Green Tara Prayers

Online on Zoom: Sundays 6:50 AM – 8 AM with Victor Munnik.

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Daily in-person: 6 AM to 7 AM October to March (please confirm by WA: +27 62 913 4436)

Who is Green Tara?

Green Tara is a deeply revered meditation deity in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. She embodies the active compassion of all the Buddhas and is known for her swift ability to dispel fears and protect beings from harm. In traditional iconography, she is often shown with her right leg extended, ready to rise and respond instantly to the needs of sentient beings. Her face radiates warmth and loving kindness, as she is regarded as the compassionate mother of all the Buddhas.

The name Tara means “star” in Sanskrit, while her Tibetan name, Drolma, translates as “savioress” or “she who liberates.” Green Tara is said to protect beings from the eight external fears—lions, elephants, fire, snakes, thieves, water, bondage, and evil spirits—as well as the eight internal fears: pride, ignorance, anger, jealousy, wrong views, attachment, miserliness, and deluded doubt.

The Origin of Green Tara

According to one cherished legend, Green Tara’s origins trace back countless kalpas ago, during the time of the Buddha Amoghasiddhi. At that time, there lived a princess named Yeshe Dawa, which means “Wisdom Moon.” She was no ordinary royal—possessing great inner strength, fearlessness, and an unwavering commitment to the path of awakening, she became a bodhisattva.

Princess Yeshe Dawa made a powerful vow: to cultivate such profound spiritual attainment that she could benefit and liberate one hundred thousand beings each day. Her aspiration was not modest—driven by immense compassion and courage, she refused to settle for simply being kind or doing good in small ways. Instead, she committed herself fully to courageous, tireless action for the welfare of all beings.

Because of this fearless determination and unwavering resolve, she quickly advanced on the bodhisattva path, attaining the various bhumis, or stages of realization. Her actions had a powerful impact, bringing great benefit wherever she turned her attention. Upon reaching enlightenment, she dedicated all the merit she had accumulated with a heartfelt prayer:

“May anyone connected to me in any way experience swift progress on the path. May my actions bring them swift benefit, and may they be free from suffering.”

Uniquely, she also made a firm commitment to always be reborn in female form. While others encouraged her to take rebirth as a male to fulfil her vast aspirations, she declined. Instead, she chose to manifest as a woman—demonstrating that ultimate awakening transcends gender—and to embody the swift, compassionate activity that would come to define Tara.