White in colour with one face and two hands, the right hand is in the mudra (gesture) of supreme generosity holding a white vase extended across the knee. The left hand is held to the heart with the thumb and forefinger holding the stem of a red and blue utpala flower blossoming at the left ear. Peaceful, smiling and youthful she is adorned with flowing silks of various colours and gold and jewel ornaments, gold tiara and the like; seated with the right leg slightly extended in a relaxed manner and the left drawn up. On a moon disc and multi-coloured lotus seat encircled by a blue-orange nimbus and a red areola she sits surrounded by a lush green landscape. In front a small green goddess facing Tara offers sheets of precious fabrics in a variety of colours.

At the top center is the buddha of long-life, Amitayus, red, seated, with the hands in the posture of meditation. To the left is Green Tara , the primary form of the deity, with one face and two hands in the mudra of generosity and holding a flower blossom. To the right is White Tara, displaying 7 eyes on the body - 3 on the face and 2 each on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet; seated in vajra posture.

At the bottom center is the wrathful protector Sadbhuja Mahakala, dark blue, with one face and six hands. At the left is the wealth deity aspect of Sadbhuja Mahakala - white Cintamani Mahakala, the Wishing Jewel Lord, with one face and six hands. At the right is the Direction Guardian and protector, Vaisravana, yellow, with one face and two hands, holding a banner and mongoose, riding a snow lion.

Tara is a completely enlightened buddha who in a previous life promised to appear, after enlightenment, in the form of a female bodhisattva and goddess for the benefit of all beings. Her primary activity is to protect from the eight fears. Practiced in all Schools of Tibetan Buddhism her various forms are found in all classes of tantra - Nyingma and Sarma.

From the tantra known as the ‘Twenty-One Praises of Tara’ spoken by the buddha Samantabhadra arises a system of practice with 21 emanations of Tara - 1 for each verse of the praise. Each form of Tara has a specific colour and accomplishes a specific activity. Based on that, there are 3 well known and distinct lineages; Pandita Suryagupta, Lord Atisha and the lineage from the Nyingma Lama - Longchenpa. The 3 lineages do not share the same iconographic forms. In the Atisha system all the Taras appear in the same basic posture and only differ with the colour of the body. Aside from these 3 there are other less well known sets of 21 Taras.

This painting belongs to a set of 21 depicting all the forms of Tara according to the Atisha Lineage. A short inscription is written in the areola above Tara’s head: ‘left ten.’ See others from the same set 294, 336, 338, 339, 340, 450, 451, 331.

Jeff Watt 9-98

Reverse of Painting

Special Features: includes "Om Ah Hum" inscription