Devi in Buddhism

Buddhist books refer to female Bodhisats (celestial energies) as well like Tara and Marici. Our view is that just as the Hindus got confused, upon seeing the several names of the devi, and derived that there were several devis, though the scriptures were talking of one and only one, the Buddhists too have remained confused about the identity of this devi. However, this confirms that there is very much a devi who is described as having a role in creation and running the cosmos even in the Buddhist literature.
The name of Tara has come time and again. Her description clearly reveals that she is the same as Sakti – the female energy of the Hindus. Moreover, you have seen earlier that Matsya Purana’s list of the names of devi too give the name Tara and even Dowson has given her description, based on the various myths and legends that he could chance upon from Hindu scriptures. Let us see the description of Tara as given by L. Austine Waddell:
Tara – The saviour, or deliverer. Tibetan sg Rol-ma (pr. Do-ma)
She is the consort of Avalokita [Remember it was Avalokita whose head was split into two and the same happened with Ali], who is now held to be incarnate in the Dalai Lama, and she is the most popular deity in Tibet, both with Lamas and laity. She corresponds to the goddess of mercy and queen of heaven. (Kwan-yin) of the Chinese [Mohammad described Fatima as the queen of heaven], and has her literal analogy in biblical mythology, and she has several analogies with “The Virgin,” but she is essentially Indian in origin and form.
Her most common form is “The green Tara,” and much less common is “The white Tara,” whose worship is almost confined to the Mongols. Her other numerous forms, of which the names of “the twenty-one” are daily on the lips of the people, are seldom pictured, except the fiendish form Bhrikuti. [This description also tells that there were names given of attributes or forms and there were not several different devis and twenty-one of the names are daily chanted by the people.]
The green Tara (Tibetan, sg Rul-ma lyan-k’u – pronounced Dol-jang). She is represented as a comely and bejeweled Indian lady with uncovered head, and of a green complexion, seated on a lotus, with her left leg pendant, and holding in her left hand a long-stemmed lotus-flower.
The white Tara (Tibetan, sgRol-ma dkar-po or sg Rol-dkar (pr. Do-kar). She is figured as an adorned Indian lady with a white complexion, seated Buddha-like, and the left hand holding a long-stemmed lotus-flower. She has seven eyes, the eye of foreknowledge in the forehead, in addition to the ordinary facial pair, and also one in each palm and on each sole. Hence she is called “The seven-eyed white Tara.” She is believed by the Mongols to be incarnate in the White Czar.
Tara with frowning brows – Bhrikuti Tara (Tibetan, kKo-gnergyo-ba-hi sg-Rol-ma (pronounced To-nyer-chan).
This Tara is dark indigo-coloured, and usually with three faces, all frowning.
The list of the names of “the twenty-one Taras” given below and known to almost all lay Tibetans, indicates many of her attributes:
Tara, the supremely valiant (Prasura Tara)
Tara of the white-moon brightness (Candrojasa Sita Tara)
Tara of the golden coloured (Gauri, Tibetan)
Tara, the victorious hair-crowned (Ushnishahjaya)
Tara, the ‘Hun’ – shouter (Tibetan Humda)
Tara, the three-world best worker
Tara, suppressor of strife
Tara, the bestower of supreme power
Tara, the best providence
Tara, the dispeller of grief
Tara, the cleanser of the poor
Tara the brightly glorious.
Tara, the universal mature worker
Tara, with the frowning brows (Bhrikuti Tara)
Tara, the giver of prosperity
Tara, the subduer of passion
Tara, the supplier of happiness (T., Sarsiddhi)
Tara, the excessively vast
Tara, the dispeller of distress
Tara, the advent of realization spiritual power (Siddhartha Tara)
Tara, the completely perfect
A very vivid example to prove that all these names of Tara are actually the names of a single person who is the Devi of the Puranas is Tara – of the golden coloured, by the name Gauri. If you recall, Gauri is also one of the names of Devi, given in Maitri Purana. So is Tara. There is another name Laxmi in Matsya Purana and Tara is said to be the giver of prosperity.
And a hymn, usually sung in chorus, devoted to Tara cites her role in salvation or nirvana whereas Mohammad said the same regarding the Ahlebayts, which included Fatima:
“If we worship this sublime and pure-souled devi when we retire in the dusk and arise in the morning, then all our fears and worldly anxieties will disappear and our sins be forgiven. She – the conqueror of myriad hosts – will strengthen us. She will do more than this! She will convey us directly to the end of our transmigration – to Buddha and Nirvana!
“She will expel the direst poisons, and relieve us from all anxieties as to food and drink, and all our wants will be satisfied; and all devils and plagues and poisons will be annihilated utterly; and the burden of all animals will be lightened! If you chant her hymn two or three or six or seven times, your desire for a son will be realized! Or should you wish wealth, you will obtain it, and all other wishes will be gratified, and every sort of demon will be wholly overcome.”
Role of Tara in attaining Nirvana or salvation is mentioned. Also, those who say Buddha never believed in the presence of soul should note: there are pure-souled ones suggesting that there are impure souls too. You have also seen how the pure-souled ones have been described in the Quran.
The following invocation to this devi further clarifies her super-human role as part of the Manifest Self.
“Hail! O! verdant Tara!
The Saviour of all beings!
Descend; we pray Thee, from Thy heavenly mansion, at Potala,
Together with all Thy retinue of gods (read devas), titans, and deliverers!
We humbly prostrate ourselves at They Lotus-feet!
Deliver us from all distress! O holy Mother!”
Isn’t the tone exactly similar to that of the Vedas? Tara, the Devi, is the Saviour and whose path guarantees a nirvana. What’s more significant is that the prayer is being made for her to descend along with other retinue of devatas. This confirms that she and other devatas had not descended till then and were to descend in future. We will see in Part-II that the Vedas too are inviting the devatas to come down on earth. That they did come, in West, in Arabia, but the Buddhists continue to pray for them to come, very much like the Hindus, while the Muslims saw them as mere humans, like you and me.
And can there be a better prayer to seek nirvana than this:
“We hail Thee! O rever’d and sublime Tara!
Who art adored by all the Kings and princes
Of the ten directions and of the present, past and future.
We pray Thee to accept these offerings.
Of flowers, incense, perfumed lamps,
Precious food, the music of cymbals,
And the other offerings!
We sincerely beg Thee in all Thy divine Forms
To partake of the food now offered!
On confessing to Thee penitently their sins.
The most sinful hearts, yea! Even the committers of the
Ten vices and the five boundless sins,
Will obtain forgiveness and reach
Perfection of soul-through Thee!
If we (human beings) have amassed any merit
In the Three states,
We rejoice in this good fortune, when we consider
The unfortunate lot of the poor (lower) animals
Piteously engulphed in the ocean of misery.
On their behalf, we now turn the wheel of religion!
We implore Thee by whatever merit we have accumulated
To kindly regard all the animals.
And for ourselves!
When our merit has reached perfection.
Let us knot, we pray Thee,
Linger longer in this world!”
The following hymn, claimed to be translated by L. Austine Waddell in its most literal meaning, confirms that Avalokita and Amitabha with whom she is associated, is none but Wind and Brahma and the two descriptions are of one and the same devatas. This can be confirmed by the name of devatas, Indra, Brahma, Agni and Vayu surrounding Tara, thereby making five. This also shows that Tara’s 21 forms are merely because of several names used in her praise. See
(Tara, the Mother) Arya Tara! Hail to Thee!
Our Deliveress sublime!
Avalokita’s messenger
Rich in power and pity’s store.
(Tara, the Supremely Courageous)
Hail, O Tara! Quick to Save!
Lotus-born of pitying fear
Shed down by The Three-World-Lord
(Grieving sad for sunken souls)
(Tara of White-Moon Brightness)
Hail! To Thee with fulgent face,
Brilliant as a hundred moons.
Of harvest gleaming in the light
Of myriad dazzling stars.
(Tara, the Golden coloured)
Hail! To Thee whose hand is decked
By the lotus, golden blue.
Eager Sooher of our woe,
Ever tireless worker, Thou!
(Tara, the Grand Hair-piled)
Hail! To Thee with pil’d-up hair,
Where Tathagata sits shrin’d,
Victor of the universe.
Thou a saintly victor too!
(Tara, the ‘Hun’ Shouter)
Hail to Thy “tut-tara-hun,”
Piercing realms of earth and sky,
Treading down the seven worlds,
Bending prostrate everyone!
(Tara, the best Three-World Worker)
Hail! Adored by might devas,
Indra, Brahma, Fire and Wind,
Ghostly hordes and Gandharvas
All unite in praising Thee!
(Tara, the Suppressor of Strife)
Hail! With Thy dread “tre” and “phat”
Thou destroyest all Thy foes:
Striding out with Thy left foot
Belching forth devouring fire!
(Tara, the Bestower of Supreme Power)
Hail! With fearful spell “tu-re”
Banishing the bravest fiends,
By the mere frown of Thy brows,
Vanguishing whole hordes of foes!
Etc., etc., etc., etc.
The relationship of Tara to Indra, Brahma, Fire and Wind shows that Tara is none other but the same Tara of Upanishads whose 100-odd names are Saraswati, Parvati, Gauri, Devi, etc. Her relationship with the devatas too is clearly shown here, thereby removing all doubts.