White Tara
Motivation: Preparation for Meditation and Recitation
The purpose of my life, why I am born a human being this time, why I have taken a human body this time, is to benefit others. The greatest benefit is to free them from sufferings and their causes and bring them to enlightenment. Therefore, I must achieve enlightenment; therefore, I am going to practice meditation and recitation.
The guru deities—all the Buddha’s holy mind, the wisdom of Dharmakaya, that which is the absolute guru, bound with infinite compassion, which embraces me and my family and all living beings—manifests into White Tara, specifically to grant long life realizations. Her nature is of white light, and she is extremely youthful and beautiful. She has one face and two arms and is sitting in the vajra posture. The right hand has the palm facing outward on the knee, in the mudra of granting realizations. The left hand has three fingers pointing up, signifying Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. She is holding the stem of an upali flower. She is sitting in the vajra posture on a lotus and moon disc seat, looking at me and all sentient beings with compassionate eyes and a loving smile. She is beautifully adorned with divine dress and jewel ornaments.
Beams of nectar are emitted and enter my body and mind, as well as all other living beings equaling the vast sky. All sickness, spirit harms, negative karma, defilements, and life obstacles are purified.
Then, chant the White Tara mantra, any number you can recite:
OM TARE TUTTARE TURE MAMA AYUR PUNYE JÑANA PUSHTIM KURU YE SVAHA
Then, think you have received all of Tara’s qualities of holy body, holy speech, and holy mind—all the realizations, omniscient mind, complete compassion, perfect power, and immortal realizations.
When you stop reciting the mantras, think: “I have received all these qualities. I have received immortal realizations and all the others who do good things for others have also received immortal realizations.”
Dedication
Due to the past, present, and future merits collected by me and the merits of the three times collected by others, may the most precious, wish-fulfilling thought of enlightenment (bodhicitta) be generated in my mind, in the mind of my family members, and all sentient beings. May that which has been generated increase.
Due to all the past, present, and future merits collected by me and others, which do not exist from their own side, may the “I,” which does not exist from its own side, achieve full enlightenment, which does not exist from its own side, and lead sentient beings, which do not exist from their own side, to that state, by myself alone, which does not exist from its own side.
May I have the same qualities as Lama Tsongkhapa, and benefit sentient beings equaling the limitless sky, like Lama Tsongkhapa, from this second on.
Then, either you can practice the Compassionate Buddha Roaring Sound of the Lion (Sangita) after this, with the same visualization, but leave out the part "pacifying life obstacles and achieving immortal realizations". "Immortal realizations" is contained within the realizations and "life obstacles" is contained within purifying negative karma.
Arya Avalokiteshvara Simhanada (Sangita)
Visualize in the space in front of you Arya Avalokiteshvara Lion's Roar (Sangita). He is white with one face, two arms, and three eyes. His right hand on his knee is in the mudra of granting supreme realizations, and he leans back on his left hand, which rests behind him on the moon disc. His left leg is extended in the posture of royal ease. He is without ornaments, in the aspect of an ascetic, and wears a brahmin cord.
His hair is tied in a topknot. He wears a lower robe of red silks, and a black deer skin covers the left side of his chest. On his right side is a green trident with a white snake entwined around it, and on his left, on a lotus, is a skull-cup filled with various flowers. On a white lotus, which blooms by his ear, is a blazing sword of wisdom.
Sangita’s particular function is to heal sickness. You can chant the mantras 21 or any number of times.
OM AH HRIH SIMHANADA HUM PHAT
At the end, dedicate as follows:
Due to the past, present, and future merits collected by me and the merits of the three times collected by others, may the most precious, wishfulfilling thought of enlightenment (bodhicitta) be generated in my mind, in the minds of my family members, and all sentient beings. May that which has been generated increase.
Due to all the past, present, and future merits collected by me and others, which do not exist from their own side, may the “I,” which does not exist from its own side, achieve full enlightenment, which does not exist from its own side, and lead sentient beings, which do not exist from their own side, to that state, by myself alone, which does not exist from its own side.
May I have the same qualities as Lama Tsongkhapa, and benefit sentient beings equaling the limitless sky, like Lama Tsongkhapa, from this second on.
[Go to the FPMT Catalogue to find a link to The Practice of White Tara and Chenrezig Lion's Roar to Eliminate Sickness and Life Obstacles eBook & PDF.]
