White Tara
Once Avalokiteshvara was absorbed in a profound meditation on the welfare of all beings. Within his peaceful absorption, the painful realization dawned upon him that even if he were to save beings from suffering for an eternity, beings would never cease to be born in the cycle of existence. Tears of sadness flowed from his eyes, moistening the ground below him. From twenty-one tears a lotus sprang up, at the heart of which sat a being, white and radiant as a full moon. She said to Avalokiteshvara, “I will be with you to aid you in this unending task. I will help all those beings who call for your help, protect those who call for your protection, and guide all those who look for your guidance. I will be your eternal friend.” She came to be known as White Tara.
Here she is depicted seated cross-legged on a lotus. In her left hand she holds the stem of an utpala lotus which indicates the protection she grants against the eight fears. Her right-hand rests at her knee in the gesture of generosity. She has seven eyes– three on her face, one on the palm of each hand, and one on the sole of each foot. Her full breasts represent the realization of emptiness she bestows on those who follow her practice while the eye in the middle of her forehead represents her attainment of omniscience.
The thangka comes framed in a traditional silk brocade border.
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