When You Can Be Anything...

When I looked for a new mantra to teach this month, I first searched sanskrit mantra for October and it is the the festival of Durga this month. But we have chanted to her before, more than once, and then I came across a reference to "green Tara" and well I dug a little deeper.

Tara is a Buddhist deity, a female Buddha, or one who had achieved enlightenment like the Buddha and achieved enlightenment in a similar fashion, and is important in particular to Tibetan buddhism. She is beyond suffering and no longer falls into the cycles of rebirth and incarnations. Buddhism is in some ways similar to yoga and hinduism and she is understood to be a form of Durga. Ahhh so I found my landing spot.

There was much to read and learn as this is not something that I familiar with. She plays a heavy roll in tantric yoga which I really know little about (perhaps thats my next learning place). But what I liked about what I read for Tara is that she wishes to relieve the suffering of all. And that feels right as we approach thanksgiving here. So as I have been chanting this the last couple of days I have been holding all the people suffering in my heart space. Like a meta meditation. May all beings be happy and free.

I have held space in my heart for the people I know are suffering but have yet to see their own role in it, for those who are oppressed by others, for those who are hungry or sick. For those who feel alone and unloved. I hold a space for those who are causing suffering and hope for them to see the pain of others. I cultivate compassion for those who are different than me. To see our common threads.

I am sure there is more to this, I feel like I am barely scratching the surface. But right now, in this world, I want to exude as much love and compassion as I can. Maybe it will make a difference.

Om Tare Tuttare Tare Svaha

Where we ask for help and surrender to compassion and wisdom to Tara. You can hear me chant it 108 times here.

Short and sweet this month. Yoga invites us to add the opposite. So in a world of judgement and (I really want to say douche-

baggery) harm, we offer up compassion and unconditional love. Don't get me wrong we speak up when we see injustice, but there needs to be an alternative. Be love.

Green Tara