Green Tara

Green Tara Meditation Practice

Green Tara

Green Tara training, practice and study notes

Compiled by: Dario Margeli dariointernet@gmail.com

WHAT: These are personal notes I made during a Green Tara Mediation Retreat. These notes are from the perspective of a complete beginner. It tries to organize the main practice into simplified steps. The retreat was in Spanish; therefore parts of my notes are in Spanglish. Nothing has been spellchecked or grammar checked.

DISCLAIMER: What is in this document is NOT in any way correct or academic practice of Green Tara. It is for entertainment purposes only and it contains many mistakes. It may contain unintentional misinterpretations. To help with the visualization part, I have used images I found on Google image search. I do not own the images. To find the rightful owner of the images type Green Tara in Google image search.

Tara’s Sadhana. Sadhana is the mediation practice and it has these steps:

Tara practice belongs to the Mahayana branch of Buddhism. The idea of this branch is that we need to be taking the covers off, eliminating bad thoughts and impurities. We have to reduce selfishness. The practice of this meditation reduces selfishness and egoism. After removing the covers we can reveal the underlying light and we can get closer to the light of enlightenment. It believes that many Buddha’s exist that can come to help us reach enlightenment. We already have the essence of Buddha. We have to reveal what is underneath.

Step 1: Shelter & Bodhichita – here you must see the Buddha’s as a positive reference for you

Step 1: Shelter & Bodhichita -Bodhichita is to have a commitment with the path of becoming enlightened. It is having the right set of mind. Having the right disposition. I’m going to ride the wave of happiness during this training. Bodhichita means to have the aspiration of becoming enlightened. Bodhichita es aspiracion pura (disposicion)

Step 1: I take shelter in the buddha, the dharma and the assembly until achieving perfection. lograre la iluminacion para el beneficio de todos los seres con el merito de las acciones generosas y las demas virtudes.

Step 1 Visualisation: Visualise a place of refuge – a shelter / a place of refuge with tara and all other beings present. The figures are Translucidos. They are not of flesh and bones.

Step 1 Visualisation: The shelter is called Mandala (?) a celestial palace a celestial mansion. It is a place where we declare our commitment to the buddhas and taras and to self improvement and concentration. You want to achieve the 6 perfections, called Paramitas (?).

Step 1 shelter & bodhichita – Visualisation: mandala reptresented by circles is a sacred universe. Spiritual cosmos. You have to arrive to the shelter (mandala) and then neutralize your impurities and create a pure reality there. You have to have faith that mandala and the world of tara exist. You have to accept it as valid.

Step 1: Shleter & Bodhichita – Mantra / reading: tomo refugio en el buddha, el dharma y la asamblea suprema hasta alcanzar la perfeccion. Lograre’ la iluminacion para mi beneficio with directed actions and hard work

Step 1: Shelter & Bodhichita – I generate the absolute Bodhichita – iluminated mind – I commit to getting an iluminated mind – I commit to get on this positive dispositiona and the path for achieving the light. You achieve this with the 6 paramitas (?): patience, enthusiasm, meditation, knowledge. The relative Bodhichita: I wish others change their way to positive ways

Step 1: Shelter & Bodhichita – Bodhichita means: commiting to working on becoming illuminated. Commiting to take the necessary steps towards bbecoming better. Being proactive

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Step 2 Conversion into Deiti and calling upon the Buddhas – Visualisation: After the shelter (refuge) the image of Tara gets dissolved in light. The ball of light comes to me and enters my forehead and the light gets absorbed in me. Se disuelve Tara y los seres y se convierte en una gran esfera de luz y me llega a mi y entra en mi esta bola de luz por la coronilla y lo absorbes y se disuelve en mi y te quedas en estado de luz. En este momento yo me convierto en una manifestacion de Tara. Osea tengo ahora cualidad de tara. Tengo un Tam verde en mi corazon. visualisation is like when you have clothes on. You know you have them on, as long as the sensation is there. But you don’t have to know by heart every detail of the clothes you are wearing.

Step 2: Conversion into Deiti and calling upon the Buddhas – Covertirse en un ser divino – Deidad- e invocacion del campo de Merito ( los maestros del linaje) – transcender el ego. Tag name – identificarse con nuestra budeidad. The idea is to believe that there is part of the “Divine Light” in you and that you can crack the masks and that you can take the covers (emotions) off until you get back to the feeling of when you were a kid. You have to say to yourself, if others have achieved uncovering, then i can achieve the state of divine light as well.

step 2: campo del merito – árbol del Refugio se representan los fundadores y maestros en un diagrama de árbol o arreglo fractal que simboliza la interconexión de los distintos grupos y componentes y que se necesita una forma de ramificación es un icono de un árbol y el patrón de crecimiento. Campo de Mérito El campo de méritos es una representación gráfica en forma de árbol de los “tres joyas”, y el lama, empleados en el budismo tibetano como un objeto de veneración al tomar refugio.

step 2: La toma de refugio en las Tres Joyas es similar a seguir a un maestro para aprender una habilidad. Si quieres tener un mejor conocimiento sobre el Budismo, entonces deberías empezar por la toma de refugio. El Budismo, en vez de ser una jaula que nos encierra, es el camino que nos conduce a la liberación.

step 2: The three jewels consist of:
Buddha: seres iluminados, naturaleza bodi, nirvana, despertar o iluminación.
Dharma: el budismo, la enseñanza de Budas – el entendimiento correcto.
Sangha: the community of Buddhist. la pureza fundamental.

Step 2 Mantra / reading: En un instante me transformo en (respectful due to her wisdom) Tara. Tara Verde – On my heart over a lunar orbit there is a Green Tam from which rays of light shine, calling Tara. The Buddha Amitabha is above here and she is surrounded by buddhas and bodisatvas.

Step 2 Visualisation part 3: De la Tam Verde Sale luz y rayos. Estos rayos tienen ganchillos / ganchitos tambien de luz y con los ganchitos invocas a tara. Tara seria ser de sabiduria

Step 2 – Becoming TAM – (I’m not sure if the following paragraph corresponds to this section). This is the “samadhi of cause” and is the initial visualization of the seed syllable of the deity. This corresponds to the emergence of your consciousness. Therefore, along with visualizing the seed-syllable one visualizes the seat or pedestal of the deity, which will consist of either a lotus with sun and moon discs or a lotus with either just a moon or just a sun. The idea is to feel like a new life pure is born.

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Step 3: Me he convierto en ser de sabiduria (Sumayasatra)(Sumayasatva)

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Step 4: with 3 sentences and hand gestures you call (invocas a) Tara – rays of light come out of you

Step 4 sentence 1) Om Vajra Smayah – pones punyos y lo sueltas y recuerdas a tara su compromiso por iluminarte – you use your hands too y te postras (hands together above your head)

Step 4 sentence 2) Namo Gurubhyah – gesto de reverencia () hands together at face level

Step 4 sentence 3) Nama Arya tara Saparivarebhyah- gesto de reverencia () hands together at heart level

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Step 5 Tara and the Buddhas appear.
Amitabha is the chief Buddha of the Lotus (Sanskrit -Padma) family.

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step 6 Gifts to Tara – Ofrendas – hacer ofrecimientos a – Tara and the Buddhas are here and you are offering them presents – 8 presents. For each gift you must visualise Gods that come out of you towards Tara and the gathering of Buddhas. Estos dioses que salen de nossotros tienen bandejas con los regalos y agua y luego los reabsorbemos. Estos dioses que salen hacen ofrecimientos. Tu mismo eres una manifestacion de tara (Tam Verde en tu corazon) – Meaning and Purpose of the 8 Auspicious Offering Bowls

step 6 Ofrenda 1 – (Argham – water for drinking) – Om guru arya Tara saparivara Argham praticcha svaja – praticcha (asi sea) svaja (por favor acepta) – Arya es noble iluminado – Om Guru (supremo) – gesture palms together but indices collected

step 6 Ofrenda 2 – Padyam – water for bathing – similar gesture to previous

step 6 Ofrenda 3 – Pushpe – flowers – gesture extend both indices they touch each other, everything else collected. Two hands touching. Flower signifies the opening of one’s heart (a cofession)

step 6 Ofrenda 4 – Dhupe – incense – two closed fists togetherRejoicing in all the virtue in the world

step 6 Ofrenda 5 – Aloke -light – hands closed and together but thumbs upThe light symbolizes the dispelling of all darkness of the mind, all ignorance. light represents Requesting the Buddhas to always offer Dharma teaching.

step 6 Ofrenda 6 – Gandhe – perfume – symbolizes the perseverance and joyful effort – perfume representsBeseeching the Buddhas to remain in the world

step 6 Ofrenda 7 – Naividye CELESTIAL FOOD three fingers sopen but thumb and second (small) finger closed. Pinkies touching each other, nothing else. This offering symbolizes the clear and stable mind of Samadhi, or meditative absorption.

step 6 Ofrenda / bandeja 8 – Sabda (Shabta). Two fingers (indice and middle) touching each other. Music – the compassion that a wise buddha has for others

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Step 7 – At this stage there are two Tara’s

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Step 8 – Oracion de las 7 Ramas – Tomo refugio en las 3 joyas (Buddha / Dharma (ensenyanzas) / Sanga (maestros). Invocas a las 3 joyas para purificar – Me auto perdono – declaro todos los errores cometidos. (We have called Tara and everyone else and we are confessing to them all the bad things we’ve done and all the good things we are going to do from now on). Me regocijo en las acciones virtuosas. Sostengo en mente la iluminacion del buda. Tomo refugio en las tres joyas. Todo esto para realizar el bien. Para generar el bien comienzo la bohichitta (a spontaneous wish to attain enlightenment – disposicion correcta – right mindset)
bodhichitta It is defined as a mind, motivated by compassion and spontaneously seeks enlightenment.

step 8 Oracion de las 7 Ramas part 2 – habiendo generado la disposicion a la suprema iluminacion. Practico la conducta excelente de los iluminados. Tengo el merito para lograr el estado de buddha para mi propio beneficio

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Step 9 – Meditate on the 4 immesurable thoughts – the prupose of these 4 is to develop love – With these 4 we are not trying to solve the problems of the world. We are trying to create an effect in ourselves. The purpose is not to change the world, but for us to do an exersize to improve our mind. Estamos ejercitando nuestra mente con una faceta positiva de la realidad.

Step 9 – pueda tener felicidad. pide estar libre de sufrimiento. pide que todas las personas cambien sus intenciones a buenas intenciones 2. hope that yourself and others interpret things in the positive way. Shit or fertilizer. Choose to see it as fertilizer.3 Aumentar la sabiduria

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Step 10 – Disolucion de la asamble convocada – VAJRA MUH – hand gesture you snap and put your hands on your chest. Tara and everyone disappears. Despedir. Y QUEDAS EN LUZ TOTAL sin forma y quedas en Vacio

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Step 11 – Purificacion en Vacuidad – The mantra of Pure Emptiness – Svabhava Shuddo Ham- Om Svabhava Shuddhah sarva dharmah svabhaava suddho jam

Step 11 – The mantra of Pure Emptiness – forma es vacuidad, vacuidad es forma. Vacuidad no es mas que forma y forma no es mas que vacuidad. Del mismo modo , sensaciones, discernimientos, estados mentales y consciencias son vacios. Todos los fenomenos son vacios carecen de caracteristicas diferenciadoras, ni son producidos, ni cesan, ni son impuros ni inmaculados ni deficientes ni completos. por lo tanto en vacuidad no hay forma ni sensacion ni discernimiento ni estados mentales ni conciencia. No hay envejecimiento ..por tanto no existe el sufrimiento, ni camino, ni logro ni ausencia de logro. Por lo tanto al no haber nada que lograr tienes el mente libre y sin temor. Asi puedes confiar en la perfecta iluminacion.

Step 11 – The mantra of Pure Emptiness – Eliminacion de obstaculos (liturgia basada en el sutra del corazon): om gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaja

Step 11 – The mantra of Pure Emptiness – la vacuidad tiene que ver con que las cosas son relativas. Ejemplo de la alfombra. Tu puedes mirar solo a una alfombra y pensar que solo sirve para tapar el suelo. Pero si piensas en la alfombra en relacion con otros objetos, puedes pensar en la alfombra como algo para utilizar para deslizar y mover objectos.

Step 11 – The mantra of Pure Emptiness~ Svabhava Shuddo Ham. Do this.
Exhale and let go. Let go into the primal emptiness of all that is. Exhale again. Let go of all the tension you are holding on to. Release the worries, the fears, the guilts, the shoulds and the have tos. Exhale and let go of your judgments, your opinions and your preconceived notions of yourself. Let go of your habits, your patterns; let go of the very fabric of self that you have woven so carefully, so tightly.For just a little bit now, let yourself be nothing: No-Thing. No-one-thing. Let yourself be pure emptiness: Limitless; without constraint; infinitely changeable. Relax for a while in this freedom, this recognition of your true nature.

Step 11 – The mantra of Pure Emptiness – You are left in light and emptyness here. You have to recite: OM svabhava Suddhah Sarva dharmah svavhava suddho jam. (hand gesture you put your hands together) – you have to think if nature is pure then I am pure down underneath. Tara es solo luz. Majayama (Mahayama) vision: Being does not exist / time doesnt exist / space doesnt exist. Our concience is a set of snapshots of the past. Single photograms. It is not something continues. This proves to us that that past is gone and does not exist anymore.

Step 11 – The mantra of Pure Emptiness – OM svabhava Suddhah Sarva… The idea here is to take the brain to a fertile and receptive state. Estado de absorbcion. Without prejudice. Accepting that everything can be interpreted in several ways. We accept that when we interpret the meaning of that something, we have to to it also accepting its dependencies on the objects and people around it. The meaning is relative to other items and people.

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STEP 12 – Autogeneracion Como la deidad – Generating the Deity – Aqui empieza la sadhana (coleccion de Sadhanas es Matrayana)

Step 12 -Generating the Deity – visualisation pt1: De la luz surge la letra PAM – the light of all Buddhas come to you and through you they get grounded and reach all other beings. The light comes back to you and you are converted in Tara (internal representation of Tara) – a manifestation

Step 12 -Generating the Deity – imagine a place to sit that is a circlular light orbit. Over that the syllable TAM appears. Y no existe nada . Tu conciencia es esta silaba TAM. Ten la sensacion de que no hay referencia. Rays of light come out of the letter and they return with gifts (offers).

Step 12 -Generating the Deity – You are the syllable TAM. You can visualise it in first person or in third person (a camera aiming at the letter from away). Se puede visualizar en tercera persona. Pay attention to the sound of TAM. Think of yourself as the sound of TAM and then asociate it with Tara’s physical form. It is a way to concentrate.

Step 12 -Generating the Deity – The “Me” of today, has nothing to do with the “me” of yesterday. You don’t have to think of yourself as the guy of yesterday that had such and such problems yesterday. Tell yourself you are born today.

STEP 12 – Generating the Deity -When the syllables are transformed into the complete body of the deity, this corresponds to and purifies the moment of birth.
Having visualized yourself as the deity, you imagine the three syllables of OM, AH, HUNG in the three places of the deity’s body; this purifies the habits from this life of body, speech and mind.

Samadhi : practice of concentration – it is meditative absorption, attained by the practice of concentration.
Sadhana is the technique practice of disciplining yourself. 1 : Hindu religious training or discipline through which an individual attains samadhi. 2 : Hindu or Buddhist spiritual training through which an individual worships a formed image as a mediate step to the worship of a formless deity or principle.

Step 12 -Generating the Deity – visualisation pt 2: Vas Construyendo – Del estado de vacuidad aparece la silaba Pam, del cual surge un loto y una ah que se transforma en un disco lunar. Sobre el se encuentra la esencia de mi mente en la forma de una Tam verde.

OM AH HUM Tara Visualization Aid image above taken from http://zurmangkagyu.org/tara-visualization-aid/

Step 12 -Generating the Deity – Internally you have become Tara. It is not in front of you. You are now tara (internal). You must visualise from the inside. The teacher says visualize the eyes of Tara, it means from the inside think what eyes look like, from inside your skull. Tell yourself: These are my eyes. I need to visualise my own eyes.

Step 12 -Generating the Deity – Desde la tam verde emanan rayos de luz que hacen ofrendas a los Buddhas. Los Rayos de luz se absorben de nuevo en la silaba TAM y ME TRANSFORMO EN TARA VERDE. – HERE THE Syllable TAM Disappears

Step 12 -Generating the Deity – in the Generating the Deity Sadhana it describes to you what you look like. Describe como eres. Imagine the outline of your body (it is you, it is NOT in front of you)

Step 12 -Generating the Deity – desde la tam emanan rayos de luz que hacen ofrendas a las budas y vuelven otravez a la silaba Tam y se absorben. Mi cuerpo es verde. Tengo un rostro, dos manos. Mi mano derecha en el gesto del dar sostiene un jarron.

Step 12 -Generating the Deity – con el dedo anular y pulgar de mi mano izquierda sostengo a la altura de mi corazon el tallo de una loto con sus petalos floreciendo junto a mi oreja izquierrda (All this is you – todo eso eres tu. Imaginate asi). Tara is more of light, green light. Don’t think of it as something rigid.

Step 12 -Generating the Deity – Sealing – mi aspecto es apacible, sonriente y en la penitud de la juventud. Estoy adornada con todos los ornamentos preciosas. La pierna derecha ligeramente extendida y la izquierda recogida en la postura del gozo. A mis espaldas hay un disco lunar y estoy envuelta en un halo de luz. In my forhead there is an OM, on my neck an AH and on my heart an HUM

Estamos ejercitando nuestra mente con la faceta positiva de la realidad

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Step 13 – Calling the Deity – Aqui estas completo – from the HUM rays of light shine calling all Buddhas

Step 13 – Calling the Deity – Om Vajra Smayah (Convoca la asamblea Vajra) (Come here) Here you do a snapping hand gesture where at the end you have your hands crossed and pointing with a finger to each of your shoulders. Many Tara’s full of light come to you and sit on your forhead

Step 13 – Calling the Deity – yah jum bam joh – Muda (hand gesture) of Rock concert – meaning BRING Tara / Absorb / Seal – convoca , atrae , y funde. Funde conmigo. Se funden contigo. You become complete.

Step 13 – Calling the Deity – yah jum bam joh – hand gesture needs research

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Step 14 – Here after becoming one with divinities, fundirte con ellos. Aqui generas orgullo divino. Here you must feel the various divine qualities. Yo tengo que pensar que yo soy digno de ser buddha.

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Step 15 – Invitation to the deities of initiation. Pronounce: Om Vajra Samayah – call the assembly of buddhas. Ask them to give you initiation. Initiate me with the water from your jars. Here you must do the muda (hand gesture) of putting your hand over your head and pretending to poor water over your head. Buddha drops liquid on your head. Te bendicen con jarones de nectar

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Step 16 – Ofrendas – offerings to the auto generation – You make these offers this time to yourself to auto – re generate – salen ofrendas y vuelven a ti Om Guru Arya Tara Saparivara (Argham(water to refresh the air) – padyam (Agua) – pushpe (flowers) – dhupe (incense) – aloke (light to brighten the space) – gandhe (perfume) – naividye (food) – sabda (music) – praticcha svaahaa – Gods that leave your body and comeback. Salen ofrendas y vuelven a ti. Aqui nos permitimos dar todo y no ser tacanyos

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Step 17 – Prayer of praise – Oracion de Elogio – Me postro ante Tara, liberadora de toda pobreza. A tus pies de loto – Esto lo hacemos a nosotros mismos. Y viusaliza un buddha del tamano de una mano encima de la cabeza. La idea es sellar
Step 17 – Prayer of praise – Tara is the great liberator from fear. Ask tara to free you from the 8 fears. 1. Lions (pride) 2. elephant (fear of ignorance) 3. fire (plear reduce my anger) 4. viboras (jelousy) 5. thieves (wrong point of view) Having the correct vision (postura) of reality is very important. 6. prison (greediness) 7. flood (attachement) 8. spirits (doubts / lack of faith)

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Step 18 – MANTRA – Reciting the mantra – Om Tare tuttare ture Svaha – Y mientras recitas tienes que visualizar lo siguiente: En el centro de mi corazon sobre un disco lunar se encuentra la silaba verde TAM rodeada por la guirnalda del mantra, rayos de luz emana desde la silaba y el mantra haciendo ofrendas a los budas beneficiando a los seres. la luz se absorbe de nuevo en la guirnalda del mantra atrayendo la compasion, bendiciones y poder de los buddhas, consagrando asi mi mente. The mantra is a call to Tara, OM being supreme, Tuttare being the word for protector, ture being the word for quick. svaha just means let it be like that.

Step 18 – MANTRA – Reciting the mantra – Om Tare .. If you get distracted pay attention to the eyes of Tara and the reciting of the mantra. The mantra es like a ladder to arrive to menal peace (Shabata / Shine / sheeneh)

Step 18 – MANTRA – Reciting the mantra – la girnalda no gira – la Tam (5) esta perpendicular por lo que no lo puedes ver de frente.. Luces que van y vienen, fluerescentes. Hay que darle vida a esta imagen y estos textos. Emite y recibe luz. Da a los seres lo que necesitan. Todo lo que esta dentro de la mansion de tara es aceptable viuslaizarlo mientras se recita el Mantra. Mantra es la recitacion y PROTEGE LA MENTE.

Step 18 – MANTRA – Reciting the mantra – Concentrating when reciting the mantra: When thoughts come about don’t follow the script, don’t add to the story (no sigas la pelicula). Imagination is something that has to be set free from trappings.

Step 18 – MANTRA – Reciting the mantra – one way to visualise the chant is to imagine a sky full of stars and then the stars gather to form a word of the mantra

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Step 19 – Peticion de los Siddhis (Realizaciones / logros). – oh bendecida, otorga a mi todos los logros comunes y el supremo (Aqui puedes anadir pediciones propias pero que tienen que incluir a todos los seres). Emite y recibe luz y da a los seres lo que necesitan.

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Step 20 – Disolucion (Aspiracion y Reaparicion) y sellado – lo ultimo que se disuelve es el Tam – Mi corazon emana rayos de luz transformando mi asiento en luz que se absorbe en mi. Seal – Sellado: En mi frente una Om en mi garganta una Ah y en mi corazon un Hum: Forma post-meditativa. Desapareces en luz otravez y luego vuelves a regresar en Om/Ah / Hum (Forma post-meditativa)

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Step 21 – Dedication – debido a estos meritos, pueda alcanzar rapidamente el estado de la Tara
Step 21 – Versos de Auspicio – que se den las condiciones auspiciosas

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END of Green Tara training.

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