Jason Espada recites In Praise of Tara with beautiful Tara images. Don’t miss this wonderful praise of the Mother of All the Buddhas. Jason Espada is well known for his Dharma Recordings.He is the author of several books on Buddhism and Dharma. [More on Jason below.]

Buddha Weekly presents

Jason Espada Recites

In Praise of Tara

Praising the Mother of All the Buddhas

May All Beings Benefit

Recitation

Holy Tara, Protector of living beings,
May your blessings flow throughout all of our lives
and by Your Compassionate Activity,
may all the needs of all beings
be completely fulfilled now

Tara
Your beauty tames the minds of living beings.
You draw all beings to yourself.
Your virtue calms their fears and brings them all fresh happiness.

You are the one who makes what seems to be the impossible
entirely possible
You conquer disbelief, and dispel doubt
without leaving even a trace
You are miraculous activity, beyond comprehension.

You are ‘swift to regard’, quick to respond,
the remover of obstacles.

You are our protector
You are grace and blessings,
the relative and ultimate liberator of beings

Your beauty inspires uprightness of moral character
You pacify habit energy
We shed our skins, lose our old ways,
like leaves falling off of trees

You bring new birth, and give new strength
You purify the mind – like the stream-clearing jewel
You uplift and brighten the mind

For those with positive aims,
You are their Great Benefactress
You set all things right
You bring about reconciliation without impediment
without anything blocking it
You bring harmony to every surrounding circumstance

You help us to gather all positive conditions
You bring out the best that is in us all
You make all practices effective
It has always been this way

It is this way now
It will always be this way

You are the spring-like feeling of yes,
the sum of all optimism,
joyful positive energy,
the feeling of I can

Tara,
May your blessings completely illuminate all of our lives
and may all the needs of all beings
be completely fulfilled now

O, Bright Virtue!
You are light
You are grace in my life
and subtle nourishment
The blessing of all the women who have ever wished me well

You are instinctive love,
all-accommodating
naturally inclusive
comprehensive
You are embodied enlightened intelligence,
intuitive awareness, the heart awake,
and the flourishing of joy

You are playful, youthful, joyful, quick, charming, elegant, inspiring, wise,
warm, strengthening, encouraging, healing,
calming, stabilizing;
How can I call you? Tara – hope, positive energy, joyful, pure,
wholesome energy

With your rivers
nurture my limbs, these fields
With your warmth, your light
bring about the total flowering of goodness…

Tara,
May your blessings be established in all of our lives

Because this is Divine Feminine energy, quick to respond
with magical activity,
the equivalent of the patron saint of lost causes,
grace,
spiritual beauty bringing light, giving hope,
removing obstacles,
calming fear, pacifying suffering,
and protecting
bringing harmony to every surrounding circumstance,
bringing life, health, happiness, good fortune, and stability

and, being the Spring-like sum of all optimism, inspiring,
positive energy,
enabling all the good things we would do to become effective,
to become fulfilled,
to become complete,
this is called Green Tara

May all share in these blessings.

Jason Espada describing “In Praise of Tara”

“I usually don’t comment on anything I write out that is more lyrical, since these sorts of things should speak for themselves, but in this case, maybe it would add something to say the following.

I had the idea that describing a bodhisattva, or a guardian or benefactor can be likened to talking about a person.  We may say the person has this quality, or likes to go here or there, or spend their time like this, all of which would be for the sake of trying to give us some idea of the person. All the different things we could say would be to introduce us to the essence of the person.  So it is with this poem about Tara. The different aspects or qualities mentioned refer to something that is one essential nature – that is Tara. The purpose of writing this, and reflecting on it is to get in touch with what is being talked about.

One more thing maybe worth mentioning. While much of this is very personal,  I’ve been surprised to learn that others have had similar experiences with Tara. And so here I am writing this out this prayer and sharing it with others, with the hope that it brings others, my dear friends and family, the same, and greater, benefit.”

— Page 145, from the book A Belief in the Miraculous

Don’t miss this recitation video: Medicine Buddha Sutra recited by Jason Espada:

Medicine Buddha Sutra: video audio recitation of full Sutta — listening or reciting is a very empowering healing practice

“Who is Tara?” — the miraculous, mystical and marvelous view. Book excerpt from “A Belief in the Miraculous” — Jason Espada

Written and Recited by Jason Espada

• This recording and other Dharma readings available from https://jespada.bandcamp.com/album/dharma-readings
• One of Jason’s Books A Belief in the Miraculous>>
• Jason describing why he records Buddhist Dharma>>
• Jason Espada’s books page>>
• Jason Espada’s author page on Buddha Weekly>>