Green Tara Statue

Green Tara, known as the Swift Liberator, represents the principle of Active Compassion in the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Her name in Tibetan is Drolma, the Mother Who Rescues. Tara is her name in Sanskrit. We see her seated on a lotus arising from a pool, for she (together with White Tara) is said to have arisen from the tears of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of love and compassion, as he wept over the suffering in the world.

Tara’s skin is green, for that is the color associated with wind, with breath, with prana and hence with movement and activity. She sits with her left leg folded under her and her right leg extended, for it is said that she is always, always ready to come swiftly and immediately to the assistance of anyone who calls upon her for help. The position of her legs also reflects her integration of contemplation and action.