Kenneth F. Thornton II
The Caves of Milarepa (Part 2/3 Documentary)
updated
11/2023
Best Friend, Buddy and I.
Photography Ken Thornton
PHOTOGRAPHY KEN THORNTON
photography Ken Thornton
Photography Ken Thornton 2024
Photography Ken Thornton
August 2024
Photography Ken Thornton 2024
Video Ken Thornton 8/24/2024
Video Ken Thornton 8/24/2024
Photography Ken Thornton
For more than 1000 years, the Four Corners area was dominated by this culture, but by A.D. 1300, Anasazi peoples had moved to the southern and eastern peripheries, where their descendants still live today.
8/15/2024
at the Edge of the Colorado plateau in Utah.
8/15/2024
9,000 year old Paintings depicting Ghost like anthropomorphic figures. Some theories are they're ancient aliens or artists stylized depictions of Holy Men/Shamans.
Photography Ken Thornton 2023
Lama Nyima
Amitābha is the principal buddha in Pure Land Buddhism, a branch of East Asian Buddhism. In Vajrayana Buddhism, Amitābha is known for his longevity attribute, magnetising Western attributes of discernment, pure perception and purification of the aggregates with a deep awareness of emptiness of all phenomena. According to these scriptures, Amitābha possesses infinite merit resulting from good deeds over countless past lives as a bodhisattva named Dharmākara. Amitābha means "Infinite Light", and Amitāyus means "Infinite Life" so Amitābha is also called "The Buddha of Immeasurable Light and Life".
Pure Land Buddhism offers a way to enlightenment for people who can't handle the subtleties of meditation, endure long rituals.
The essential practice in Pure Land Buddhism is the chanting of the name of Amitabha Buddha with total concentration, trusting that one will be reborn in the Pure Land, a place where it is much easier for a being to work towards enlightenment.
Amitābha says "If you wish to come and be born in my realm, you must always call me to mind again and again, you must always keep this thought in mind without letting up, and thus you will succeed in coming to be born in my realm"
People who sincerely call on Amitabha for help will be reborn in Sukhavati - The Pure Land or The Western Paradise - where there are no distractions and where they can continue to work towards liberation under the most favourable conditions.
The mantra is considered the body of Infinite Life Buddha, filled with boundless compassion and kindness, and splendid virtues and merits. Furthermore, it purifies negative karma and removes obstacles.
This is the sacred mantra of BUDDHA AMITABHA which protects you from dangers and obstacles, and overcomes all hindrances to your success. The mantra enhances your compassionate and loving nature bringing incredible blessings each time you recite the mantra--OM AMI DEWA HRIH
Mantra- Extensive Prayer of The Pure Land .
Lama Nyima
Link to this Mantra
http://www.kdk.org/images/Amitabha_Sadhana_v2.pdf
May All beings Benefit!
#tibetanmantra
#tibetanhealingmantra
#buddhistmantra
youtu.be/_At3-zJ-PdY
youtu.be/Ci6a-DgNIj4
Milarepa (1052 – 1135) is one of the most widely known Tibetan Saints. In a superhuman effort, he rose above the miseries of his younger life and with the help of his Guru, Marpa the Translator, took to a solitary life of meditation until he had achieved the pinnacle of the enlightened state, never to be born again into the Samsara (whirlpool of life and death) of worldly existence.
Out of compassion for humanity, he undertook the most rigid asceticism to reach the Buddhic state of enlightenment and to pass his accomplishments on to the rest of humanity. His spiritual lineage was passed along to his chief disciples, Gambopa and Rechung. It was Rechung who recorded in detail the incidents of Milarepa's life for posterity. The narrative of his life has thus been passed down through almost a millennium of time and has become an integral part of Tibetan culture.
In addition to Rechung's narrative of his life, Milarepa extemporaneously composed innumerable songs throughout his life relevant to the dramatic turns of events of himself and his disciples in accordance with an art form that was in practice at the time. These songs have been widely sung and studied in Tibet ever since and have been recorded as the Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa.
His faithful devotion, boundless religious zeal, monumental forbearance, superhuman perseverance, and ultimate final attainment are a great inspiration today for all. His auspicious life illumined the Buddhist faith and brought the light of wisdom to sentient beings everywhere.
Milarepa was born into the family of Mila-Dorje-Senge in the year 1052. His father was a trader in wool and had become wealthy by the standards of the time when his wife bore a son. The son was named Thopaga which means delightful to hear, and Thopaga, later known as Mila-repa (Mila, the cotton clad), lived up to his name as he had a beautiful voice and charmed his companions with his singing.
Tilopa ( 988–1069) was an Indian Buddhist monk in the tantric Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism
He lived along the Ganges River practiced Anuttarayoga Tantra, a set of spiritual practices intended to accelerate the process of attaining Buddhahood. He became a holder of all the tantric lineages, possibly the only person in his day to do so. As well as the way of insight, and Mahamudra he learned and passed on the Way of Methods.
May all beings benefit!
Reading by Kenneth F Thornton II
PADMASAMBHAVA'S TEACHINGS PLAYLIST
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrIJeqfYmUnfa9GsNFGbQ5FwKreKyxQds
Who Was Buddha?
Buddha is not a name, but a title. It is a Sanskrit word that means “a person who is awake.” What a buddha is awake to is the true nature of reality.
Simply put, Buddhism teaches that we all live in a fog of illusions created by mistaken perceptions and “impurities” — hate, greed, ignorance. A buddha is one who is freed from the fog. It is said that when a buddha dies he or she is not reborn but passes into the peace of Nirvana, which is not a “heaven” but a transformed state of existence.
Most of the time, when someone says the Buddha, it’s in reference to the historical person who founded Buddhism. This was a man originally named Siddhartha Gautama who lived in what is now northern India and Nepal about twenty-five centuries ago.
The traditional story begins with Siddhartha Gautama’s birth in Lumbini, Nepal, in about 567 BCE. He was the son of a king, raised in sheltered opulence. He married and had a son.
Prince Siddhartha was twenty-nine years old when his life changed. In carriage rides outside his palaces he first saw a sick person, then an old man, then a corpse. This shook him to the core of his being; he realized that his privileged status would not protect him from sickness, old age, and death. When he saw a spiritual seeker — a mendicant “holy man” ― the urge to seek peace of mind arose in him.
He sat in meditation beneath “the Bodhi tree” until he realized enlightenment. From that time on, he would be known as the Buddha.
#buddhistmantrasong
#buddhistmantra
Backcountry Western Colorado retreat
photography Kenneth Thornton II
Out of compassion for humanity, he undertook the most rigid asceticism to reach the Buddhic state of enlightenment and to pass his accomplishments on to the rest of humanity. His spiritual lineage was passed along to his chief disciples, Gambopa and Rechung. It was Rechung who recorded in detail the incidents of Milarepa's life for posterity. The narrative of his life has thus been passed down through almost a millennium of time and has become an integral part of Tibetan culture.
In addition to Rechung's narrative of his life, Milarepa extemporaneously composed innumerable songs throughout his life relevant to the dramatic turns of events of himself and his disciples in accordance with an art form that was in practice at the time. These songs have been widely sung and studied in Tibet ever since and have been recorded as the Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa.
His faithful devotion, boundless religious zeal, monumental forbearance, superhuman perseverance, and ultimate final attainment are a great inspiration today for all. His auspicious life illumined the Buddhist faith and brought the light of wisdom to sentient beings everywhere.
Milarepa was born into the family of Mila-Dorje-Senge in the year 1052. His father was a trader in wool and had become wealthy by the standards of the time when his wife bore a son. The son was named Thopaga which means delightful to hear, and Thopaga, later known as Mila-repa (Mila, the cotton clad), lived up to his name as he had a beautiful voice and charmed his companions with his singing.
Books on Milarepa
The Life of MILAREPA
The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa
Music/Mantra by Chöying Drolma and Steve Tibbetts
#buddhistmantra #tibetanhealingmantra
May all Beings become Enlightened!
Narration and Photography by Ken Thornton
Four Immeasurables 四无量心
SEM CHEN THAM CHE DE WA DANG DE WAI GYU DANG DEN PAR GYUR CHIK
May all sentient beings be well and happy and have the cause of happiness
DUK NGAL DANK DUK NGAL GYI GYU DANG DRAL WAR GYUR CHIK
May they be separated from suffering and the cause of suffering
DUK NGAL ME PAI DE WA DAM PA DANG MI DRAL WAR GYUR CHIK
Be inseparated from the perfect bliss which is completely free from suffering
NYE RING CHHAK DANG NYI DANG DRAL WAI TANG NYOM CHHEN POI NGA LA SEM RABTU NE PAR GYUR CHIK
May they all without least exception, dwell in the universal equanimity which is unbiased by attachment
Six Syllable Mantra 观音心咒
OM MANI PADME HUNG
Mantra of Guru Rinpoche 莲师心咒
OM AH HUM BENZA GURU PEDMA SIDDHI HUNG
Hundred Syllable Mantra 百字明咒
OM BENZAR SATO SAMAYA MANU PALAYA
BENZAR SATO TEI NO PA TISTHIRA DRIDHO MEI BHAWA
SUTU KHAYO MEI BRA WA SUPO KHAYO MEI BHAWA
SARWA SIDDHI MEI PRAYATSA SARWA KARMA SUTSA MEI
TSITTAM SHIRYAM KURU HUNG HA HA HA HA HO
BAGAWAN SARWA TATHAGATA BENZAR MA MEI MUNTSA
BENZI BHAWA MAHA SAMAYA SATO AH
Mantra of Buddha Amitabha 阿弥陀佛心咒
OM AMI DEHWA HRIH
Mantra of Long Life Buddha 长寿佛心咒
OM GURU AYUSIDDHI HUNGHRI AMARANI ZIWEN TIYE SWAHA
Mantra of Medicine Buddha 药师佛心咒
TADYATA OM BEKANDZE BEKANDZE MAHA BEKANDZE RADZA SAMUNGATE SOHA
Mantra of Manjushri 文舒心咒
OM AHRA PATSA NADHI
#tibetanhealingmantra
#buddhistmantra
Tibetan Buddhism, full of symbols and ritual objects, extensive attention has been given to the meaning of the word Dorje, in Tibetan, or Vajra, in Sanskrit: the lightning, or diamond, that destroys all kinds of ignorance, being itself indestructible, principle of spiritual and mental liberation, on which the philosophy of Tibet is based. The Dorje represents the firmness of spirit and the achievement of high transcendental virtues, able to drive towards the Truth, destroying unawareness.Made like a scepter, can be single or double: in its quality of lightning, typical of many Eastern civilizations, is compared to the meteoric hammer of Thor, and to the thunderbolt and scepter of Zeus; indestructible weapon for the wrathful deities, spiritual power for the benevolent gods.
In the iconography and rituals of Tibetan Buddhism the Dorje is always accompanied by a Bell, and together these two symbols represent the opposites that coexist: the bell is in fact a symbol of the feminine side, of the diamond, of the physical body, while the Dorje is the masculine side, thunder and mind. During the Buddhist rites the Dorje is held in the right hand, while the bell in the left one.The Dorje is often used in meditation rituals as a symbol of the union between the Relative Truth, represented by the experiences of everyday life, and the Absolute Truth, a state of being that we live in unity with nature and all that surrounds us. When during meditation both are used, the aim is to balance the masculine and feminine side of reality, and to achieve spiritual awareness.
Dorje Blessings- a film by Thomas Joseph Brown
May All Beings Benfit!
Known as the "father of mindfulness,"Nhất Hạnh spent most of his later life at the Plum Village Monastery in southwest France near Thénac,travelling internationally to give retreats and talks. He coined the term "Engaged Buddhism" in his book Vietnam: Lotus in a Sea of Fire. After a 39-year exile, he was permitted to visit Vietnam in 2005. In November 2018, he returned to Vietnam to his "root temple", Từ Hiếu Temple, near Huế, where he died on January 22, 2022, at the age of 95.
Nhất Hạnh was active in the peace and deep ecology movements, promoting nonviolent solutions to conflict and raising awareness of the interconnectedness of all elements in nature. He was the founder of the largest monastic order in the West. He also refrained from consuming animal products, as a means of nonviolence toward animals
Wikipedia
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Reading by Kenneth F. Thornton II
Mahamudra is a contemplative Buddhist tradition known for its simplicity. The practice is to be genuine, relaxed, and aware in every situation in life, to accept and appreciate who we are. To engage in its profound methods, we aren’t required to change our lifestyle, and any message contrary to that is not a true Mahamudra teaching. The practice of Mahamudra is an experience of our mind that’s completely free and joyful, no matter what our life brings us. It points us to mind’s true nature.
The meaning of Mahamudra is found in its name. Maha means “great” and mudra means “symbol” or “seal.” The Great Symbol referred to is the wisdom of emptiness, which is the very nature of our mind and of all phenomena—any object or idea the mind can observe or become aware of. Because it covers the totality of our experience, the Great Symbol is known as the all-encompassing reality from which there is no escape or exception.
A key figure for the Karma Kagyu lineage is the Indian master Tilopa (988-1069), one of the 84 Mahasiddhas or highly realised yogis. Tilopa is often depicted at the top of the traditional paintings (Tib. thangkas) of the Kagyu refuge trees.
He first became a monk at the temple of Somapuri in Bengal. It is said that one day, a dakini (female embodiment of wisdom) came to him in a vision and offered him her knowledge. Tilopa requested her teachings and received the initiation into the Chakrasamvara Tantra. He practiced this teaching at Somapuri, but when the monastery saw him take a female consort for the practice of union yoga, he was forced to quit the community.
Tilopa profited from his expulsion by traveling throughout India, searching out many teachers and learning their methods. He earned his living during this period by grinding sesame seeds (Sanskrit: Til) for oil – giving him the name by which he became known. It is said that he was given direct transmission of Mahamudra by the Buddha Vajradhara (Tib. Dorje Chang), who became his main teacher. Although he chose to live his life in remote and inhospitable regions, his fame as a meditation master brought him excellent students. The most important thing for the Kagyu lineage is Naropa, as he is the one who later on transmitted the teachings to Marpa.
White Tara Mantra
OṀ TĀRE TUTTĀRE TURE MAMA ĀYUR JÑĀNA
PUṆYE PUṢṬIṂ KURU SVĀHĀ
Translation
google.com/amp/s/www.wildmind.org/mantras/figures/whitetara/amp
Garchen Rinpoche was seven years old when he was brought to Lho Miyal Monastery and given the ordination name of Könchok Gyaltsen (Tib. དཀོན་མཆོག་རྒྱལ་མཚན་, Wyl. dkon mchog rgyal mtshan).
There he was recognized by Drikung Kyabgon Zhiwe Lodro, the 36th throne holder of the Drikung Kagyu lineage, where he was instructed by Siddha Chime Dorje and other high lamas of the Drikung Kagyu Lineage. At the age of 19, Garchen Rinpoche entered into a three year retreat which was interrupted after two and a half years due to the Cultural Revolution in China.
When he was 22 he was imprisoned by the Chinese for 20 years and put in a labor camp. During that time he met with Khenpo Munsel who became his root guru. Khenpo Munsel was a Nyingma master who taught him during the whole 20 years of his imprisonment. During that time, while enduring the labor camp hardships, Garchen Rinpoche kept on practicing in secret, according to his guru's instructions until he achieved the wisdom-mind which Khenpo Musel called "an emanation of a Bodhisattva".
Garchen Rinpoche was released from prison in 1979. As soon as he was released, he took it upon himself to rebuild the Drikung Kagyu monasteries, reestablish the Buddhist teachings, and build two boarding schools for local children in eastern Tibet.
Garchen Rinpoche first came to North America in 1997, teaching in Canada and the United States.
Wikipedia
#tibetanhealingmantra
#buddhistmantra
"Exalted Goddess, Mother Tara, you dwell within the mother, the unborn sphere of phenomena. Giver of ease to all sentient beings, please protect me from every peril!
Mother Goddess, please protect sentient ones who wander in cyclic existence - my mothers whose minds have fallen under the sway of afflictions and do not recognize that they themselves are dharmakaya.
Authentic Mother Goddess, please protect those in whose minds Dharma has not sincerely arisen - those who, following after (mere) expressions, have been deceived by base doctrines.
Mindful Mother Goddess, please protect those distracted by evil activities - those who, having seen the natural mind, so difficult to comprehend, do not habituate it.
Goddess of Nondual Mind, please protect those who, no matter what they do, are bound by the mental imprints of dualistic grasping at the mind that is self-arisen non-dual wisdom.
Omniscient Mother Goddess, please protect those ignorant of the meaning of knowable things - those who, though having dwelt in the true meaning, are not aware of the dependent relations of cause and effect.
Perfect Mother Buddha, please protect those beings - disciples who still [do not see] that all things, endowed with the attribute of unelaborated space, are inseparable therefrom. "
When Lord Jigten Gonpo beheld a vision of the Seven Noble Taras in the Echung Cave, he supplicated them [with this prayer, which] is known as The Seven [Verses of Supplication to Tara for] Protection. It is renowned for its extremely great blessing.
#tibetanhealingmantra
#buddhistmantra
Om Bekandze Bekandze
Maha Bekandze Bekandze
Radza Samudgate Soha
The mantra means:
May the many sentient beings
who are sick,
quickly be freed from sickness.
And may all the sicknesses of beings
Never arise again.
.
According to Mahayana tradition there are infinite Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and deities. They represent various aspects of the absolute Buddha-nature, such as compassion, wisdom, power, and emptiness. The Medicine Buddha embodies the healing aspect.
The Medicine Buddha is the highest possible model of a healer. Among the 12 vows the Medicine Buddha is said to have taken is that of curing just by the invocation of his name or the thought of Him. He was worshipped as the dispenser of spiritual medicine that could cure spiritual, psychological, and physical disease.
But this Buddha is not worshipped simply for healing powers alone; he is the form of the Buddha-nature that we aspire to realize in ourselves. Through the practice of meditation on the Medicine Buddha, one can generate enormous healing power for self and for the healing of others.
Mantra recited by H.E. Garchen Rinpoche
#tibetanhealingmantra
#buddhistmantra
Ekajati is the protector of secret mantras and “as the mother of the mothers of all the Buddhas,” represents ultimate unity. As such her own mantra is also secret. She is the most important protector of the Vajrayana teachings, especially the inner tantras and termas. As the protector of mantra she supports the practitioner in deciphering symbolic dakini codes and properly determines appropriate times and circumstances for revealing tantric teachings. Because she completely realizes the texts and mantras under her care, she reminds the practitioner of their preciousness and secrecy.
Red Tara has the power to change a life dramatically in a single moment.
Tibetan words for Red Tara mean - She Who is the Cause of Knowledge.
The Green Tara (Sanskrit: Shyamatara; Tibetan: Sgrol-ljang) was believed to be incarnated as the Nepali princess. She is considered by some to be the original Tara and is the female consort of Amoghasiddhi (see Dhyani-Buddha), one of the “self-born” buddhas.
#tibetanhealingmantra
#buddhistmantra
Chant by: Master Tsaring Rinpoche and Lamas at Nepal's Tsaring Monastery
In the course of the third turning of the Wheel of Dharma, Buddha Shakyamuni gave many teachings on Tara within the categories of outer tantra, inner tantra, and the Great Perfection (or dzogpa chenpo). All of these, including the Twenty-one Praises to Tara, became very popular in India. They were brought to Tibet in the eighth century at the time of Guru Padmasambhava, King Trisong Deutsen, and master Shantarakshita. Guru Padmasambhava gave many Tara teachings to his heart students, including King Trisong Deutsen and wisdom dakini Yeshe Tsogyal, who was herself an emanation of Tara. Over the next few centuries, Tara became one of the most popular and powerful deities of Tibetan Buddhism.
The twenty-one emanations of Tara, the mother of all the Buddhas, manifest swiftly to protect sentient beings from all fears, pacify evils, disease and misfortune, increase longevity, wealth and merit, overpower the deluded perception, and destroy the enemies of five poisons, one’s disturbing emotions.
There are many lineages of the 21 Taras including the traditions coming from Suryagupta, Dipamkara Atisha, Longchen Rabjampa and Terchen Chokgyur Lingpa. Each of these lineages portray the manifestations of Tara in different ways, with different mantras, and methods of practice
For more Info on the 21 Tara's
scribd.com/document/230908711/21-Taras-Specific-Mantra
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#tibetanhealingmantra
Photography by Kenneth F. Thornton II
ThunderBeing Films
The Diamond Sutra is relatively short, only 6,000 words and is part of a larger canon of “sutras” or sacred texts in Mahayana Buddhism, the branch of Buddhism most common in China, Japan, Korea and southeast Asia. Many practitioners believe that the Mahayana Sutras were dictated directly by the Buddha, and The Diamond Sutra takes the form of a conversation between the Buddha’s pupil Subhati and his master.
The Sanskrit title for the sūtra is the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, which may be translated roughly as the "Vajra Cutter Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra" or "The Perfection of Wisdom
Narrated by Kenneth F Thornton II
Milarepa (1052 – 1135) is one of the most widely known Tibetan Saints. In a superhuman effort, he rose above the miseries of his younger life and with the help of his Guru, Marpa the Translator, took to a solitary life of meditation until he had achieved the pinnacle of the enlightened state, never to be born again into the Samsara (whirlpool of life and death) of worldly existence.
Out of compassion for humanity, he undertook the most rigid asceticism to reach the Buddhic state of enlightenment and to pass his accomplishments on to the rest of humanity. His spiritual lineage was passed along to his chief disciples, Gambopa and Rechung. It was Rechung who recorded in detail the incidents of Milarepa's life for posterity. The narrative of his life has thus been passed down through almost a millennium of time and has become an integral part of Tibetan culture.
In addition to Rechung's narrative of his life, Milarepa extemporaneously composed innumerable songs throughout his life relevant to the dramatic turns of events of himself and his disciples in accordance with an art form that was in practice at the time. These songs have been widely sung and studied in Tibet ever since and have been recorded as the Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa.
His faithful devotion, boundless religious zeal, monumental forbearance, superhuman perseverance, and ultimate final attainment are a great inspiration today for all. His auspicious life illumined the Buddhist faith and brought the light of wisdom to sentient beings everywhere.
Milarepa was born into the family of Mila-Dorje-Senge in the year 1052. His father was a trader in wool and had become wealthy by the standards of the time when his wife bore a son. The son was named Thopaga which means delightful to hear, and Thopaga, later known as Mila-repa (Mila, the cotton clad), lived up to his name as he had a beautiful voice and charmed his companions with his singing.
#TibetanHealingMantra
#buddhistmantra
Lo! This is self-awareness! It surpasses all avenues of speech and thought. I, Tilopa, have nothing to reveal. You should know it yourself through inward examination. Tilopa
narrated Kenneth Thornton
ThunderBeing Films
ShakyaMuni Mantra
Om muni muni mahamuni shakyamuni svaha
Shakyamuni’s mantra is a play on his name. Muni means sage. Maha means great. So the mantra reads “Om wise one, wise one, greatly wise one, wise one of the Shakyans, Hail!”
The term “Buddha” is itself an honorific, meaning Awakened One, and Shakyamuni’s actual name was Siddhattha Gotama (Sanskrit: Siddhartha Gautama), Gotama being the family name.
The Buddha was not a God, but a human being who attained an extraordinary insight into the nature of existence: an insight that rid his mind of delusion, hatred, and craving, and which allowed him to attain true happiness, free from suffering.
#buddhistmantra
#tibetanhealingmantra
#tibetanhealingmantra
#buddhistmantra
Padmasambhava was an 8th-century master of Buddhist tantra who is credited with bringing Vajrayana to Tibet and Bhutan. He is revered today as one of the great patriarchs of Tibetan Buddhism and the founder of the Nyinmapa school as well as the builder of Tibet's first monastery
"All beings have lived and died and been reborn countless times. Over and over again they have experienced the indescribable Clear Light. But because they are obscured by the darkness of ignorance, they wander endlessly in a limitless samsara." Padmasambhava
#TibetanHealingMantra
#buddhistmantra
Green Tara is believed to have been incarnated as the Nepali wife of the Tibetan king Srong-brtsan-sgam-po. In Buddhism, the color green signifies activity and accomplishment. Thus Amoghasiddhi, the Lord of Action, is also associated with the color green.
Green Tara is iconographically depicted in a posture of ease and readiness for action. While her left leg is folded in the contemplative position, her right leg is outstretched, ready to spring into action. Green Tara's left hand is in the refuge-granting mudra (gesture); her right hand makes the boon-granting gesture. In her hands she also holds closed blue lotuses (utpalas), which symbolize purity and power. She is adorned with the rich jewels of a bodhisattva.
#TibetanHealingMantra
In Buddhist religious practice, Green Tara's primary role is savioress. She is believed to help her followers overcome dangers, fears and anxieties, and she is especially worshipped for her ability to overcome the most difficult of situations. Green Tara is intensely compassionate and acts quickly to help those who call upon her.
The iconography and role of Green Tara is illustrated in this medieval devotional hymn:
On a lotus seat, standing for realization of voidness, (You are) the emerald-colored, one-faced, two-armed Lady In youth's full bloom, right leg out, left drawn in, Showing the union of wisdom and art - homage to you! Like the outstretched branch of the heavenly turquoise tree, Your supple right hand makes the boon- granting gesture, Inviting the wise to a feast of supreme accomplishments, As if to an entertainment-homage to you! Your left hand gives us refuge, showing the Three Jewels; It says, "You people who see a hundred dangers, Don't be frightened-I shall swiftly save you!" Homage to you! Both hands signal with blue utpala flowers, "Samsaric beings! Cling not to worldly pleasures. Enter the great city of liberation!" Flower-goads prodding us to effort-homage to you! ---First Dalai Lama (1391-1474)
In her mantra, Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha, the sequence of syllables that encapsulates her essence. A traditional explanation of the mantra is that its variant uses of her name represent three progressive stages of deliverance or salvation. Tara represents deliverance from mundane suffering; tuttaare represents deliverance into the spiritual path conceived in terms of individual salvation; and ture represents the culmination of the spiritual path in terms of deliverance into the altruistic path of universal salvation - the Bodhisattva path.
There is a true feminist movement in Buddhism that relates to the goddess Tārā. Following her cultivation of bodhicitta, the bodhisattva's motivation, she looked upon the situation of those striving towards full awakening and she felt that there were too few people who attained Buddhahood as women. So she vowed, "I have developed bodhicitta as a woman. For all my lifetimes along the path I vow to be born as a woman, and in my final lifetime when I attain Buddhahood, then, too, I will be a woman."
Born of Avalokite'svara's tears of compassion, she was herself the quintessence of compassion.
Green Tara Mantra by Mercedes
#buddhistmantra
#tibetanhealingmantra
~ May All Beings Benefit!
In Buddhism, samsara is often defined as the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Or, you may understand it as the world of suffering and dissatisfaction (dukkha), the opposite of nirvana, which is the condition of being free from suffering and the cycle of rebirth.
In literal terms, the Sanskrit word samsara means "flowing on" or "passing through." It is illustrated by the Wheel of Life and explained by the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination. It might be understood as the state of being bound by greed, hate, and ignorance, or as a veil of illusion that hides true reality. In traditional Buddhist philosophy, we are trapped in samsara through one life after another until we find awakening through enlightenment.