Latest Features
Tara Puja Day — Why it’s important; simple ways to celebrate, how to participate; sponsoring pujas for merit; offering from the heart
"Green Tara is especially swift in granting the wishes of sentient beings. Tara is also known as the “Mother of all Buddhas” because she embodies wisdom – all buddhas are born from this wisdom." —Lama Zopa Rinpoche [3] Tara...
Who is Medicine Buddha: King of Lapis Lazuli Light and how can we attain healing blessings?
Medicine Buddha is the Buddha who represents the healing aspects of all the Buddhas. He is also known as Bhaiṣajya-guru in Sanskrit and Yào Shì Fó in Chinese and Lapis Lazuli Light Buddha in English. Medicine Buddha's mantra is a...
Important December Dharma Dates including exciting empowerment events: 2022
Buddha Weekly Monthly Dharma Dates As part of our mission to Spread the Dharma, we've tried to publicize important Dharma practice dates across all the traditions — Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana over the last ten years. We've diligently attempted to convert...
Mahamudra, vast like space and beyond mind; polluted by nothing with nothing to obscure openness
Mahamudra is the ultimate practice in Tibetan Buddhism in many ways — yet it is profoundly simple. Maitripa, Tilopa's great Mahasiddha student, described Mahāmudrā as: "Mahāmudrā, that which is unified and beyond the mind, is clear yet thoughtless, pervasive, and...
Vajrasattva as Yidam: the most powerful healing and purification method in Vajrayana Buddhism is also a profound Meditational Deity
Vajrasattva — like all Buddhist deities — defies the notion of ego. Therefore, there is no "who" and there is no "what." It can be said that Vajrasattva, in ultimate reality is no different from any other Buddha. It can...
The Great Way that benefits all sentient beings: motivated from the heart! An introduction to Mahayana Buddhism
An Introduction to Mahayana Buddhism Mahayana means ‘the great way’, which aims to benefit all people and all forms of life. This word comes from one of the ways a person can practice Buddhism. The motivation for their meditation, prayers,...
Upcoming Teaching Events
White Tara mantra chanted 108 times with stunning visualizations for healing and long life: supporting Members Ad-Free Video
Buddhist teachers are universal in their enthusiasm for White Tara practice. Almost every teacher has real-life stories of people close to them who have been helped by White Tara, especially for health, long-life and auspiciousness. According to Venerable Lama Phuntsock:...
Podcast: White Tara’s Healing and Long Life Mantra, member advance listen
Early listen for supporting members: Buddhist teachers are universal in their enthusiasm for White Tara practice. Almost every teacher has real-life stories of people close to them who have been helped by White Tara, especially for health, long-life and...
Member ad-free video: Mother Tara’s powerful activity mantra — saving from the eight great dangers
Green Tara is famous for her windy activity, sweeping to the rescue of sentient beings, with the force and speed of a hurricane. In Vajrayana Buddhism, Female Buddhas represent Wisdom. For this reason, she is described as the mother of...
Member Early Access: Podcast — Advance Podcast: Mother Tara — Powerful Mantras of Activity and Protection
Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha Green Tara is famous for her windy activity, sweeping to the rescue of sentient beings, with the force and speed of a hurricane. In Vajrayana Buddhism, Female Buddhas represent Wisdom. For this reason, she is...
Early view: Vajrapani Documentary for Supporting Members (ad free HD)
Why does Vajrapani Bodhisattva's name mean "indestructible hand of the Buddha?" Why is he also called the "Lord or Secrets"? Why is Vajrapani one of the three most important Bodhisattvas? Come along with us now as we get to know...
Member Video: Patrons and Members: Vajrapani 108 Mantras beautifully chanted with meditational images
In Buddhism, Bodhisattva Vajrapani's ultimate power activity mantra is famous for its inspiring benefits — protecting, strengthening and empowering our practice. His mantra is the highest expression of ultimate activity, or karma. Listen or chant along with the Sanskrit version...
10 ways Science aligns with Buddhist concepts: Science and Buddhism concur on method, openess, cosmology, temporal concepts and more
What ten ways do current science and modern Buddhism actually appear in agreement? What ten teachings of Buddha align well with well-accepted modern science? We look at these questions, and much more, in this special feature of "The Scientific Buddhist"...
The Science of Reincarnation and Rebirth? The research into verified past lives claims
Have you ever wondered about what happens after we die? Some believe that our souls reincarnate — or are reborn — into other beings or come back to Earth in another form. Others think that we simply disappear and cease...
Buddha taught temporal cosmology, the multiverse and non-linear time — 2500 years ahead of modern science (and Marvel comics). How is this possible?
How is it possible that Buddha predicted the sun would consume the earth in roughly 7.5 billion years – a theory scientists only recently confirmed? That places Buddha at least 2500 years ahead of modern science — in linear time....
Mahamudra, vast like space and beyond mind; polluted by nothing with nothing to obscure openness
Mahamudra is the ultimate practice in Tibetan Buddhism in many ways — yet it is profoundly simple. Maitripa, Tilopa's great Mahasiddha student, described Mahāmudrā as: "Mahāmudrā, that which is unified and beyond the mind, is clear yet thoughtless, pervasive, and...
Arya Supreme White Tara, ultimate Tara is more than a “long life” Tara — she is the ultimate of the Taras
Vajrayana Buddhist teachers are universal in their enthusiasm for White Tara. Almost every teacher has real-life stories of people close to them who have been helped by White Tara, especially for health and auspiciousness. In fact, when we wish our...
Shabkar’s Song of Practice: the entire path, from refuge to generation to completion in one song by one of the great sages of Tibet
Only a true visionary Yogi could distill a path that fills lifetimes and books into a single song. Such a Yogi is the great Shabkar Tsokdruk Rangdrol, an emanation of the great Milarepa. Both were famous for their songs of...
“The Dalai Lama will see you now” — chapter excerpt from Threads of Awakening by Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo.
Excerpt: Piece 1 from Threads of Awakening by Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo, This is an excerpt from Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo's amazing new book Threads of Awakening. In Threads of Awakening, Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo beautifully tells her story as a personal spiritual memoir, seamlessly weaving...
“The Sakya Jetsumas — The Hidden World of Tibetan Female Lamas” — spiritual biographies of the great female meditation masters
There can be no doubt of the vast contribution of the great female wisdom masters of Tibetan Buddhism, yet with the notable exception of Yeshe Togyal and Machig Labdron, there are precious few stories of their lives. Elisabeth Benard, Ph.D.,...
“I Meet the Buddha” — Chapter excerpt from “Pilgrim Maya” a Buddhist “pilgrim” quest that ends in “nothing” — a novel by Bela Breslau and Stephen Billias
In Pilgrim Maya, we start with the ending. Or, rather, when we asked for permission to excerpt, we received the final chapter — that tells you some of what you need to know about this fascinating novel by Bela Breslau...
Refuge is the Ultimate Protection from Dangers: The Maha Samaya Sutta — The Great Meeting Sutra
The Maha Samaya Sutta is often chanted as a daily practice in Pali — and often at weddings and dedications of new buildings — and is considered a "protective blessing" as much as it teaches doctrine. The core message, though,...
Dhaniya Sutta — “Go ahead and rain” Dhaniya the Cattleman: a mystical message meaningful in today’s stressful world
Among the most poetic and beautiful of Suttas, is the Dhaniya Sutta, which at times seems like a Greek Drama in verse, or the song of a great Troubadour. It is unique amongst the Suttas, and widely published, translated, and...
Sutras: 10 Helpful ways to enjoy and learn more from reading Buddhist Sutras; tips for creating your own Sutra-Sutta reading club
Over 2,500 years ago, Siddhartha Gautama had a series of profound realizations that led him to become the Buddha, the Awakened One. In order to share his insights and knowledge with others, he began teaching and giving lectures, which were...
The Great Way that benefits all sentient beings: motivated from the heart! An introduction to Mahayana Buddhism
An Introduction to Mahayana Buddhism Mahayana means ‘the great way’, which aims to benefit all people and all forms of life. This word comes from one of the ways a person can practice Buddhism. The motivation for their meditation, prayers,...
Three Principal Paths — the peerless path of Renunciation, Bodhichitta, Shunyata
The peerless teaching in Mahayana Buddhism is collectively known as the Three Principal Paths. These three are Renunciation, Bodhichitta and Shunyata. Together, they represent the most important teachings. Inevitably, all teachings begin — and later reinforce over-and over — these...
“Mind Jewel” Green Tara – a Highest Yoga Tantra practice of Chittamani Tara (Cittamani)
"Tara is the mother of all the Buddhas; when you practice Tara you become closer to Tara; you feel her motherly love. If Tara is good enough to be the mother of all the Buddhas, then she can certainly become...
Song of Enlightenment by Master Yonglia — going beyond all dualisms, theories, names, forms, preferences and aversions.
Song of Enlightenment[1]— Commentary The Song of Enlightenment is a concise treatise of about 1800 words, written in literary verse by Master Yongjia (Yōka Genkaku, in Japanese)[2]. It is a long poem, somewhat difficult to understand, yet filled with profound...
Korean Seon Buddhism: the thriving and profound tradition, history and practices of Seon Buddhists
The resonating sound of the Korean moktak is iconic of the beautiful practices of Korean Buddhism. Although the wooden Moktak is similar to the Mokugyo Japanese fish drum — there are subtle differences, just as there are subtle differences between...
Six ways to focus the mind: Metta, mindfulness, breath, progressive, transcendental, or Zazen
Our society is rife with stress, competition, fear, and commercialism – yet we're at a time when spirituality has become a buzzword. On one hand, there’s definitely an increased need for spiritualism in a stressful environment, but there still seems...
Vajrasattva as Yidam: the most powerful healing and purification method in Vajrayana Buddhism is also a profound Meditational Deity
Vajrasattva — like all Buddhist deities — defies the notion of ego. Therefore, there is no "who" and there is no "what." It can be said that Vajrasattva, in ultimate reality is no different from any other Buddha. It can...
Three Principal Paths — the peerless path of Renunciation, Bodhichitta, Shunyata
The peerless teaching in Mahayana Buddhism is collectively known as the Three Principal Paths. These three are Renunciation, Bodhichitta and Shunyata. Together, they represent the most important teachings. Inevitably, all teachings begin — and later reinforce over-and over — these...
An Introduction to Mantra: Great River of Compassion — by Jason Espada
Avalokiteshvara, help me to say this rightly, for all who could benefit from it. By Jason Espada From "Writing, music, and spoken word by Jason Espada" For other wonderful features on Buddha Weekly by Jason Espada, see>> Mantra [definition] I:...
Tara Puja Day — Why it’s important; simple ways to celebrate, how to participate; sponsoring pujas for merit; offering from the heart
"Green Tara is especially swift in granting the wishes of sentient beings. Tara is also known as the “Mother of all Buddhas” because she embodies wisdom – all buddhas are born from this wisdom." —Lama Zopa Rinpoche [3] Tara...
Tara protects us from the eight great external dangers and eight internal obstacles
Why is Buddha Tara so beloved around the world? Is it because she is the Mother of All the Buddhas — the embodiment of wisdom? Or, because she is the swift one — the one who comes to our aid...
How Tara Buddha saved my life — appearing beside my hospital bed
Four weeks ago, I took what I thought was a routine heart stress test — only to be rushed to the hospital by ambulance halfway through my test. A few days later, I would see Tara standing beside my hospital...
Buddha Weekly’s Special Section
Tara, Mother of all Buddhas
Karma Mother
How does Tara Help?
Tara, like any Mother, is ready to jump to our aid, even in mundane areas of life. She is the “practical Buddha” — the “Karma Mother” — the Buddha most active in our lives. Her Sanskrit name translates as “a star by which to navigate” — and like a star, she is always with us whenever we look for her.
Tara on YouTube
21 Taras Mantra Video Playlist
An entire playlist of every one of the mantras for the 21 Taras. Don't miss the amazing Tara mantra chanting of Yoko Dharma for the each Tara of the 21 Taras according to Surya Gupta lineage. One video with many repetitions and visualized images for each Tara. The final video is the English-translated 21 Praises to Tara sung in English.