March

The Mount Shasta Goddess Temple dedicates March to Tara.

Artwork of Arya Tara at Lake Siskiyou by Devanna Wolf

There are many who wish to gain enlightenment in a man's form,
And there are few who wish to work for the welfare of living beings in a female form.   
Therefore may I, in a female body, work for the welfare of all beings, 
until such time as all humanity has found its fullness.

Tara is one of the most ancient and renowned goddesses, with roots and branches in many different religions and countries. She is known as Tara in Indian Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Celtic Polytheism, and she is also linked to Grecian Aphrodite, Mesopotamian Ishtar, Pan-Asian Kuan Yin, and Finnish Tar. The Dalai Lama compared her to the Christian Mary, Mother of God. Her name means "Star" and she is known as "The One Who Saves."  We call to her for help, and she answers. Lama Tsultrim Allione of Tara Mandala once spoke in a public teaching in Berkeley about Tara's miraculous ability to manifest in physical form when called upon by devotees. Astronomy, astrology, voluntarism, and meditation are all ways that you can connect to Tara's energy.

Ideas for honoring Tara, goddess of swift liberation:

-volunteer to help refugees or the homeless

-work in a soup kitchen or food bank

-spend time in nature, chanting her mantra

-support Tibetan causes

-practice nonviolence

-recite her praises daily for the month of March

-chant her mantra OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA

Praise for Tara

OM
Homage to Tara, the noble and sublime.

Homage to TARA, the swift and courageous,
You drive away all our fears with TUTARA,
Savioress fulfilling all aims with the TURE,
With syllables SOHA we offer you homage.

Homage to Tara, the swift and courageous,
Gaze is as quick as flashes of lightning,
From Lord of Triloka, his face like a lotus,
You rose on a billionfold blossoming stamens.

Homage to you with a face that resembles
A meeting of one hundred full moons in autumn,
And who with the brightness of stars by the thousands
Shine in a vast perfect light of resplendence.

Homage to you, the golden-hued lady,
Whose hand is adorned by a blue lotus flower.
Your scope of activity is giving, exertion,
Fortitude, peace, tolerance, meditation.

Homage to you, the victorious, boundless,
From the tathagatas’ crown emanated.
Those who obtained every transcendent virtue,
Offspring of victors, rely on your guidance.

Homage to you filling Realms of Desire,
Its aspect and space with the HUNG and TUTTARA.
Sevenfold worlds under feet you can trample;
You bring all and everything under your power.

Homage to you who is worshipped by Indra,
Agni, Marut, Vishveshvara and Brahma.
All the vetalas, bhutas, gandharvas,
As well as the yakshas, give praise in your presence.

Homage to you, who by TRAT and the PHAT sounds,
Crush every magical wheel, evil forces.
Right leg extended and left bent, you trample,
Within whirling flames you are blazing intensely.

Homage to you, the swift, terrifying,
Who conquers the most tenacious of maras.
Knitting the brow on your lotus-like features,
You slay every foe without an exception.

Homage to you, with your fingers in mudra
Adorning your heart to show the Three Jewels.
Your masses of light are beautiful, swirling,
Connecting with every direction, in circles.

Homage to you, from your crown manifesting
Joyous, majestic, brilliant garlands.
With the great clangor of laughter TUTARE,
Demons and worlds are in your domination.

Homage to you with the magnetize-powers,
Who gather protectors of earth in assembly.
With syllable HUNG and your brow which is frowning,
You liberate every poor, destitute being.

Homage to you, with the crescent, a moon-crown,
While your adornments so brilliantly sparkle,
And Amitabha is placed in your topknot,
Ceaselessly, vast rays of light radiating.

Homage to you, seated in flaming garlands,
Engulfed in a fire like the end of the kalpa.
Right leg extended and left bent, defeating
Enemy hordes with your joy-bringing, swirling.

Homage to you, with your palms you are striking
The earth while using your feet to be stamping.
Regally frowning, with the hung letter,
You shatter the sevenfold layers of lokas.

Homage to you, blissful, virtuous and peaceful,
Enjoy the domain of the tranquil nirvana.
Fully possessing the om and the soha,
You overcome even the greatest of evils.

Homage to you, who encircled by joyous,
Utterly smashes the forms of opponents.
Clearing away with the HUNG of awareness,
Arranged is the mantra by tenfold of letters.

Homage to you, with feet stamping TURE,
Fully presenting the form of the HUNG-seed,
You cause the three worlds to all be atremble,
Including Mount Meru, Mandhara and Vindhya.

Homage to you in whose hands is a deer-marked,
Shaped like the devas’ ocean of nectar.
Sound of the PHAT and the twice uttered TARA,
Without an exception, dispels every poison.

Homage to you, who is asked for your guidance
By rulers of devas, by gods and kinnaras.
Your armor of joy, a radiant brightness,
Removes every nightmare and calms every quarrel.

Homage to you, whose two eyes are shining,
With brilliant light like the sun and the full moon.
By TUTTARA and with the twice chanted HARA,
You clear away even infectious diseases.

Homage to you who can calm down completely,
Through the array of the threefold thatness.
Crowds of vetalas, bhutas, and yakshas
Suppressed with the TURE, sublime mother Tara.

Together with this, the root mantra in praise form,
These were the twenty-one verses of homage.

-Traditional, translated by Erik Pema Kunsang.

For more information about the Goddesses honored in the Mount Shasta Goddess Temple, join the Temple as a Mandala Member.