|
In Tibetan iconography there are hundreds of manifestations of the female patron deity, Tara or Dolma. The two most popular are the White tara and Green Tara, Dolkar and Doljang. There are varying stories regarding the origins of the Taras , the most popular linking the feminine deities to Avalokiteshvara, therefore connecting them to the Tibetan people. The Bodhisattva of Compassion wept tears for the beings of samsara. From his right eye sprang a peaceful Dolkar and from the left eye a wrathful form of Doljang. The Twenty-one Taras (Dolma Nyichik ) are all seen as magnificently compassionate and eager to assist beings escape the suffering of cyclic existence.
An emphasis of the connection between Chenrezig and the Taras is the incarnation of both in Tibetan history. While the first religious king, Songtsen Gampo, is thought of as an incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, his wives were incarnations of the two popular Taras . The wife from Nepal , Tritsun, is considered an incarnation of Doljang and the Chinese wife, Wen-cheng is Dolkar. Both were major propagators of the Buddhist faith and were most likely much more devout than the famous king. |
