In praise of Tārā : songs to the Saviouress : source texts from India and Tibet on Buddhism’s great Goddess

504 Pages·1996·22.62 MB·English

by  Willson

In Praise of Tara
Songs to the Saviouress
MARTIN WILLSON

In Praise of Tara

In Praise ofTiirii
Songs to the Saviouress
***
Source texts from India and Tibet on
Buddhism,s Great Goddess
SELECTED, TRANSLATED, AND INTRODUCED
by
MARTIN WILLSON
Wisdom Publicadons • Boston
Wisdom Publications
199 Elm Street
Somerville, Massachusetts 02144 USA
www. wisdompubs.org
First published in 1986
@Martin WLilson 1986, 1996
All Rights Reserved
No pan of tiW book may be rq>roduad in any form or by any mcaru, dectronic or
mccbania.l, including photocopying. recording. or by any information sto~ and
tmieval system or rcchnologies now known or later developed, without
permission in writing from the publisher.
Library ofCongrm Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Willson, Martin, 1946-
ln praise of Tara: songs to the saviouress : source texts &om
India and Tibet on Buddhism's great goddess I selected, translated,
and introduced by Martin Willson.
P· em.
Originally published: London : Wisdom Publications, 1986.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-86171-109-2 (alk. Paper)
1. Tara (Goddess) I. Tide
BQ4710. T3W55 1996
294.3'421l~c20 95-43430
ISBN 0-86171-109-2
07 06 05 04 03
7 6 5 4 3
DesigTUd by: L}SAWLir'
Cover art: Khadiravani Tara (Tara of the Khadira Forest)
with her two companion goddesses Marici and Ekajata; artist unknown.
Cover photo: Hiroki Fujita, counesy of the Office ofTibet, Tokyo.
Typeset in Poetica Chancery and Adobe Garamond
WISdom Publications' books are printed on add-f= paper and meet the guiddines for
permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guiddina for Book
Longevity of the CowlCiJ on Ubruy Resources.
Printed in Catwla.
Contents
INTRODUCTION 11
PROLOGUE From The Golden Rosary by Tararyatha 33
PART ONE: CANONICAL TEXTS 37
1 Tara in the Maiijusrf-miila-kalpa 39
2 Tara's Tantra, the Origin of All Rites 44
3 Arya-Tara Who Saves from the Eight Fears 87
4. The Hundred and Eight Names 94
PART TWO: THE PRAISE IN TWENTY-ONE HOMAGES 105
1 Introduction 107
2 The Praise in Twenty-one Homages 113
3 Commentary on the Praise in Twenty-one
Homages 117
PART THREE: HISTORY 167
1 Taranatha's Golden Rosary 169
PART FOUR: SONGS BY INDIAN DEVOTEES 207
1 Praises Attributed to Matrceta 209
2 Praises by Candragomin 222
3 Praise by Siiryagupta 238
4 Sarvajiiamitra's Sragdltarii Praise 251
5 Praises by Akl?obhya-vajra and Diparpkara-bhadra 271
6 Praises by Nagarjuna and Candrakirti 279
7 Praise by Atisa 288
6 Contents
PART FIVE: SONGS BY TIBETAN DEVOTEES 295
1 Song by Gediin-dr'up 297
2 Songs by Lodr'o Gyats'o (Matisara) 307
3 Song by Lozang Tanpa Gyalts'an 322
PART SIX: SADHANAS 329
1 Sadhanas 331
APPENDICES
1 Tibetan Translation of the Praise in Twenty-one
Homages 353
2 English Phonetics and Translation of the Tibetan Version
of the Praise in Twenty-one Homages 359
3 The Lineages from Siiryagupta 367
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 372
NOTES 375
GLOSSARY 425
BIBLIOGRAPHY 452
INDEX 468
Illustrations and Plates
LINE DRAWINGS by Andy Weber
Green Tara 2, 241
Tara Saving from the Fear of Lions 38
Tara Saving from the Fear of Elephants 86
Tara Saving from the Fear of Fire to6
Tara Saving from the Fear of Snakes t68
Tara Saving from the Fear of Bandits 2o8
Tara Saving from the Fear of Captivity 2¢
Tara Saving from the Fear of Shipwreck 330
Tara Saving from the Fear of PiSiica Demons 352
COLOUR PLATES
Tara Saving from the Fear of Lions
Tara Saving from the Fear of Elephants
Tara Saving from the Fear of Fire
Tara Saving from the Fear of Snakes
Tara Saving from the Fear of Bandits
Tara Saving from the Fear of Captivity
Tara Saving from the Fear of Water
Tara Saving from the Fear of Demons
7
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