Copper alloy figure of
Help at hand on the path to
As Buddhism developed in India and the
Himalayas, the male
were joined by female counterparts who assumed individual
identities. Tara is the most popular female deity in Tibet. She is
the consort of
from whose compassionate tears she was born. She is the embodiment
of the miraculous activities of all the
bodhisattvas. Tara is
worshipped for her assistance in overcoming obstacles on the path
to enlightenment and her name means 'one who
saves'. The seventh-century Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo had
two wives, one Nepali and one Chinese. Both were regarded as
emanations of Tara and were instrumental in the spread of Buddhism
Here Tara is
shown sitting upon a high lotus throne in the full-lotus posture.
Her right hand is in the gesture of charity over her knee, while
her left hand holds a lotus flower, which curls over her shoulder.
The additional eyes in her forehead, the palms of her hands and the
soles of her feet signify her ability to see suffering in all parts
of the world.
R. Fisher, Art of Tibet (Thames and Hudson, 1997)