THE INITIATION OF WHITE TARA

Mishlen

Tara is perhaps the name of the most familiar goddess to those studying the female Buddhist deities.  She is not one, but many; divided into 21 separate forms.  She has many colors-red, green, white, black.  White Tara is one of the three long-life deities of the Buddhist pantheon, bestowing the life essence, Amrita, upon those who call her.

There are three broad categories of practice into which Tibetan Tantric practices fall:  the Outer, the Inner and the Secret.  These are reflected in the White Tara initiation.

Initiations in general begin with the practice of 'taking refuge', spoken in unison in either English, Tibetan or Sanskrit: "I take refuge in the Lama.  I take refuge in the Buddha.  I take refuge in the Dharma (teachings).  I take refuge in the Sangha (spiritual community)."

This basically confirms you as a Buddhist, and is meant to be taken literally.  Ever feel like running away?

The second preparation is to take the Vow of the Bodhisattva, a promise to help all to achieve Enlightenment.  This is not to be taken lightly.  You will be held to your promise in lifetimes to come.

The altar contains offerings of many sorts, Tantric tools, saffron water bowls, and the Torma.  A Torma is a ritual cake representing the deity, in this case, White Tara.  It is made of barley flour and other ingredients, stands about six to eight inches high, often has ornamentation in other colors and is shaped like a tapering cone.

Tara is evoked by the head lama present in a long, sonorous Tibetan chant, accompanied by his monks.  He sits upon a four step high platform of embroidered silks known as the Lion's Throne.  The monks by his side, like the other participants, sit on meditation pillows on the floor.  Although the well-known 'lotus posture' is favored, it is not necessary.

The Head Lama, or Rinpoche, takes the Torma from the altar and one by one, each approach, bow, and the Torma is placed on top of the head as he chants her mantra "OM, TARE TUTARE TURE AH HUM".

The syllables om, ah and hum are to be noted here: in a magickan's book of correspondences, they would refer to the third eye, the throat and the heart, respectively.  Their colors are white, red and blue.  Most importantly, they are the keys to the ritual: om represents the secret practice, ah represents the inner, and hum, the outer practice.
 

The power of Tara, through the Torma, enters the body from the Crown Chakra, and comes to rest in your heart, where she will remain.  This of course, is also the dwelling place of our Holy Guardian Angel, and is the physical locus of our communion with our deities.  Also, this can be considered the Outer practice.

The Inner practice consisted of drinking 'amrita', the nectar of life.  It tastes rather like cream and honey, with something undefinable.  In addition to tasting it only with the tongue, its essence permeates the upper palate as well.  The drink has been prepared in such a way as to strengthen the 'vajra body', which we know as our astral body.  It is said that severe physical or emotional trauma can damage one's aura.  Amrita makes it whole again.

In the Secret practice, one is given a ritual 'pill'.  Tibetan medicine is nothing like our own, as it focuses on adjusting; balancing the inner problem that is the innate root of illnesses, be they physical or spiritual.  It speaks to the Source.

These pills are large, maybe an inch in diameter, soft, doughy, with many strange tastes within.  They are prepared in order to heal the nervous system, which is referred to as 'winds' and 'channels'.  There are said to be 64,000 of these.

It is the positioning of our body, and its importance to our magickal state, which create the sciences of yoga and mudra (hand positions).  Each new position creates a new web of energy lines, and each create a different mental and spiritual state.  In essence, each movement changes our bio-magnetic radiation.  It can be likened to shifting channels on a radio.  These different positions then make contact with sychronistic forces (god/desses, Buddhas and their retinues).  Several mudras are used throughout the ritual.

With the conclusion of the Secret practice, the ritual is over.  I recount my own experience here to the best of my ability and apologize for any inadvertent memory lapses. Om Ah Hum.