Green Tara - Brass 8"

Green Tara is a female Bodhisattva in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. She appears as a female Buddha in the Vajrayana tradition. Green Tara is known as the Buddha of enlightened activity. She is often depicted in a posture of ease with right leg extended, signifying her readiness to spring into action. The left leg is folded in the contemplative position on the lotus pedestal, the two together thus symbolizing the integration of wisdom and art.

In Tibet, the goddess Tara is the feminine counterpart of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. Bodhisattvas are beings who have reached enlightenment but have choosen to remain in the cycle of birth and rebirth in order to serve humanity in achieving nirvana.

It is said that Tara first arose from a lotus blossom in the lake that had formed from Avalokitesvara's tears of compassion, tears that fell when he first beheld all of the suffering in the world.