Do you know about the Tibetan Goddess Tara who is the archetype divine feminine power, known for saving anyone who calls out to her? Tara in Buddhism is a revered figure who, when invoked, grants wishes, especially in love, abundance, and protection over enemies.
Tara, the compassionate goddess of liberation, is not just a deity, but a symbol of divine feminine power, love, wisdom, protection, and most importantly, manifestation, and wish fulfillment. You do not have to be a Buddhist to call upon her!
Whether you’re facing obstacles, seeking abundance, or longing for a loved one, Tara’s many forms offer guidance, protection, victory, healing, and success.
Before we learn about Her many faces and how to invoke her most popular forms for our manifestations, let’s know about the origin of the Tibetan Goddess Tara.
Origin of Goddess Tara in Buddhism
Tara’s roots trace back to tantric Hinduism, but she was later absorbed into the Buddhist pantheon during the 6th century C.E. It was within Vajrayana Tantric Buddhism that her image blossomed into a full spiritual archetype, revered not just as a deity, but as an expression of the enlightened feminine power, a mother who saves, protects, and makes prosperous.
According to Mahayana Buddhism and Vajrayana Tantric Buddhism, Tara was born from a tear of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion.
As he wept over the suffering of sentient beings, his tears gave rise to a lotus, from which emerged Tara — a radiant female deity, ready to act with immediacy and love.
Unlike other Bodhisattvas who vow to reincarnate in male forms, Tara chose to always take female form, affirming the strength and necessity of the divine feminine in achieving enlightenment.
The Many Faces of Tara
Tibetan teachings speak of 21 forms of the Buddhist deity Tara, each with a unique color, purpose, and mantra for wish fulfillment. With each color, she reflects a unique aspect of the human experience; from fierce wrath to soothing compassion.
Today, we will learn about Her 6 most popular forms, their meanings, the mantras associated with them, and how invoking these forms through chanting can help you manifest your dreams.
Green Tara: The Swift Savior
Green Tara is the most beloved and widely worshipped form of Tara in Tibetan Buddhism. She is the embodiment of active compassion, known for her ability to remove fear, protect from danger, and respond swiftly to the cries of suffering beings. She is the liberator from samsara and the mother of all Buddhas.
- Color Green: Represents vitality, compassion-in-action, and enlightened activity in all directions.
- She sits with one leg extended, ready to rise instantly to help, symbolizing her urgency and readiness. She is often depicted with open palms in gestures of generosity and protection.
Green Tara Mantra: “Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha”
This is the root mantra of Green Tara and the most universally known Tara mantra. Meaning of Green Tara mantra:
Tare – liberator
Tuttare – liberates from fears
Ture – grants success
Soha – “So be it” – may the blessings take root in the heart
Benefits of Chanting Green Tara Mantra
Chanting or listening to this mantra invokes her swift protection from eight great fears (such as pride, delusion, jealousy, doubt, attachment, anger, greed, and wrong views) and brings inner calm, courage, and compassion.
Red Tara: The Magnetizer
Red Tara is associated with magnetism, power of attraction, and passion transformed into lasting relationships and everlasting spiritual bonds.
She helps to draw in love, resources, influence, and can support efforts toward reconciliations, healing relationships, or resolving interpersonal conflicts.
- Color Red: Represents power, magnetism, desire transformed into compassion, and the life-force energy (prana).
- She sits in a dynamic posture, often holding a hook or flower, indicating her ability to magnetize favorable conditions.
Red Tara Mantra: “Om Tare Tam Soha”
Meaning of Red Tara mantra:
Om – The cosmic sound that purifies and prepares your mind and body.
Tare – Invokes Tara’s divine feminine presence and compassionate power.
Tam – Unique to Red Tara; symbolizes attraction, desire, and magnetic energy.
Soha – “So be it” — grounds the mantra’s energy into your being.
Benefits of Chanting Red Tara Mantra
This mantra is used to invoke her power of attraction and ability to influence situations for the benefit of a love connection. Use this mantra when seeking to magnetize positive relationships, harmonize conflicts, or sweetening an existing bond.
Black Tara: The Fierce Liberator
In Tantric Buddhism, Black Tara is a wrathful and protective form, known for her power to eliminate extreme negativity, dispel curses, destroy ego, and protect against evil forces — both external and internal. She is particularly invoked in times of deep fear, psychic attacks, and intense transformation.
- Color Black: Symbolizes the absorption of all negativity, ultimate voidness (śūnyatā), and the fierce wisdom that consumes delusions.
- Often depicted with a powerful gaze and emitting a wrathful energy — yet, her wrath is pure compassion in disguise.
Black Tara Mantra: “Om Tare Tuttare Ture Sarva Vidya Avarana Ye Bhye Phat Soha!”
Meaning of Black Tara Mantra: It calls upon Tara to clear the mental barriers that hinder one’s ability to recognize inner patterns or emotional energies that cloud one’s understanding. “Avarana” refers to the root causes behind negative tendencies, whether within yourself or in those around you.
Benefits of Chanting Black Tara Mantra
This mantra invokes Tara’s fierce power to destroy evil forces, ill intent, delusions, and protect the practitioner from harm. Chant this mantra when you’re in danger or up against an enemy.
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A Few Other Popular Forms of Tara in Buddhism:
White Tara: The Goddess of Healing and Longevity
White Tara embodies pure compassion, serenity, and healing energy. Her energy is nurturing, gentle, and restorative. She supports physical health, emotional healing, and spiritual well-being.
Her mantra is:
“Om Tare Tuttare Ture Mama Ayuh Punya Jñana Pushtim Kuru Soha”
This mantra means “May Tara grant me long life, merit, wisdom, and vitality.” Practicing White Tara’s mantra is believed to heal illness, extend life, and increase spiritual insight, making it ideal during times of grief, fatigue, or recovery.
Yellow Tara – The Bestower of Prosperity and Growth
Yellow Tara represents abundance, fertility, generosity, and the expansion of both material and spiritual wealth. She aids in clearing blockages around receiving, worthiness, and resource flow. Her energy fosters generosity not only in material terms but also in spiritual richness and openness of heart.
Her mantra is:
“Om Tare Tuttare Ture Pushtim Kuru Soha”
This translates to “May Tara grant nourishment and abundance.” Chanting this mantra helps in attracting prosperity, opportunities, and financial stability, especially when aligned with right intention and gratitude.
Blue Tara – The Fierce Liberator of Truth and Clarity
Blue Tara, often considered a wrathful form, embodies the power to destroy delusion, ego, and mental obscurations.
She is fierce, yet her wrath is compassionate — aimed at breaking through illusion and falsehood. Her presence supports truth, sharp insight, and fearless speech.
Her mantra is:
“Om Bhim Tare Vrim Soha”
Meaning of this mantra:
Om – The sacred sound of the universe, aligning your body, speech, and mind with divine vibration.
Bhim – A seed syllable invoking power, might, and fierce energy. It represents Tara’s wrathful force that destroys negative forces and deep-rooted fears.
Tare – Calls on Tara herself, the liberator and savior from suffering.
Vrim – Another seed syllable (bija), often used to cut through ignorance and illusion, empowering clarity and transformation.
Soha – A closing syllable that means “so be it” or “may the blessing take root in me,” grounding the mantra’s energy.
Which Tara Calls to You?
Tara in Buddhism isn’t just a goddess, she is the living essence of enlightened feminine energy in all its forms. Whether you’re:
- Seeking safety in uncertainty (Green Tara)
- Needing healing from grief (White Tara)
- Trying to attract healthy relationships (Red Tara)
- Wishing to manifest abundance (Yellow Tara)
- Craving clarity in your spiritual journey (Blue Tara)
- Or facing your deepest shadows (Black Tara)
There is a Tara who walks with you, waiting to be invoked.
How You Can Bring Buddhist Deity Tara Into Your Life to Manifest Desires?
You can connect with Tara through:
- Mantra chanting (daily or during new/full moons)
- Listening to the mantra chants (especially 108 times)
- Meditation on her image (visualization)
- Offering bowls or altar rituals
Tara mantras are powerful tools of sound currents that realign your energy field to the divine. As you chant, you become the vibration of what you seek: love, healing, clarity, or protection. And what you seek – you receive, you attract.
Harness Her Power Within Yourself
Whether you’re whispering her mantra in the quiet of dawn or calling her name in a moment of crisis, Tara responds. She is the Mother of Compassion, the Savior of Beings, and the mirror of the divine feminine wisdom we all carry. May her blessings awaken the power already within you.
We hope you find this blog on “Goddess Tara in Buddhism” insightful and empowering. Please share your thoughts in the comments on how you want to bring in Her energy into your life to manifest your desires.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is Tara in Buddhism?
Tara is widely regarded as the most powerful female deity within the Buddhist pantheon. Her name, which means “star” in Sanskrit, symbolizes her role as a guiding light, believed to lead devotees along their spiritual journey—just as a star guides travelers in the night.
What is the concept of Tara?
Tara is a revered Buddhist savior-goddess known for her many forms and is especially venerated in Nepal, Tibet, and Mongolia. She is considered the feminine counterpart of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, the “buddha-to-be.” According to a well-known legend, Tara emerged from a tear shed by Avalokiteshvara, which fell to the earth and created a sacred lake from which she arose.
Are Kali and Tara the same?
Both are revered as fierce manifestations of the Divine Feminine and share attributes like protection, liberation, and the destruction of ego or ignorance. In Tantric traditions, particularly in Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism, they are sometimes seen as different expressions of the same ultimate energy — Shakti. Kali is a central goddess in Hinduism and also known as Tara. The Tibetan Tara is a similar but a distinct figure in the Mahayana branch of Buddhism.
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