Why are there so many White Taras? Why are there six well-known White Taras in the 21 Taras — in addition to Principle White Tara?

What are the activities and mantras of each of them, and how can I bring their energies into my life?

We answer these questions and then present the six White Taras Mantras. Chant these mantras whenever you feel the need for the pacifying activity of Mother Tara.

Her most famous pacifying forms are Sarsavati, Sitatapatra, and Marici, who emanate as the second, nineteenth and twenty-first of the 21 Taras. These are only three of the six in the 21 Taras. These are in addition to Principle White Taras, and the other Pacifying White Taras in the 108 Taras.

Why so many forms?

As the principle activity of compassion and wisdom of all the Buddhas, Noble Arya Tara emanates in countless forms to help not only with our individual obstacles, but the many types of beings in the universe. Tara embodies the activities of all the Buddhas of all three times. In Mahayana Sutra, she is part of the story of every Enlightened Buddha.

According to Bokar Rinpoche, in his book Tara, the Feminine Divine:

“The night preceding his awakening, while sitting under the Bodhi tree, Shakyamuni was attacked by a horde of demons attempting to divert him from his goal. At that moment, Tara appeared, and with eight great laughters made the demons fall to the ground and stopped them from doing harm. The Buddha then placed his mind in a state of perfect meditation and, at dawn, attained awakening. After that, he uttered the Tara Sutra.”

Four Enlightened Activities

It is through the four great Enlightened Activities  that Tara accomplishes so much for all sentient beings.

We, as aspiring Bodhisattvas, call on Tara’s help as well, sometimes for more mundane things. The practice of 21 Taras is there to help us with her four types of activity, removing our obstacles to life and practice

These 21 Taras, each have a name, a color, a praise and a mantra. They appear as White, Yellow, Red, and Blue Black. Green Tara combines all of these colors and activities.

White Taras are for Pacifying activities, as she performed for Shakyamuni Buddha, pacifying the demons that assaulted him under the Bodhi Tree. Yellow Taras are for Enriching and Growing. Red Taras are for Magnetizing and Enchanting. Black or Blue Tara is for Wrathful Activity.

In the Atisha lineage of 21 Taras there are six White Taras. In The Nyingma Terma lineage there are usually five.

The names and the praises and images are almost the same for these two lineages, except in Atisha’s lineage Tara 9 is a White Tara instead of Green. With the Atisha lineage, Green Tara is the main Buddha of the merit field and not one of the twenty-one.

Here, we present the powerful mantras as transmitted by Lord Atisha.

These are, in the order presented

The Second Tara of the twenty-one, known as Lady of Supreme Peace, pacifies all diseases.

The Ninth Tara of the twenty-one, known as Tara Who Protects From All Fears, pacifies all 8 fears and dangers.

The Fifteenth Tara of the twenty-one, known as Tara of Surpreme Peacefulness, pacifies and purifies all negative karma, obstacles, and harm from spirits, evil intentions of others, and illness.

The Eighteenth Tara of the twenty-one, known as Tara Who Neutralizes Poison, eliminates not only physical poisons but the internal poisons of anger, hate and attachment.

The Nineteenth Tara of the twenty-one, known as Sitatapatra, Tara Who Eliminates All Suffering,, pacifies and helps overcome war, strife, arguments, conflict, disputes, bad dreams and all other suffering.

The Twenty-First Tara of the twenty-one, known as Tara Who Completely Perfects All Enlightened Activities is none other than Marichi, and she perfects all pacifying activities and completes all siddhis, common and supreme, including various magical attainments, into the cause for final Enlightenment.

Together, these are all the pacifying Taras of the 21. Combined with the other Taras who enrich, magnetize and deploy wrathful power, they represent all the Enlightened Activities of the Buddhas.

Chant along with us now, the six Pacifying and Perfecting Mantras of the White Taras, bringing this wholesome pacifying and purifying activity into your lives and practice. May all beings Benefit.

2. Tara of Supreme Peace  (Sarasvati)

om tare tuttare ture shatim kuru svaha

ॐ तरे तुत्तरे तुरे शतिम कुरु स्वहा

9. Tara Who Protects from All Fears

om tare tuttare ture mama upakrama raksha raksha svaha

ॐ तरे तुत्तरे तुरे मम उपक्रमा रक्षा रक्षा स्वहा

15. Tara of Supreme Peacefulness

om tare tuttare ture sarva papam prashamanaya svaha

ॐ तरे तुत्तरे तुरे सर्व पपम प्रशमनय स्वहा

18. Tara Who Neutralizes Poison

om tare tuttare ture naga visha shantim kuru svaha

ॐ तरे तुत्तरे तुरे नगा विश शन्तिम कुरु स्वहा

19. Tara Who Alleviates All Suffering (Sitatapatra)

om tare tuttare ture mocana svaha

ॐ तरे तुत्तरे तुरे मोकना स्वहा

21. Tara Who Completely Perfects All Enlightened Activities  (Marici)

om tare tuttare ture sarva siddhi sadhanam svaha

ॐ तरे तुत्तरे तुरे सर्व सिद्धी सधनम स्वहा