Sunday Service - March, 2011

0:05 That's why I went through, I took the books home. I can figure out, where are the prayers? What's this prayer? Report an error in the passage at 0:05 Highlight the passage at 0:05

0:25 Yeah, I was just saying to John we're going to do a whole bunch of prayers first. But you know, according to this clock up here, it's 1028. Because I keep my watch fast because I'm always late. Sad but true. So we're going to begin with page 73 in the gold book. Report an error in the passage at 0:25 Highlight the passage at 0:25

1:04 And I don't think, I think as soon as it hits 1030 we should start because I don't think there's going to be a big crowd. Report an error in the passage at 1:04 Highlight the passage at 1:04

1:14 What Report an error in the passage at 1:14 Highlight the passage at 1:14

1:18 was the rhyme with Pia? John and Pia, it's just going to be Pia and John. It was so clever at the time. I know, both of us. If the window had been open. Report an error in the passage at 1:18 Highlight the passage at 1:18

1:38 That was so clever. Report an error in the passage at 1:38 Highlight the passage at 1:38

1:48 Yeah, Report an error in the passage at 1:48 Highlight the passage at 1:48

2:09 I'll probably show up at 11.30 thinking it's 10.30. I swear if I hadn't done this, I wouldn't have. Yeah. That and knowing it was earlier. Report an error in the passage at 2:09 Highlight the passage at 2:09

2:31 So as much as possible throughout the prayers, I'm going to try and, or I'm going to do everything in English because what I find is when I'm doing things on my own, my pronunciation, the... John. Report an error in the passage at 2:31 Highlight the passage at 2:31

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2:46 The cadence fails me. So we're going to start with the teaching prayers on page 73 and we're going to go on through to page 82, so almost nine pages of prayer. Report an error in the passage at 2:46 Highlight the passage at 2:46

3:03 And then we'll do the mandala on 98 and then we'll conclude with His Holiness' prayer. So first the praise to Shakyamuni Buddha. To the founder, the endowed transcendent destroyer, the one gone beyond, the faux destroyer, the completely perfected fully awakened being, perfect in knowledge and in good conduct. Report an error in the passage at 3:03 Highlight the passage at 3:03

3:27 Sugata, knower of the world, supreme guide of human beings to be tamed, teacher of gods and human beings. To you, the completely and fully awakened one, the endowed transcendent destroyer, the glorious conqueror, the subduer from the Shakya clan, I prostrate, make offerings and go for refuge. To the founder, the endowed, transcendent destroyer, the one gone beyond, the faux destroyer, the completely perfected, fully awakened being, perfect in knowledge and in good conduct, sagata, knower of the world, supreme guide of human beings to be tamed, teacher of gods and human beings. Report an error in the passage at 3:27 Highlight the passage at 3:27

4:05 To you, the completely and fully awakened one. the endowed transcendent destroyer, the glorious conqueror, the subduer from the Shakya clan. I prostrate, make offerings, and go for refuge. To the founder, the endowed transcendent destroyer, the one gone beyond, the faux destroyer, the completely perfected, fully awakened being, perfect in knowledge and in good conduct, Sugata, knower of the world, supreme guide of human beings to be tamed, teacher of gods and human beings. Report an error in the passage at 4:05 Highlight the passage at 4:05

4:34 To To you, you, the the complete... completely and fully awakened one, the endowed transcendent. glorious conqueror, the subduer of the Shakya clan, I prostrate, make offerings, and go for refuge. the founder, was that three? excuse me. When, oh, supreme among humans, you were born on this earth, you paced out seven strides, then said, I am supreme in this world. Report an error in the passage at 4:34 Highlight the passage at 4:34

4:59 To you who are wise then, I prostrate. With pure bodies formed supremely pure, wisdom ocean like a golden mountain, fame that blazes in the three worlds, winner of the best, Lord to you I prostrate. With the supreme signs, face like spotless moon, color like gold, to you I prostrate. Dust free like you, the three worlds are not, incomparably wise one, to you I prostrate. Report an error in the passage at 4:59 Highlight the passage at 4:59

5:28 The Savior having great compassion, the Founder having all understanding, the field of merit with qualities like a vast ocean, to you the one gone to thusness I prostrate. The purity that frees one from attachment, the virtue that frees one from the lower realms, the one path, the sublime pure reality, to the Dharma that pacifies I prostrate. Report an error in the passage at 5:28 Highlight the passage at 5:28

5:52 Those who are liberated and also show the path to liberation, the holy field qualified with realizations, who are devoted to the moral precepts, to you the sublime community and tending virtue I prostrate. Homage to the Supreme Buddha, homage to the Dharma refuge, homage to the great Saṅgha, to all three ever devout homage, to all worthy of respect. Report an error in the passage at 5:52 Highlight the passage at 5:52

6:16 Bowing with bodies as many as all realms, atoms and all aspects, with supreme faith I pay homage. Do not commit any non-virtuous actions. Perform only perfect virtuous actions. Subdue your mind thoroughly. This is the teaching of the Buddha. star, a visual aberration, a flame of a lamp, an illusion, a drop of dew, or a bubble, a dream, a flash of lightning, a cloud. Report an error in the passage at 6:16 Highlight the passage at 6:16

6:42 See conditioned things as such. Welcome. Report an error in the passage at 6:42 Highlight the passage at 6:42

6:59 We're on page 76. We're going to read The Heart of the Perfection. Through these merits may sentient beings attain the rank of all seeing, subdue the foe of fault, and be delivered from saṃsāra's ocean, perturbed by the waves of aging, sickness, and death. Welcome. Report an error in the passage at 6:59 Highlight the passage at 6:59

7:03 of Wisdom Sūtra together. Report an error in the passage at 7:03 Highlight the passage at 7:03

7:12 the gold book, I'm sorry Report an error in the passage at 7:12 Highlight the passage at 7:12

7:23 We're starting with the prayers before teaching. I Report an error in the passage at 7:23 Highlight the passage at 7:23

7:35 prostrate to the Arya Triple Gem. Thus did I hear at one time the Bhagavan was dwelling on Mass of Vultures Mountain in Rajagriha together with a great community of monks and a great community of bodhisattvas. At that time, the Bhagavan was absorbed in the concentration on the categories of phenomena called profound perception. Also at that time, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Arya Avilokiteshvara looked upon the very practice of the profound perfection of wisdom and beheld those five aggregates also as empty of inherent nature. Report an error in the passage at 7:35 Highlight the passage at 7:35

8:14 Then, through the power of Buddha, the Venerable Shariputra said this to the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Arya Avalokiteshvara, How should any son of the lineage train who wishes to practice the activity of the profound perfection of wisdom? He said that, and the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Arya Avalokiteshvara said this to the Venerable Shariputra. Report an error in the passage at 8:14 Highlight the passage at 8:14

8:40 Shariputra, any son of the lineage or daughter of the lineage who wishes to practice the activity of the profound perfection of wisdom should look upon it like this, correctly and repeatedly beholding those five aggregates also of the empty of inherent nature. Form is empty. Emptiness is form. Emptiness is not other than form. Report an error in the passage at 8:40 Highlight the passage at 8:40

9:04 Form is also not other than emptiness. In the same way, feeling, discrimination, compositional factors and consciousness are empty. Shariputra, likewise, all phenomena are emptiness without characteristic, unproduced, unceased, stainless, not without stain, not deficient, not fulfilled. Shariputra, therefore, in emptiness there is no form, no feeling, no discrimination, no compositional factors, no consciousness, no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind, no visual form, no sound, no odor, no taste, no object of touch, and no phenomenon. Report an error in the passage at 9:04 Highlight the passage at 9:04

9:54 There is no I element and so on up to and including no mind element and no mental consciousness element. There is no ignorance, no extinction of ignorance and so on up to and including no aging and death and no extinction of aging and death. Similarly, there is no suffering, origination, cessation and path. Report an error in the passage at 9:54 Highlight the passage at 9:54

10:19 There is no exalted wisdom, no attainment and also no non-attainment. Shariputra, therefore, because there is no attainment, bodhisattvas rely on and dwell in the perfection of wisdom, the mind without obscuration and without fear. Having completely passed beyond error, they reach the end point of nirvāṇa. Report an error in the passage at 10:19 Highlight the passage at 10:19

10:42 All the Buddhas who dwell in the three times also manifestly completely awaken to unsurpassable, perfect, complete enlightenment in reliance on the perfection of wisdom. Therefore, the mantra of the perfection of wisdom, the mantra of great knowledge, the unsurpassed mantra, the mantra equal to the unequaled, the mantra that thoroughly pacifies all suffering, should be known as truth since it is not false. Report an error in the passage at 10:42 Highlight the passage at 10:42

11:12 The mantra of the perfection of wisdom is declared, Thayata om gate gate para gate para samgate bodhisvaha. Shariputra, the bodhisattva, mahasattva should train in the profound perfection of wisdom like that. Then the Bhagavan arose from that concentration and commended the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Arya Avila Kateshvara saying, Well said, well said, son of the lineage. Report an error in the passage at 11:12 Highlight the passage at 11:12

11:42 It is like that. It is like that. One should practice the profound perfection of wisdom just as you have indicated. Even the Tathagatas rejoice. The Bhagavan having thus spoken, the Venerable Sharivadri Putra, the Bodhisattva, Mahasattva, Arya, Avilokiteshvara and those surrounding in their entirety, along with the world of gods, humans, asuras, Gandharvas, were overjoyed and highly praised that spoken by the Bhagavan. Report an error in the passage at 11:42 Highlight the passage at 11:42

12:15 And now we'll do the prayer to the lion-faced Dakini on the bottom of page 81. I prostrate to the gathering of Dakinis in the three chakras who abide in the holy yoga of using space. By your power of clairvoyance and magical emanation, look after practitioners like a mother her child. Report an error in the passage at 12:15 Highlight the passage at 12:15

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13:19 Samara, Tasha Dara Samara, Yafi. Report an error in the passage at 13:19 Highlight the passage at 13:19

13:25 Okay, and at the top of page 82. Report an error in the passage at 13:25 Highlight the passage at 13:25

13:35 By the teachings of the three supreme jewels possessing the power of truth, may inner and outer hindrances be transformed, they be dispelled, may they be pacified. May all negative forces opposed to Dharma be completely pacified. May the host of 80,000 obstacles be pacified. May we be separated from problems and harmful conditions to Dharma. Report an error in the passage at 13:35 Highlight the passage at 13:35

14:00 May all enjoyments be in accord with the Dharma. And may there be auspiciousness and perfect happiness here right now. Okay, we're going to do the short mandala offering on the top of page 98. Report an error in the passage at 14:00 Highlight the passage at 14:00

14:16 This Report an error in the passage at 14:16 Highlight the passage at 14:16

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14:50 ground. anointed with perfume, strewn with flowers, adorned with Mount Meru, four continents, the sun, and the moon. I imagine this is a Buddha field. May all living beings enjoy this pure land. Report an error in the passage at 14:50 Highlight the passage at 14:50

15:08 O holy and perfect pure Lama, from the clouds of compassion that form the skies of your Dharmakaya wisdom, please release a rain of vast and profound Dharma, precisely in accordance with the needs of those to be trained. Yidam Guru Ratnam Andalakam Niryatayami I go for refuge until I'm enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By my merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 15:08 Highlight the passage at 15:08

15:42 I go for refuge until I'm enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. By the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. I go for refuge until I'm enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Assembly. by the merits I create through listening to the Dharma, may I become a Buddha in order to benefit all sentient beings. Report an error in the passage at 15:42 Highlight the passage at 15:42

16:07 And one last prayer before we begin. And that's His Holiness' prayer and it's in the white book on page six. Report an error in the passage at 16:07 Highlight the passage at 16:07

16:41 With the wish to free all beings, I shall always go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha until I reach full enlightenment. Inspired by wisdom and compassion, today in the Buddha's presence, I generate the mind of full awakening for the benefit of all sentient beings. As long as space remains, as long as sentient beings remain, until then, may I too remain and dispel the miseries of the world. Report an error in the passage at 16:41 Highlight the passage at 16:41

17:25 Welcome and good morning. I guess we'll get just the title slide. Report an error in the passage at 17:25 Highlight the passage at 17:25

17:36 Maybe you should move your chair over. We don't have a clicker. So John is my clicker. My Report an error in the passage at 17:36 Highlight the passage at 17:36

17:51 name is Karen Villanueva and I've been a volunteer here at Seichen Ling for quite a few years. And our teacher, Geshe Nagwandapa, is in India right now in his home. He has a home there as well as here. And he'll be back in April. So in the meantime, we're all taking turns doing Dharma talks. And since today is a Tara Puja day, which we'll do at 1 o 'clock, offering Tara Puja, I volunteered to lead the Dharma talk about Tara. Report an error in the passage at 17:51 Highlight the passage at 17:51

18:32 So this presentation is more experiential than academic. But it's based on my academic research as a doctoral candidate in philosophy and religion at the California Institute of Integral Studies in Women's Spirituality. Report an error in the passage at 18:32 Highlight the passage at 18:32

18:52 So I was able to present this once before to my cohort of doctoral candidates and they told me just to start with her mantra. Report an error in the passage at 18:52 Highlight the passage at 18:52

19:10 Om Tare. Tare, Report an error in the passage at 19:10 Highlight the passage at 19:10

19:17 mama. Report an error in the passage at 19:17 Highlight the passage at 19:17

19:30 So Report an error in the passage at 19:30 Highlight the passage at 19:30

19:38 that's White Tara's mantra and next Sunday Lama Zopa Rinpoche is doing an empowerment for White Tara and an empowerment brings you closer to the deity. Report an error in the passage at 19:38 Highlight the passage at 19:38

19:58 What I'd like to talk about is Tara and all her many forms and Tara is one of the preeminent goddesses of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism and one of her many attributes is to help us overcome fear and my dissertation examines the Buddhist practice of chanting mantra in order to address fear and as a Buddhist practitioner and scholar I present a unique view of how Buddhist modes of understanding may be applied in an academic manner to the workings of mantra. So while theoretical knowledge is significant, acknowledging the extant practices of Tara worship in a modern context fills an important gap in research on the topic. Report an error in the passage at 19:58 Highlight the passage at 19:58

20:41 So my study attempts to answer the question, does Tara's mantra help one to overcome fear? And in this presentation today, I'll briefly introduce the concept of mantra. I don't Report an error in the passage at 20:41 Highlight the passage at 20:41

21:01 think that comes out too clearly. Well, maybe. Okay. Report an error in the passage at 21:01 Highlight the passage at 21:01

21:12 Okay, now the challenge is don't fall asleep. Report an error in the passage at 21:12 Highlight the passage at 21:12

21:18 So writing in the 16th century, the Tibetan historian Jonang Taranatha, I was trying to remember his name last night, that means son of Tara. stated that countless eons before becoming a goddess, Tara was called Princess Yanya Chandra or Moon Wisdom. Well known for her piety and devotion to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, she was encouraged by the monks to pray to be a male in her next life. Report an error in the passage at 21:18 Highlight the passage at 21:18

21:50 She countered their advice by responding that if there's truly no difference between man and woman, and if all is illusion, Then being born a woman should have the same benefit as being born a man. Taranatha then writes, Report an error in the passage at 21:50 Highlight the passage at 21:50

22:09 so she vowed, are many who wish to gain enlightenment in a man's form, there are few who wish to work for the welfare of sentient beings in a female form. Report an error in the passage at 22:09 Highlight the passage at 22:09

22:22 Therefore, may I, in a female body, work for the welfare of beings right until saṃsāra has been emptied. Thus she promised that in every life and existence she would be born as a female Buddha who would save and protect us all. Regardless of the date or place of her origin, the Tibetan people think of Tara's mother and believe that they are her children. Report an error in the passage at 22:22 Highlight the passage at 22:22

22:49 In Tibetan mythology, the Tibetan people were the result of the union of a rock ogress with a monkey. The rock or ogress is said to be an emanation of Tara, while the monkey was Avila Kateshvara. In the Tibetan language, Avila Kateshvara is known as Chinrezig, the Buddha of compassion, and his present incarnation or emanation is as His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Report an error in the passage at 22:49 Highlight the passage at 22:49

23:17 So behind you on this tanka over here is a depiction of Chinrezig with his many arms able to help us with compassion. And here is Tara in the tanko over here. Oh, did we move her? Oh, thank you. Thank you. Isn't that interesting? Why? And then I didn't even look. I was like, oh, she looks a little darker than I remember. Report an error in the passage at 23:17 Highlight the passage at 23:17

23:47 And I have my glasses on. So this is the 21 Taras, too. So the Tibetan Buddhist goddess Tara in her 21 manifestations gave mantras to the world in which to allay fears, ensure long life, wealth and wisdom, and provide comfort. Report an error in the passage at 23:47 Highlight the passage at 23:47

24:08 Om Tare Tutare Ture Soha protects all who call her and request her aid. Her manifestations each have their own unique mantra reflecting the differing aspects of the goddess, such as we find in the 21 praises to Tara. And that's the practice that we'll do later on with the Tara Puja, which can be pretty long. Report an error in the passage at 24:08 Highlight the passage at 24:08

24:32 Since Tara is a Buddha, she can manifest in any form necessary in order to help us. In other words, her manifestations are infinite. Mantra plays a tremendous role in the practice of Buddhism in Tibet, and early scholars of Tibetan Buddhism such as W.Y. Evans, if you ever do your mantra and Tara studies, you'll encounter these people. Report an error in the passage at 24:32 Highlight the passage at 24:32

25:00 John Blofeld, Lama E Govinda were among the first to introduce the practices of Tibetan Buddhism to the West and explain the use and meaning of mantra. Blofeld proposes that mantras pertain to the principle of Yidam, the deity within us all. And our minds are strengthened through reciting mantras because mind is the source of wisdom and recitations help us to recognize the deity or divine within. Report an error in the passage at 25:00 Highlight the passage at 25:00

25:26 Later scholars such as David Snellgrove describe mantra as spells of vulgar magic, while Matthew Kapstein associates mantra with the realization of the essential nature of things and progress on the bodhisattva's path. Report an error in the passage at 25:26 Highlight the passage at 25:26

25:41 As Tibetans find voice in this conversation, Dangse Tuku Rinpoche defines the practice of chanting mantra as an act of respectfully addressing a designated deity for the purposes of requesting his or her cleansing nectar to purify one's transgressions such as hate, greed and ignorance. In addition, one uses the mantra to ask for protection of these same deities. This definition is particularly significant to the human quest to overcome fear. Report an error in the passage at 25:41 Highlight the passage at 25:41

26:11 So composed of sacred seed syllables of sound, mantras resonate with all that is life, bringing healing if that's their intention. Mantra is derived from the roots man, meaning mind, and tra for tool. For mantras have the power to heal as their sacred sound flows. Mantras are a tool and mind is the power. Report an error in the passage at 26:11 Highlight the passage at 26:11

26:38 So Stephen Bayer is a noted chronicler of Tara and the author of The Cult of Tara. A very large tome about Tara herself. And describes mantra as divine power crystallized into its sonic image and the very speech of the God. And Tara's mantra itself is known as a vidya. And a vidya is a mantra for a female deity. So when one is feeling fearful, calling on Tara is repudiated to alleviate dread and provide one with protection. Report an error in the passage at 26:38 Highlight the passage at 26:38

27:11 This is accomplished through chanting Tara's mantra. A magical formula of sacred words and sounds that invoke the essence of the goddess. So for the purpose of this study, I convened a group that used the mantra of green Tara as a means to overcome fear. Report an error in the passage at 27:11 Highlight the passage at 27:11

27:30 And since Tara is a goddess whose worship is open and available to all, I invited people from many spiritual and educational groups to join me in chanting Tara's mantra. And anyone who prays for her assistance, whether Buddhist or not, May rely on her to come to their aid. Report an error in the passage at 27:30 Highlight the passage at 27:30

27:51 So it's the human condition to know fear. And Tara said to assist us in overcoming obstacles and to save us from the eight great fears. Report an error in the passage at 27:51 Highlight the passage at 27:51

28:02 The fear of lions, fear of elephants, fear of fire, fear of snakes, fear of robbers, fear of imprisonment, fear of floods and fear of demons. Report an error in the passage at 28:02 Highlight the passage at 28:02

28:12 In this Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, these eight fears may more appropriately be described as the negative emotions or inner obstacles such as fear of lions is actually pride, fear of elephants is ignorance, fear of fire is anger, fear of snakes is jealousy, fear of robbers is distorted views, fear of imprisonment, miserliness. Report an error in the passage at 28:12 Highlight the passage at 28:12

28:43 Fear of floods, attachment and fear of demons is doubt which interfere with receiving and understanding the teachings of the Buddha and keep beings in the cycle of death and rebirth. Report an error in the passage at 28:43 Highlight the passage at 28:43

28:57 These fears implicate the roots of the eight worldly concerns which are pleasure and pain, praise and blame, fame and disgrace and gain and loss. Whether in relation to an inner obstacle or not, Fear is a powerful emotion to overcome. Report an error in the passage at 28:57 Highlight the passage at 28:57

29:22 So mantras are composed of Sanskrit words and mantra particles. And these are the untranslatable parts of the mantra that are often used to empower and visualize objects and deities. An example of a mantra particle or seed syllable is Tara's seed syllable, which is depicted here at the Tam, which is a Tibetan letter. Report an error in the passage at 29:22 Highlight the passage at 29:22

29:48 And this is her power word. Report an error in the passage at 29:48 Highlight the passage at 29:48

29:54 So this is a slide of Tara's mantra, a mantra plaque. And this particular plaque is made by Sasa Studios. And it begins with OM at the top. And OM is the goal of the path. And then going clockwise, TA and then RE. And that stands for Tara, she who liberates us. And then further down, TU TA RE. She who eliminates all fears, Ture, she who grants all successes, Soha or Svaha in Sanskrit, which can be translated as rejoice, celebrate, be happy. Report an error in the passage at 29:54 Highlight the passage at 29:54

30:49 We say Soha in Tibetan because there's no V in Tibetan, so they don't pronounce the V. So I began this with chanting White Tara's mantra. Most mantras are injunctive and used to request the benefits of a particular deity, such as White Tara. And White Tara is known to grant long life, wealth and wisdom. Report an error in the passage at 30:49 Highlight the passage at 30:49

31:16 White Tara's mantra is increase my life, merit and knowledge. And by adding an appendix to Tara's basic mantra, Om Tare Tu Tare Ture Soha, We change the meaning to this increase my life merit and knowledge. So we start out with Om Tare Tu Tare Ture and to that we add Mama Ayapunya Yanya Pushtam Kurusvaha. Report an error in the passage at 31:16 Highlight the passage at 31:16

31:49 After you say it a few million times it gets easier. Report an error in the passage at 31:49 Highlight the passage at 31:49

31:55 Next slide. And this is red Tara and well with the green she's just absorbed isn't she in the red. So other examples of this change by adding an appendix to Tara's basic mantra are red Taras. And it's used to subjugate others with the name of the person. Now, I've heard that it's subjugating others more thinking of bending them to the will of Dharma as opposed to putting them under your thumb. Report an error in the passage at 31:55 Highlight the passage at 31:55

32:30 So this example would be Om Tade Tude. Om Tare Tutare Ture and then Va Sam Kuru Hom or Om Tare Tutare Ture Karen Va Sam Kuru Hom which would subjugate me to me. And then Yelotar is the next slide. So Yelotar grants material wealth and her appendix is Pushdam Kuru Om. So then the mantra becomes Om Tare Tu Tare Ture Pushtum Kuru Om, which you probably know very well. So in Tibet, Tara subsumed the roles of many of the minor and originally independent goddesses as forms of herself. Report an error in the passage at 32:30 Highlight the passage at 32:30

33:21 For this reason, yellow Tara is also known as Vasundhara and red Tara as Kurukula. So you'll find them kind of interchanged that way. They say... Report an error in the passage at 33:21 Highlight the passage at 33:21

33:35 So the way she's depicted here, is her foot extended? Is that the right foot? Yeah, so that would actually be Yellow Tara. They say you can tell the difference from the iconography. So if her foot is extended like she's ready to spring forth to our aid, it's supposed to be more of Yellow Tara. But then again, she has the four arms, so... Report an error in the passage at 33:35 Highlight the passage at 33:35

34:06 That's maybe the marriage of the Vasundhara with her. Actually, Geshe-la can tell the difference in the depictions when you see the different iconography. But I've had, when you really get into Tara, you kind of follow wherever Tara is. It doesn't matter what tradition, whatever, they say Tara, you're there. Report an error in the passage at 34:06 Highlight the passage at 34:06

34:29 And in the Shambhala, which is kind of a marriage of Ningman, It was formed by Chönyam Trungpa who since passed away but they're Shambhala warriors and you've probably kind of heard about that. In the Shambhala tradition I went for a Red Tara empowerment once and I know that they interchanged her name Red Tara with Kurukula and they also had can't, um... Report an error in the passage at 34:29 Highlight the passage at 34:29

35:07 And some different practices which I think more talk to the curricula element than the Red Tara. So they had totally married the two. So you can find that within. Anyway, next slide. They say you shouldn't judge, but I just love this picture of Tara. Report an error in the passage at 35:07 Highlight the passage at 35:07

35:31 So we can think of love as sympathy, a harmony and an abiding desire for the happiness of another. The repetition of sacred sound, chant, is a means of conveying love and our wish for the healing of others. Next slide. Report an error in the passage at 35:31 Highlight the passage at 35:31

35:51 So this is a depiction of White Tara. And you can always tell White Tara because she's seated in the full Vajra, so both of her legs are up. And she has seven eyes, which is really important. She has her two normal eyes, one in the middle of her forehead. One on the palm of each hand and one on the sole of each foot. The better to see you with. So chant is proven means of reducing stress and producing other healthy effects. Report an error in the passage at 35:51 Highlight the passage at 35:51

36:24 When performed with healing intention, waves of positive energy go forth and spread to others. Chanting mantras is a means of alleviating fears, communicating our deepest desires, expressing grief, anguish, regret. Remorse and surrender. Next slide. Report an error in the passage at 36:24 Highlight the passage at 36:24

36:48 The more we chant a chosen mantra, the closer we become to the energy of that deity. When we call on the mantra of Tara to heal, we're calling on her love as infinite as the universe. Report an error in the passage at 36:48 Highlight the passage at 36:48

37:06 So this is Tara's mantra. This is it in Tibetan below. And actually... Report an error in the passage at 37:06 Highlight the passage at 37:06

37:22 The third word now, I usually spell with two Ts. It doesn't make that big of a difference. Report an error in the passage at 37:22 Highlight the passage at 37:22

37:33 So what I would like to do now is a visualization, a little meditation and then chanting Tara's mantra together. And I'm going to ask John, John, would you mind getting me a mala? Report an error in the passage at 37:33 Highlight the passage at 37:33

37:52 So as John is doing that, you might want to get a little more comfortable on your cushion. And by that I mean we have our cushion right under our coccyx and it's under us and we're at a 45 degree angle so that our knees are actually closer to the cushion and the cushion itself is not completely under us but slightly sticking out. Report an error in the passage at 37:52 Highlight the passage at 37:52

38:20 You have your shoulders straight, not hunched up too high and not too low. Oh, thanks, I know, I use this one all the time. Report an error in the passage at 38:20 Highlight the passage at 38:20

38:36 Now I've been taking a meditation class here with one of our teachers, Emily Su. And what I've learned is, rather than close your eyes completely, the best way to meditate is to try to keep your eyes slightly open, yet unfocused, gazing off kind of in front of you. Report an error in the passage at 38:36 Highlight the passage at 38:36

39:16 Our tongue is behind our front teeth. Report an error in the passage at 39:16 Highlight the passage at 39:16

39:22 Our hands are in the mudrā of meditation in our lap. Right hand over left, thumbs touching, or on our knees, and Report an error in the passage at 39:22 Highlight the passage at 39:22

39:36 just try to be comfortable. Feel that your spine is straight. So Report an error in the passage at 39:36 Highlight the passage at 39:36

39:56 visualize Tara in the space in front of you. Level with your forehead and a body's length away from you. Tara is a bright, beautiful green. Like the Khandavarani forest, she makes her home. Report an error in the passage at 39:56 Highlight the passage at 39:56

40:20 Her face is warm and peaceful and she smiles slightly at us. Her hair is long, dark, thick and curly. She wears half of it tied up on the top of her head and the rest loosely cascades down her shoulders. She wears a crown and all the ornaments and silks of a queen, armbands, bracelets. Report an error in the passage at 40:20 Highlight the passage at 40:20

40:58 Necklaces, anklets, earrings and jewels of every type. Report an error in the passage at 40:58 Highlight the passage at 40:58

41:09 Tara's right hand holds a blue lotus or utpala flower as it's known. This flower blooms at night and symbolizes Tara's ability to protect us at our times of greatest fear, at night, in literal darkness and in times of darkness in our hearts and minds. Report an error in the passage at 41:09 Highlight the passage at 41:09

41:40 The lotus flower grows out of the mud, symbolizing that each of us, no matter what we've done in the past, has the potential to become perfect like Tara and to be without stain. Report an error in the passage at 41:40 Highlight the passage at 41:40

42:01 Tara's left hand is in the gesture or mudrā of giving and indicates that her entire being is devoted to giving to others. Report an error in the passage at 42:01 Highlight the passage at 42:01

42:15 She sits on a lotus throne of the sun and moon. Her left leg is drawn in close to her body and represents her control over her sexual energy. Report an error in the passage at 42:15 Highlight the passage at 42:15

42:28 Her right leg is in front of her so that she can spring forth to our aid. Her entire nature is a calm, radiant green light. Report an error in the passage at 42:28 Highlight the passage at 42:28

42:43 Tara invites us to ask for her blessings and to request her help. She's delighted by our asking and sends her tremendous energy to unblock our confused and negative minds. We can feel her radiant rainbow light streaming through the crown of our head, clearing away all the obstacles in our lives until we are clean and clear like crystal. Report an error in the passage at 42:43 Highlight the passage at 42:43

43:22 As we continue to see and feel the streams of brilliant green light flow through our systems, we chant Green Tara's mantra for 108 times. So Report an error in the passage at 43:22 Highlight the passage at 43:22

43:44 just join in with me as you feel comfortable. Report an error in the passage at 43:44 Highlight the passage at 43:44

44:03 tutare. Today is so hard. Tata Tuttare Today is so hard. Om Tata Tuttade Today hard. Report an error in the passage at 44:03 Highlight the passage at 44:03

44:36 Today so I'll Report an error in the passage at 44:36 Highlight the passage at 44:36

44:44 with Mooji Report an error in the passage at 44:44 Highlight the passage at 44:44

44:55 tutare. Report an error in the passage at 44:55 Highlight the passage at 44:55

· · · silence, 2 minutes

46:45 She Report an error in the passage at 46:45 Highlight the passage at 46:45

· · · silence, 16 minutes

1:02:36 melts into green light. He enters through our forehead and absorbs into our heart. We can now think, my body, speech and mind have been blessed to become Tara's diamond-like, holy body, holy speech and holy mind. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:36 Highlight the passage at 1:02:36

1:03:09 Lama Zopa Rinpoche says, by receiving the blessings of Tara with a calm, devoted mind, You plant the seeds to develop your mind and actually achieve Tara. So Report an error in the passage at 1:03:09 Highlight the passage at 1:03:09

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:04:14 we can now dedicate all this positive energy we've generated just through chanting Tara's mantra to the happiness and enlightenment of all sentient beings including ourselves and we can dedicate it to ourselves so that we may be of benefit to sentient beings. Before Report an error in the passage at 1:04:14 Highlight the passage at 1:04:14

1:04:48 we do our concluding prayers. Are there any questions about the Tara presentation? Report an error in the passage at 1:04:48 Highlight the passage at 1:04:48

1:05:01 Especially since I keep staring at you, I'm sorry. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:01 Highlight the passage at 1:05:01

1:05:20 That's Tara's basic form, is green Tara. But she can manifest, well they say, you know, there's Buddhas all around us all the time, so she can manifest in infinite forms. And, you know, there may be a Buddha in this room right now. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:20 Highlight the passage at 1:05:20

1:05:55 So for the concluding prayers, go Report an error in the passage at 1:05:55 Highlight the passage at 1:05:55

1:06:02 to page Report an error in the passage at 1:06:02 Highlight the passage at 1:06:02

1:06:08 99. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:08 Highlight the passage at 1:06:08

1:06:21 Excuse me, that is not what I wanted. Yeah, the white book. Thank you. Thanks, John. We do without John. It's true, true. Oh, and this is page six. Oh, His Holiness' prayer was on page eight. Oh, I'm so sorry. I was wrong. Page six. And I'm going to say them all in English. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:21 Highlight the passage at 1:06:21

1:06:55 Through the merits of these virtuous actions, may I quickly attain the state of a Guru Buddha and lead all living beings without exception into that enlightened state. May the supreme jewel bodhicitta that has not arisen arise and grow and may that which has arisen not diminish but increase more and more. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:55 Highlight the passage at 1:06:55

1:07:15 Just as the brave Manjushri and Samantabhadra too realize things as they are, also I dedicate all these merits in the best way that I may follow their perfect example. I dedicate all these roots of virtue with the dedication praised as the best by the virtuous thus gone ones of the three times so that I might perform the noble Bodhisattva's deeds. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:15 Highlight the passage at 1:07:15

1:07:41 In the land, encircled by snow mountains, you are the source of all happiness and good, all powerful Chinresi Tenseng Gyatso. Please remain until saṃsāra ends. May my Venerable Lama's life be firm, his white divine actions spread in the ten directions. May the torch of the teachings of Losang always remain, dispelling the darkness of all beings in the three realms. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:41 Highlight the passage at 1:07:41

1:08:07 I dedicate whatever virtues I have collected for the benefit of the teachings of sentient beings and in particular for the essential teachings of Venerable Losang Drogpa to shine forever. And let's say the long life prayer for Venerable Geshe Nagwangdakpa on page 4. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:07 Highlight the passage at 1:08:07

1:08:29 We pray to you, Nangwangdakpa, our peerless spiritual friend, you who hold, sustain and extend the stainless system of Lama Tsongkhapa, renowned as the Lord of Speech. May you, our protector, have a long life, stable like Mount Meru. May your enlightened activities always be a shining lamp for the world, dispelling the darkness from the minds of your disciples, so the fruit of definite goodness will ripen. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:29 Highlight the passage at 1:08:29

1:09:02 I've heard it said. when you're chanting mantra, Report an error in the passage at 1:09:02 Highlight the passage at 1:09:02

1:09:10 you get to that point when you say, this chanting ever end? Report an error in the passage at 1:09:10 Highlight the passage at 1:09:10

1:09:19 you let go and you continue, when spirit Thank you all for sticking it out and chanting the mantras with me. Could have done a lot this morning when you came here. I hope you have wonderful days and a wonderful week. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:19 Highlight the passage at 1:09:19

1:10:05 good introduction. Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:05 Highlight the passage at 1:10:05

1:10:12 Now, Report an error in the passage at 1:10:12 Highlight the passage at 1:10:12

1:10:28 you know, there was a very good article in the recent newsletter from Snow Lion, and you can look at it online. Snow Lion Publications, and when you go to their page, you just select their newsletter, and it talks about the different kinds of malas and what they symbolize. So, for example, I always thought a pearl mala would be good, and it's not bad, but it's not specifically, you know, related to Tara. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:28 Highlight the passage at 1:10:28

1:11:01 I also thought perhaps turquoise because in some traditions... Her Taurus heaven is called Euclid, and that's a turquoise heaven. So I figured that turquoise would be sacred to her. But they talked about in that article the powers that the different substances bring, and turquoise, I believe, was a little more wrathful. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:01 Highlight the passage at 1:11:01

1:11:28 So I was surprised. But then again, you know, that's kind of what I like about... Mother deities, they're kind of like, there's a little wrath, there's a little peace, there's a little both. Snow Lion, yeah, Snow Lion, they're publishers of Tibetan Buddhist books. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:28 Highlight the passage at 1:11:28

1:11:51 It's just a great website anyway. You Report an error in the passage at 1:11:51 Highlight the passage at 1:11:51

1:12:04 know what, if you want to too, it's on page, in the gold book it's on page 198. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:04 Highlight the passage at 1:12:04

1:12:15 And the entire, the reason you have the silver book is the entire Tara Puja begins on page 140 of this book, if you want to look it over. Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:15 Highlight the passage at 1:12:15

1:12:30 Mala, the beads, uh-huh. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:30 Highlight the passage at 1:12:30

1:12:52 Turquoise? Agate? Lapis lazuli. How Report an error in the passage at 1:12:52 Highlight the passage at 1:12:52

1:13:16 did you hear about Tara today? You said you knew it was Tara. Are you women's spirituality? Yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:16 Highlight the passage at 1:13:16

1:13:28 My buddy has a hook. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:28 Highlight the passage at 1:13:28

1:13:38 So if anybody wants to stay, we're going to do Tara Puja at 1. I guess we could have done it at noon. No, but once we've set up everything on the altar. So today it's going to focus on Japan. I got everything from Japan town. So, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:38 Highlight the passage at 1:13:38

1:13:58 What I like about Tara Puja is that you can dedicate and benefit so many beings with it. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:58 Highlight the passage at 1:13:58