In praise of Tārā : songs to the Saviouress : source texts from India and Tibet on Buddhism’s great Goddess

Amongst all Buddhist deities, the most dearly loved is the blissful, beautiful, and often mischievous goddess Tara. A bodhisattva, she defied tradition when she attained omniscience in female form. As mother goddess, she embodies the feminine archetype in us all and shares a close kinship with Demeter, Inanna, and the Virgin Mary. And as deity of tantric Buddhism, she acts with lightning speed to aid those in distress and fulfill her supplicants' wishes. For centuries, Tara has inspired some of the most marvelous Buddhist literature ever written. This collection includes a history of the origin of the Tara Tantra, canonical and practice texts, and lyrical praises. Contents Illustrations and Plates Introduction Prologue PART ONE: CANONICAL TEXTS 1 Tara in the Mahjusri-Mula-Kalpa 2 Tara's Tantra the Origin of All Rites 3 Arya-Tara Who Saves from the Eight Fears 4 The Hundred and Eight Names PART TWO: THE PRAISE IN TWENTY-ONE HOMAGES 1 Introduction 2 Th e Praise in Twenty-one Homages 3 Commentary on the Praise in Twenty-one Homages PART THREE: HISTORY 1 Taranatha's Golden Rosary PART FOUR: SONGS BY INDIAN DEVOTEES 207 1 Praises Attributed to Matrceta 2 Praises by Candragomin 3 Praise by Suryagupta 4 Sarvajnamitra's Sragdhara Praise 5 Praises by Aksobhya-vajra and Dipamkara-bhadra 6 Praises by Nagarjuna and Candrakirti 7 Praise by Atisa PART FIVE: SONGS BY TIBETAN DEVOTEES 1 Song by Gedun-dr'up 2 Songs by Lodr'o Gyats'o (Matisara) 3 Song by Lozang Tanpa Gyalts'an PART SIX: SADHANAS 1 Sadhanas APPENDICES 1 Tibetan Translation of the Praise in Twenty-one Hommages 2 English Phonetics and Translation of the Tibetan Version 3 The Lineages from Suryagupta LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS NOTES GLOSSARY BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX "Amongst all Buddhist deities, the most dearly loved is the blissful, beautiful, and often mischievous goddess Tara. As bodhisattva, she defied tradition when she attained omniscience in female form. As mother goddess, she embodies the feminine archetype in us all and shared a close kinship with Demeter, Inanna, and the Virgin Mary. And as deity of tantric Buddhism, she acts with lightning speed to aid those in distress and fulfill her supplicants' wishes. For centuries, Tara has inspired some of the most marvelous Buddhist literature ever written. This collection includes a history of the origin of the Tara Tantra, canonical and practice texts, and lyrical praises."--BOOK JACKET