, light, incense, flowers, nectar, and mantras –

with the purpose of cultivating my grateful attitude towards You

and our interdependent wholeness

Visualization

Out of emptiness emerges a lotus

that opens and surrounds a moon disc..

above the moon disc manifests Yellow Tara

in a meditation posture..

she has a youthfully maternal radiance

with golden grace..

in her right hand with a giving gesture

she generously holds various plants

and the left is in a meditative gesture..

she is adorned with colorful and beautiful clothing

and many golden jewelry..

like a multifaceted jewel she can assume different forms

both peaceful and wrathful..

Ratnasambhava is on her crown

Prayers

Precious Yellow Tara

You who golden jewel-like embody

female enriching wisdom energy

with blossoming love and protection..

I ask You, may You transformour ego-centered pride and greed

into naturally generous human dignity

and fruitful relatingand awareness of our essential similarity

I also ask You,

may You fulfill the following special wishes:

(here follow concentrated thoughts or recitation of today's wishes..

Tara dissolves into light energy which is absorbed by oneself,

after which the mantra is recited 36 times or as many times as possible..

after mantra recitation, one can meditate and rest for a while

and let the events in one's inner self fall into place)

Mantra

OM TARE TUTARE TURE SOHA

Dedication

May I and others, thanks to this meditation,my prayers and concentrated intentions

have our wishes fulfilled

and may the development towards enlightenment be promoted

and the obstacles on our path transformatively dispersed

BLUE TARA

Taking Refuge

I take refuge in all Buddhas

in the dharma teachings

in all bodhisattvas

and now especially in Blue Tara

The enlightened thought

For the well-being of all beings and myself

I need to realize enlightenment

and especially to promote heartfelt healing

and transform our destructive dualization

to mirror-like awareness

I practice this meditation over Blue Tara

Offerings

Blue Tara, I offer you sacrificial gifts

-       such as water, light, incense, flowers, nectar, and mantras –

with the purpose of cultivating my attitude towards You

and our interdependent wholeness

Visualization

Out of emptiness emerges a lotus

that opens and surrounds a moon disc..

above the moon disc manifests Blue Tara

in a meditation posture..

she has a youthfully maternal radiance

with sapphire blue grace in a mirroring water environment..

she has many vajras around her

and is adorned with beautiful blue clothing

and jewelry of gems and bones

with vajras around her neck and wrist and ankle..

on her forehead is a special blue eye..

in her peaceful aspect she has a vajra in her right hand

and in the left, which is in a meditative gesture,

she holds a bowl of nectar reflecting a moon disc..

in her wrathful aspect she holds a vajra in her right hand

and a bell in the left, with which she thunderously rattles..

Akshobya sits on a crescent moon on her crown

Prayers

Precious Blue Tara

You who embody clear-mirroring heartfelt love

and pure watery wisdom awareness

I ask You, may You transform wrathful and hateful dualization

to stable and unity-balancing reflection..

I also ask You,

may You fulfill the following special wishes:

(here follow concentrated thoughts or recitation of today's wishes..

Tara dissolves into light energy which is absorbed by oneself,

after which the mantra is recited 36 times or as many times as possible..

after mantra recitation, one can meditate and rest for a while

and let the events in one's inner self fall into place)

Mantra

OM TARE TUTARE TURE SOHA

Dedication

May I and others, thanks to this meditation,my prayers and concentrated intentions

have our wishes fulfilled

and may the development towards enlightenment be promoted

and the obstacles on our path transformatively dispersed

RED TARA

Taking Refuge

I take refuge in all Buddhas

in the dharma teachings

in all bodhisattvas

and now especially in Red Tara

The Enlightened thought

For the well-being of all beings and myself

I need to realize enlightenment

and especially to promote

the development of discerning perception

and welcome endless light awareness

I practice this meditation over Red Tara

Offerings

Red Tara, I offer you sacrificial gifts

-       such as water, light, incense, flowers, nectar, and mantras –

with the purpose of cultivating my attitude towards You

and our interdependent wholeness

Visualization

Out of emptiness emerges a lotus

that opens and surrounds a moon disc..

above the moon disc manifests Red Tara

in a meditation posture..

she has a youthfully maternal radiance

with ruby-red blushing grace..

she is adorned with artistically designed clothing, jewelsand representations of various Buddhas

especially Amitabha and Padmasambhava..

in her peaceful aspect her hands

are in an inward meditative gesture and her head is slightly bent

with the syllable AH on her forehead..

she resides in inner peaceful light

with a blissful expression on her face..

in her wrathful aspect she has a passionately red-golden radiance

and holds a vajra in her right hand

and a small fiery wrathful form of Padmasambhava in her left..

she has the syllable HUNG on her soles..

Amitabha sits on her crown

Prayers

Precious Red Tara

you who embody a discerning and enlightening attitude

I ask you, may You disperse desire, attachment

and clinging thirst

and transform these limiting conditions

into endless light awareness

I also ask You,

may You fulfill the following special wishes:

(here follow concentrated thoughts or recitation of today's wishes..

Tara dissolves into light energy which is absorbed by oneself,

after which the mantra is recited 36 times or as many times as possible..

after mantra recitation, one can meditate and rest for a while

and let the events in one's inner self fall into place)

Mantra

OM TARE TUTARE TURE SOHA

Dedication

May I and others, thanks to this meditation,my prayers and concentrated intentions

have our wishes fulfilled

and may the development towards enlightenment be promoted

and the obstacles on our path transformatively be dispersed

WHITE TARA

Taking Refuge

I take refuge in all Buddhas

in the dharma teachings

in all bodhisattvas

and now especially in White Tara

The enlightened thought

For the well-being of all beings and myself

I need to realize enlightenment

and especially to promote

the dispersing of ignorance and subtle pride

and develop wisdom understandingof reality's clear nature

I practice this meditation over White Tara

Offerings

White Tara, I offer you sacrificial gifts

-       such as water, light, incense, flowers, nectar, and mantras –

with the purpose of cultivating my attitude towards You

and our interdependent wholeness

Visualization

Out of emptiness emerges a lotus

that opens and surrounds a moon disc..

above the moon disc manifests White Tara

in a meditation posture..

she has a youthfully maternal radiance

with pure and stripped-down grace..

she has white, light, simple

and brightly rainbow-transparent silk clothing

and sparse jewelry..

in her left hand, which is in a meditative gesture,

she holds a bowl of clarifying nectar

and in her right, which is in a giving gesture,

she holds a simple white flower..

she has an eye on her forehead, in which the syllable OM exists

and eyes also in her hands, soles

and in some other places on her body..

in her peaceful aspect she has a blissful facial expression

and in her wrathful stance she blows out a storm wind..

Vairochana is on her crown

Prayers

Precious White Tara

you who embody stripped-down and simple purity

I ask you, may You disperse ignorance and subtle pride

and reveal the illusory world's

and reality's true nature..

I also ask You,

may You fulfill the following special wishes:

(here follow concentrated thoughts or recitation of today's wishes..

Tara dissolves into light energy which is absorbed by oneself,

after which the mantra is recited 36 times or as many times as possible..

after mantra recitation, one can meditate and rest for a while

and let the events in one's inner self fall into place)

Mantra

OM TARE TUTARE TURE SOHA

Dedication

May I and others, thanks to this meditation,my prayers and concentrated intentions

have our wishes fulfilled

and may the development towards enlightenment be promoted

and the obstacles on our path be transformatively dispersed

The Mantra

OM   I take refuge to

TARE   Precious Tara

TUTARE   Protecting Tara

TURE   Blessing Tara

SOHA   Enlightening

Summarily, when the mantra is recited:

Precious (Green, Yellow, etc.) Tara,

protect and bless us enlighteningly 

….

The meditations above have been composed by Jörg Fitz in consultation with Padmasambhava. Lottie Wahlin was helpful in our communication.