Tara is widely revered in both India and Tibet. Originally, Tara was in India the patron saint of sea goers who prayed to her to protect them from drowning. Gradually, she became a protectoress, like a mother, who protected one from things such as financial ruin, being incarcerated, contracting a serious disease and so on. She is said to have arisen from the tears of Chenrezig. Legend has it that Tara was asked to be reborn as a man but she made the varja vow: Until Samsara is empty, I shall work for the benefit of sentient beings in a woman’s body.” There are two major forms of Tara in Tibet––White Tara and Green Tara––and each of these forms have popular Buddhist practices to invoke them.

Green Tara became a popular female deity and the Green Tara practice is done in the morning in many Buddhist centers which praises her 21 aspects or ways in helping sentient beings. In this beautiful painting Green Tara is emerald green to represent abundance such as the growth in nature and her right hand is in the wish-granting mudra and in her right hand is a blue utpala flower. The green represents the wind element. Unlike White Tara her right leg is extended to represents her willingness to arise and help others.

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