StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

The Goddess Tara in Buddhist Art - Research Paper Example

Cite this document
Summary
Though she was a female deity, her teachings were modelled upon those of the erstwhile male deities. It still can’t be ascertained for sure as to whether she was a revolutionary or not. But there is no…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER98% of users find it useful
The Goddess Tara in Buddhist Art
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "The Goddess Tara in Buddhist Art"

Download file to see previous pages

Though not explicitly mentioned anywhere, Tara’s rise did pave the way for more active involvement of women in Buddhist society. Women began to find a say in matters that up until then had primarily been the dominion of men. Goddess Tara was considered as an enlightened role model within the Buddhist tantra. According to folklore, “Tara was born out of the tears of Lord Buddha”(Santhanam, 2005) In tantric literature, she is the first female Buddha. Tara follows a tradition of strong female role models, starting in the ancient Vedic period and continuing through early Mahayana times.

Some of the duties that Tara performs are similar to those of her contemporaries like Goddess Prajnaparamita. Goddess Tara is also associated with an ancient star cult that provided help to seafarers lost at sea. It is also interesting to note that ‘Tara’ means star in Sanskrit. She is also considered to protect humans from nature’s fury including ocean waves, floods, fires, epidemics, etc. With time she has also come to be regarded as a guide to achieve Moksha, which is the Sanskrit word for enlightenment.

Tara emerged as Goddess during a time when Buddhist society was mainly patriarchal. Her manner of presentation was similar to those of male bodhisattvas of earlier times. Tara is unbiased in guiding all “motherly” sentient beings and helps extricate them from the ocean of suffering. She has got rid of all actions deemed morally wrong and has also gotten over her attachment towards worldly pursuits. “As a Bhagavati, Tara is a female Buddha who is spontaneously present, totally living in the moment without getting bothered by thoughts of the past or the future”.

(Landesman, 2008)Tara has many dimensions to her state of being, and this is visually depicted in paintings on cloth and powdered colours on flat surfaces. She is at times a golden goddess who showers prosperity on her worshippers and also protects

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“The Goddess Tara in Buddhist Art Research Paper - 1”, n.d.)
The Goddess Tara in Buddhist Art Research Paper - 1. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1576688-the-goddess-tara-in-buddhist-art
(The Goddess Tara in Buddhist Art Research Paper - 1)
The Goddess Tara in Buddhist Art Research Paper - 1. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1576688-the-goddess-tara-in-buddhist-art.
“The Goddess Tara in Buddhist Art Research Paper - 1”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1576688-the-goddess-tara-in-buddhist-art.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The Goddess Tara in Buddhist Art

The Confucian virtue of Chun Tzu

Knowing how to behave as a fan at a baseball game or how to enjoy a play without annoying those around you seems to be an art that is being lost.... The Confucian virtue of Chun tzu is something that I feel would greatly enhance American society at this time.... This virtue is associated with maturity and confidence....
14 Pages (3500 words) Essay

A Woman Worth More Than Rubies

Wisdom: A Woman Worth More Than Rubies Instructor November 23, 2011   Who can find a virtuous woman?... for her price is far above rubies.... The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.... She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.... hellip;   She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands....
11 Pages (2750 words) Term Paper

The Place of Shinto in Contemporary Japan

The paper "Shinto" explores some general aspects of traditional Japanese religion, Shinto, like its gods, sacred places, festivals, and the history of the development of this religion.... It also contains information about the place of Shinto in contemporary Japan.... hellip; Shinto is a traditional Japanese religion, the one that has an inextricable connection with Japanese culture and history....
7 Pages (1750 words) Coursework

Shintoism in Japan

Commonly, Japanese who are affiliated with Confucianism or the buddhist religion are simultaneously affiliated with the Shinto sect.... According to Shinto tradition, the Japanese people and their country were divinely created, their emperors descendants of the Sun goddess.... The Sun goddess, the Great Kami Amaterasu emerged when he washed out his left eye and Tsukiyom the Moon Kami materialized when he washed out his right eye.... Following many years of war between the people of Japan, the Sun goddess made her grandson, Ninigi, the first emperor of Japan....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Eastern Aesthetics: Love, Society, and Culture through Asian Literature

The paper "Eastern Aesthetics: Love, Society, and Culture through Asian Literature" states that Asia is a mysterious place that is represented as a magic box containing miracles, fears, precious stones, and dragons.... There are a lot of other treasures in it, but the most important one is its literature....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Temptations for Jesus and Buddha

Knowing how to behave as a fan at a baseball game or how to enjoy a play without annoying those around you seems to be an art that is being lost.... This article "Temptations for Jesus and Buddha" discusses one of the temptations that Jesus and Buddha both endured that was the temptation to satiate the needs and desires of the flesh....
14 Pages (3500 words) Article

Role of Amaterasu within Shintoism

This paper "Role of Amaterasu within Shintoism" proves that the first sovereign, Jimmu, who established the Japanese state in 660 BCE was claimed to be a relative of Amaterasu.... This conviction permitted progressive rulers to similarly claim divine family thus practice supreme power.... hellip; Shintoism was the primary religion of Japan before the appearance of Buddhism, which is presently the major Japanese religion....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Funeral Rituals of a Buddhism Vulture in Thailand

… The paper "Anthropology Life, Death and Culture Funeral Rituals of a Buddhism Vulture in Thailand" is an outstanding example of an essay on anthropology.... nbsp;Buddhism is the main religion in Thailand.... Thailand's culture and Buddhism are intertwined.... One of the main teachings of Buddhism is giving meaning to life and death, which is referred to as the anthropology of life and death by scholars....
12 Pages (3000 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us