Exquisite hand-cast head of Tara with choice of green celadon or white glaze. Measures 10 inches high by 8 inches wide by 5 inches deep. Both green Tara or Bisque white Tara comes in its own fabric-covered, padded gift box.
Tara, "She who helps to cross" or "She who saves" is one of the pre-eminent female figures in Buddhism. Since 6th century AD, Tara has been revered as a female counterpart of the compassionate bodhisattva, Avalokiteshavra.
Some legends claim that when Avaolkiteshvara was looking down from his heaven at the world of suffering and weeping at his inability to save all beings from pain, the goddess Tara was born from his tears. Another version is that Tara was born from a lotus floating in one of his tears. In some versions of this legend, two Taras were born from the tears: a peaceful, white Tara from Avalokiteshvara's right eye, and a fierce green Tara from his left eye. Just as Avalokiteshvara represents the compassion of all of the Buddhas, and Manjushri represents their wisdom, the bodhisattva Tara represents all of the miracles of the Buddha of the past, present, and future. As such, these two Taras instilled Avalokiteshvara with the courage to continue his acts of compassion.
Tara is primarily worshipped in Tibet and Nepal within the context of northern Buddhism. There are also rare images in Southern Buddhism from Sri Lanka and Java. In Tibet, Tara was believed to be reincarnated in pious women, and in the 7th century AD, Tara was thought to have been reincarnated as the two wives: one Chinese and the other Nepali. The Chinese wife is the White Tara and the Nepali wife is the Green Tara.
Tara is also believed to have inspired the Bengali monk, Atisha, to travel to Tibet in the 11th century AD and to have caused Buddhism's renewal there.
White Tara symbolizes transcendent knowledge and purity in one of the more serene forms of this bodhisattva and is usually shown seated in full-lotus position with her right hand in the wish-granting gesture and her left hand in the explanation mudra and holding a lotus.
Green Tara is Tara's most dynamic form and is frequently shown seated on a lotus throne in the half-lotus position, her right leg extended forward symbolizing her readiness to leap into action and to save others.
From "Reading Buddhist Art" by Meher Mcarthur.
Made-to-order in the U.S.A. Allow up to two weeks although we usually have one or two in stock.