Transcription of the teaching before empowerment
Today we are doing a very peaceful empowerment. Many of you, when you talk about Tara, usually think that while she is in female form then her practice may not help in some kind of critical situations. Because she is peaceful and because she is a female. A lot of people think in a similar way these days, but they get it a bit wrong. One thing that we have to understand the name “Tara” appears from Prajnaparamita. And secondly, that in other way also we have to understand that Tara is the mother of all the enlightened beings. If Tara is the mother of all the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas then mother has all power to give birth to all the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas. Then why the mother doesn’t have a power to protect all the sentient beings?
All our mothers have a power to give birth to make the samsara, isn’t it? Without the females we cannot be able to build a samsara, we cannot be able to build the population of the sentient beings. So, the mother has a power which other sentient beings does not have. They feel weak from the outside from their body but their inner way, inner soul and inner energy are the most different than all other sentient beings. The inner power which they have is a totally, incomparable with other sentient beings.
When you talk about the 21 Tara, it is not the single Tara, it is the 21. Inside of the 21 Tara’s all of the different forms of the Tara are included. Tara which can protect from the poison, Tara which can protect us from the fire, water, wind, cyclone, earthquake and from the landslide, from the bad dream and even from the Mara’s effect and spirit effect. And also, Tara that can protect from the wild animals or even a normal animals attack. So, each 21 Tara has all kind of protection which we used to get from the other deities.
And there is one special thing that Tara can give for females. Some can’t have a baby. Tara also helps those one to give a birth and even Tara has the power to help to those who wish to have a baby boy. These things that Tara has, they’re real. As I told you in the beginning, the Tara is the mother of all the awakened beings. And we can think about it that Tara has the power and blessings that she has possible to give to all the sentient beings as none other has.
Usually, we, human beings, have this kind of a mentality to take all females are in a very weak form and sometimes we also abuse females in some countries. But if you can think about in the way of the spirituality, we will get to realize that we are not able to complete the practice without the females. Without the power of female, we could not be able to fulfill our life. When I talk about the fulfilling our lives, some people may think into the negative sense, but I’m not talking about that negative sense. I’m talking about the fulfilling our life. It means the wisdom power that the human beings really need to fulfill our lives, to move on, to do something in our life, to achieve the goal that all the human being has their own goals in our life. To complete the goal, we need a wisdom. But even to the common wisdom, it has to come from the female. It has to come from the power of mother. Even in the spiritual way and even in the common way in our life without the female also, we cannot be able to fulfill our goal. So that is the one, the female to like, you know, to remembering the kindness of the people beings is very, very important. We have to think about it. And we have to realize all the time.
The Tara practice with a peaceful form is not only exists in the Vajrayana, but also in the Mahayana. There are four classes of Tantra. Usually, the peaceful Tara practice is found in the Kriya Tantra. There is another Tara practice which is called Drolma Dopa and it is associated with the Charya Tantra. When Tara herself transforms into Vajrayavarahi or Vajrayogini, it is related to the Yoga Tantra. Vajrayavarahi transforms into Mahakali, and even Mahakali transforms into Krodhi Kali, then it would be considered part of the Anuttarayoga Tantra. Knowing the importance of the Tara, some other Rinpoche recommend their students to do the Tara practice for the rest of their lives, especially 21 Tara practice. We do separately different practices according to the days or according to our needs: wealth, long life, etc. We prefer to do the different practice. And even nowadays, many people wish to do the Kurukulle magnetizing practice. So even Kurukulle is also the form of the Tara herself. So that all comes in the 21 Tara practice. That’s why Rinpoche recommend to their students to do the 21 Tara practice for the rest of their life. The importance is because of that.
Transcription of the teaching after empowerment
It’s very much fortunate to receive the 21 Tara, because Green Tara or Red Tara or White Tara empowerments are usually given, but it’s a very rare of receiving a 21 Tara empowerment. Today you have received the 21 Taras mantra syllables that I think many of you have never heard before, these 21 different Mantras. So, it’s very fortunate for you guys that we have been able to receive the whole 21 Taras empowerment with the mantras. It’s very fortunate, really.
Just remember that if you do the Tara practice, there is nothing that Tara cannot be able to bless. One Tara has all the blessings that we really needed. Everything comes from the belief and the faith. If you don’t have a faith and the belief, then as much as you practice nine head, ten head or one thousand head practice of different deities, nothing will be happened.
The main thing is it perfect or not. And secondly, the good guidance is very important. Doing with the good guidance of the Guru together with the good motivation and the faith then nothing is impossible. The blessings are always there and yours. It depends on the contemplation. Good contemplation brings you the happiness. The goal of your life will be achieved by the good contemplation.
That’s why in history, we can come across some really old statues that are said to have spoken in the past. These statues have actually spoken! You can find many of these ancient statues in India. Some of them even have tears rolling down their faces. One such statue is in Bodhgaya, and you can still see tears streaming down the sides of the Tara statue. All these incredible occurrences happen because of the strong faith and good motivation of us, the people, how we keep it and how we expect and pay homage to that statue. You can keep the diamond statue in your house. But it doesn’t matter. Nothing will be going to be happen. If you don’t have a faith and the motivation to that, that diamond will be always a diamond. There won’t be any miracles. The most important thing that has to come from the one’s own heart.