Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

The Collected Arrangement of Recitations of an Extended

Sadhana of Chittamani Tara, the Oral Precepts of the Arya
Mother in the Close Lineage Highest Yoga Tantra Tradition
of Venerable Green Tara

Translation by Lama Thubten Yeshe

with contributions by Ven. George Churinoff
and Martin Willson
Additional instructions
according to Jetsun Pabongkha Rinpoche
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Practice Requirements
A highest (maha-anu ara) yoga tantric empowerment of Chi amani Tara
(with body mandala) is required to perform the prac ce text contained in
this booklet.
 Contents
Chi amani Tara Retreat Sadhana 5

Praises to the Twenty-One Taras 64

(chantable Tibetan and English versions)

Commentary from Lama Zopa Rinpoche 73

 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 5

Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

This booklet [contains] the medita ons on Chi amani Tara as
[transmi ed] orally through the close lineage from the Supreme
Mother [presented] in the maha-anu ara yoga aspect of the divine
Mother Tara.

Here is the pure vision of the two, Khedrub Chenpo Tagphuwa

Ngawang Lodrub Gyatso, whose esoteric name is Zhepa Dorje,
and Namkhäi Näljor Garwang Padmeshvara. By merely remem-
bering their names, outer and inner hindrances are pacified. By
wishing to prac ce the close lineage that leads to the perfec on
of Tara Chi amani, supreme and common realiza ons are very
quickly a ained.

Be in an isolated place. In your room place an image (of the yidam);

in front of this, on a neat table are offerings and tormas for the
front genera on deity and for oneself as Tara. In front of yourself,
put neatly inner offering, dorje and bell, etc., whatever is neces-
sary. Then sit down on a comfortable bed (or cushion) and start
with the dis nguished enlightenment a tude.

Praise to the Lineage

NAMO GURU ARYA TARAYE

Treasure of compassion, unity of the Three Supreme Jewels,

Guru, divine transcendental mother,
To the lotus feet that remove the fears of samsara and nirvana,
I devote myself.
Please bestow supreme goodness.
6 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

[Taking Refuge
Visualize the Twenty-One Taras as the object of refuge.

I, and all living beings equal in number to the extent of space, from
this me forth un l the a ainment of the essence of enlighten-
ment, go for refuge to the glorious, sacred gurus.
We go for refuge to the fully enlightened bhagavan-buddhas.
We go for refuge to the sacred Dharma teachings.
We go for refuge to the Sangha community of arya noble ones. (3x)

Taking Refuge and Generating Bodhichitta

I go for refuge un l I am enlightened
To the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Supreme Assembly.
By my prac ce of giving and other perfec ons,
May I become a buddha to benefit all sen ent beings. (3x)

Special Generation of Bodhichitta

In par cular, for the sake of all mother sen ent beings, I must
quickly, quickly somehow obtain the precious state of complete
and perfect buddhahood. Therefore, I shall prac ce the yoga of
venerable Arya Tara.

The Four Immeasurables

How wonderful it would be if all sen ent beings were to abide in
equanimity, free from hatred and a achment.
May they abide in equanimity.
I myself will cause them to abide in equanimity.
Please, Guru-Deity, grant me blessings to be able to do this.

How wonderful it would be if all sen ent beings had happiness

and the cause of happiness.
May they have happiness and its cause.
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 7

I myself will cause them to have happiness and its cause.

Please, Guru-Deity, grant me blessings to be able to do this.

How wonderful it would be if all sen ent beings were free

from suffering and its cause.
May they be free of suffering and its cause.
I myself will free them from suffering and its cause.
Please, Guru-Deity, grant me blessings to be able to do this.

How wonderful it would be if all sen ent beings were never sepa-
rated from the happiness of higher rebirth and libera on.
May they never be separated from these.
I myself will cause them never to be separated from these.
Please, Guru-Deity, grant me blessings to be able to do this. (3x)

Meditate on these four limitless a tudes and unify them with

your mind.

The twenty-one Taras absorb into the central Arya Tara. She comes
to the top of my head, dissolves into light, and absorbs into me.]
8 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

Request to the Gurus of the Close Lineage

for Blessings and Inspiration
Visualize Arya Tara and the ten gurus of the close lineage on the
crown of your head. Make requests to them and absorb them
one by one.

NAMO GURU ARYA TAREYA

[Homage to Guru Arya Tara]

Source of the most perfect ac ons of all the infinite buddhas,

Having the body of a fascina ng and beau ful goddess,
To the Divine Mother, liberated from the fears of samsara
and nirvana,
To you I make this request: Bestow on me the highest
and common realiza ons.

To you Gargyi Wangpo, who is guided by the Divine Mother

And has reached the stage of the eight powers,
To the treasure-hold of the vast and profound holy Dharma
of Losang Gyälwa,
To you I make this request: Bestow on me the highest
and common realiza ons.

Rva-la Lozang Tenpe

To the powerful lama who bestows highest realiza ons
like a wish-gran ng tree,
Which arise from the indestruc ble root of wisdom and
the branches of magnificent understanding.
Holding the fresh and sweet flavor of teaching and prac ce,
To you I make this request: Bestow on me the highest
and common realiza ons.
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 9

Yongdzin Yeshe Gyasto

To the powerful jewel ornament of the nagas, embracing
all existence,
Who is skillful in causing the four streams of ac vity to flow
From the vast ocean of his mind, with the waves of deep
and clear understanding,
To you I make this request: Bestow on me the highest
and common realiza ons.

Shartse Ngawang Luntog

To the wish-gran ng gem, treasure room of precious oral
teachings and realiza ons, rich in pure morality,
Who ripens all sen ent beings’ wishes and fulfills them like
a fall of rain,
Thus leading them to libera on,
To you I make this request: Bestow on me the highest
and common realiza ons.

Jedrung Lozang Tenzin

Your magnificent wisdom is like one thousand eyes,
Seeing completely all sutras and tantras of the Buddha.
These transcendental teachings are like the secret treasure.
To the powerful one who holds the dorje,
To you I make this request: Bestow on me the highest
and common realiza ons.

Zhapdrung Ngawang Geleg Tenpäi Gyältsen

To the most divine and powerful mahasiddha,
Who is like a perfect victory banner and guide to all sen ent beings,
Who holds unceasingly to the perfect teachings of Jampäl Nyingpo,
To you I make this request: Bestow on me the highest
and common realiza ons
10 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

Takpu Ngawang Lozang Jamphel Tenpäi Ngodrup

To the one rich in realiza ons, unrivaled in preserving the essence
Of the method and wisdom teachings of Losang Jampälyang,
Who causes rain of great siddhis to fall.
To you I make this request: Bestow on me the highest
and common realiza ons.

Je Pabongkha Jampa Tenzin Trinläi Gyatso

To you who is the magnificent ornament of all those holding the
essence of Losang Gyälwa’s teachings,
Having great realiza ons of wisdom and loving-kindness,
Your divine ac ons are like a limitless ocean,
To you I make this request: Bestow on me the highest
and common realiza ons.

Trijang Rinpoche and Losang Yeshe

To Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, Losang Yeshe, vajra-holder,
You are a treasury of ripening and libera ng instruc ons
about the vajra-queen,
The supreme quick path for achieving the vajra enlightened state.
To you I make this request: Bestow on me the highest
and common realiza ons.

Song Rinpoche
To Kyabje Song Rinpoche, Losang Tsöndru, within the state
Of all the winds of discursive thought conquered
into the central nadi,
You have achieved the consumma on of the bliss chakra.
To you I make this request: Bestow on me the highest
and common realiza ons.

To my most kind and precious root Guru, _____ [fill in name],

Your body incorporates all the infinite buddhas,
without excep on,
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 11

You are a master in giving discourses on the definite path

to enlightenment
To all beings as extensive as space, out of your intense
loving compassion,
To you I make this request: Bestow on me the highest
and common realiza ons.

The Uncommon Guru Yoga Method

My body is in ordinary form. On my crown on a lotus, inseparable
from Tara – the mother of the victorious ones, the great treasure
of compassion – [is seated] my kind root Guru. His complexion is
white with a slight red vibra on, and he is youthful looking.

His right hand is in the mudra of giving teachings, holding a dorje

and a white lotus. His le hand [in the mudra of concentra on] [is
holding] a bell and a white lotus, the open petals at the height of his
ear. He is wearing the three robes of a monk and a beau ful pandit’s
hat. He is seated in the vajra posi on in the midst of an aura.

At his heart is the transcendental yogini [the Yidam Tara], of emer-

ald color. Her right hand [is] in the mudra of gran ng the highest
siddhis; her le [hand] is in the mudra of the Triple Gem. At her
heart, both hands [are] holding the stem of an utpala flower. She
is wearing delicate light robes and precious ornaments. Her right
leg is stretched and her le bent. At her heart is [the le er] TAM
radia ng green light.

Concentrate on these three objects of concentra on and on the

five chakras of the guru, which are marked by the five seed syl-
lables, OM AH HUM SVA HA.

All this is a psychic vision, like a reflec on in a mirror, and at the

same me of non-dual and blissful wisdom character.
12 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

Invocation
From [my Lama’s] heart, light radiates and invokes all refuge ob-
jects [and] the supreme wisdom energy of all the tathagatas. These
melt into light, are absorbed into my Lama’s heart, and become
oneness. [The Guru becomes in actuality the unity of all exis ng
refuge objects.]

Seven-Limb Prayer
Stay on the jewel crown [of my head] un l I discover
enlightenment
With faith, I prostrate with my body, speech, and mind.
I make each and every offering including those really performed
and those mentally transformed.
I confess every nega ve ac on collected from
the beginninglessness of samsaric life
And rejoice in all ordinary beings’ and noble beings’ virtuous ac ons.
Please, Buddha, by living as our guide un l samsara ends
Reveal the teachings to sen ent beings.
I dedicate my own virtues and those of others to
the great enlightenment.

Mantra Recitation
Contempla ng the TAM and mantra syllables in the heart [of my
Lama and yidam] is the concentra on being [the seed syllable TAM
in the gle of the HUM].

Contemplate this.

Standing on the moon in a counter-clockwise direc on are the le ers

of the ten-syllable mantra.

OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SVAHA

 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 13

Contemplate these while you recite the mantra. Then, to request

blessings, recite your Guru’s name mantra 21 or 108 mes.

Purification with Light from the Guru

By the force of my strong requests, from my Lama’s crown, throat,
and heart chakras, white, red, and blue light radiates to my three
centers [brow, throat, and heart], purifying them of all nega vi es.
The vase, secret, and wisdom empowerments are received.

Then again, from the [OM, AH, HUM, and] SVA and HA [at the
navel and lower chakra], various colored light rays emanate [like a
rainbow] and enter my five places [purifying the five specific delu-
sions]. I receive the four empowerments that enable me to achieve
the four kayas [of a buddha].

You must do these visualiza ons of receiving the four empow-

erments and the Guru entering your heart. This guru yoga is like
the central pillar of the path or a staircase leading to libera on.
You must not be without it. Since all blessings and realiza ons
arise from devo on to your Guru, you should definitely prac-
ce it.

The Guru Entering the Heart

Glorious and precious, magnificent root Guru,
Stay at the lotus in my heart.
With your great kindness, take care of me, and I request you,
Please grant me the powerful realiza ons of your divine body,
speech, and mind.

The Guru becomes smaller and smaller. He sinks down through

the crown of my head, down my central channel, and absorbs into
my heart.
14 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

Self-Generation as Tara
Here one should meditate on the death evolu on and the
three kayas.

I immediately transform myself into divine transcendental

Mother Tara.

Blessing the Inner Offering

To eliminate interferences and spirits:

OM VAJRA AMRITA KUNDALI HANA HANA HUM PHAT

Shunyata mantra elimina ng ordinary concepts and dual view:

OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHA SARVA DHARMA SVABHAVA

SHUDDHO HAM
[All existent phenomena are inherently pure,
of non-dual character.]

All becomes void. Out of the [non-dual] void [appears the seed syl-
lable] YAM. From the YAM [comes] wind. [Above the YAM] [the
seed syllable] RAM [appears]. From that [comes] fire. [OM AH HUM
transform into three heads, which support] the le er AH, from
which comes a wisdom skullcup [kapala] [outside white, inside red],
vast and spacious. Inside are the five meats and the five nectars:
from the mixing of these arises a great ocean of wisdom nectar.

OM AH HUM (3x)

By [saying this] three mes, the three syllables sink into the skullcup
and bless the offerings.
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 15

Blessing the Outer Offerings

OM VAJRA AMRITA KUNDALI HANA HANA HUM PHAT

OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHA SARVA DHARMA SVABHAVA

SHUDDHO HAM

All becomes void. Out of the [non-dual] void [the le er] KAM [ap-
pears]. From it [appear eight] skullcups. Inside [each is the le er]
HUM, from which come the offering substances. These are void of
inherent existence, but have the aspect of the individual offering
substances. As these aspects func on as objects of the six senses,
they give uncontaminated inexhaus ble bliss.

Bless the offerings, visualizing OM AH HUM sinking into each

skullcup.

OM ARGHAM AH HUM
OM PADYAM AH HUM
OM VAJRA PUSHPE AH HUM
OM VAJRA DHUPE AH HUM
OM VAJRA ALOKE AH HUM
OM VAJRA GANDHE AH HUM
OM VAJRA NAIVIDYA AH HUM
OM VAJRA SHAPTA AH HUM

Invocation
I am the divine Mother Tara. From the seed syllable TAM that is
res ng on the moon seat in my heart, light rays emanate. From the
place of self-nature [dharmakaya], [from] the divine mother who
is indis nguishable from the Lama [in my heart], the assembly of
buddhas, bodhisa vas, and their entourage are invoked [and all
space is filled with buddhas, bodhisa vas, protectors, and dei es,
all surrounding the principal deity, Chi amani Tara.]
16 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

Prostration
I prostrate to your indestruc ble lotus feet, O jewel-like Guru.
By your great kindness, the state of great bliss can be a ained
in one moment.

I prostrate to the mother holding the utpalas,

To the divine wisdom ac on of all the three mes’ buddhas,
Swi one, green in color, with one face and two arms,
My Yidam from previous lives.

Offerings to the Merit Field

OM GURU ARYA TARA SAPARIVARA ARGHAM PRATICCHA
HUM SVAHA
OM GURU ARYA TARA SAPARIVARA PADYAM PRATICCHA
HUM SVAHA
OM GURU ARYA TARA SAPARIVARA PUSHPE PRATICCHA
HUM SVAHA
OM GURU ARYA TARA SAPARIVARA DHUPE PRATICCHA
HUM SVAHA
OM GURU ARYA TARA SAPARIVARA ALOKE PRATICCHA
HUM SVAHA
OM GURU ARYA TARA SAPARIVARA GANDHE PRATICCHA
HUM SVAHA
OM GURU ARYA TARA SAPARIVARA NAIVIDYA PRATICCHA
HUM SVAHA
OM GURU ARYA TARA SAPARIVARA SHAPTA PRATICCHA
HUM SVAHA

Prayer of the Bodhisattva Vows

I go for refuge to the Triple Gem.
I confess all nega vi es.
I rejoice in all the merits of all migra ng beings.
I hold bodhichi a well in my mind.
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 17

Un l I reach enlightenment
I go for refuge to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
In order to a ain the purposes of self and others,
I will generate the awakening mind.

Having generated bodhichi a,

I will keep all sen ent beings as my guest.
I will make use of the supreme bodhichi a ac on.
May I become a buddha for the sake of all migra ng beings.

The Four Immeasurable Thoughts

May all mother sen ent beings have happiness and its cause.
May all mother sen ent beings be free from suffering and its cause.
May all sen ent beings never be separated from the happiness
that is without suffering.
May all mother sen ent beings abide in equanimity,
free from both a achment and hatred, not holding
some close and others distant.

Absorption
The merit field sinks into me, and I am blessed [unified].

[As the merit field sinks into me, all universal phenomena, star ng
with my immediate surroundings] melt into light, enter my brow
chakra, and sink into me. [My radiance becomes strong, like a bil-
lion suns.] This is the earth element sinking into the water element,
and I experience an inner vision of a silver blue mirage.

Then Tara absorbs downward from her head and upward from her
feet into her heart, into the seed syllable TAM. This is the water
element sinking into the fire element, and a vision of smoke arises.
18 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

Then the A CHUNG absorbs into the le er TA. This is the fire ele-
ment being absorbed into the air element, and I see the vision of
sparks in the darkness.

Then the TA absorbs from the bo om into the TA head, the hori-
zontal stroke. This is the air element being absorbed, and there is
the vision of dim red-blue light, like the last flickering of a candle.

Then the TA head sinks into the crescent moon (datse), and I expe-
rience the white vision.

The crescent moon sinks into the dot (Ɵgle), and I see the red vision.

The dot absorbs into the flame (nada), and there is the vision of
dark and empty space.

Then the flame absorbs from the bo om upward, and I experience

the vision of clear light, the vision of complete emp ness.

Then meditate on the three kayas.

OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHA SARVA DHARMA SVABHAVA

SHUDDHO HAM

All becomes void. From the non-dual void appears the ground,
blue like lapis lazuli, smooth like the palm of the hand, surrounded
by a garden of lotuses and utpalas. A fragrant odor permeates the
air. Around is an ocean of milk decorated with islands; various wa-
ter birds are playing and flying around.

Think that all this is the reflec on of your own dharmakaya wis-
dom appearing like a rainbow with each color seen dis nctly one
by one.
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 19

In the middle [of the ocean of milk,] [which is] clean and clear, [ap-
pears the le er] PAM, and from that an eight-petaled lotus. [In the
middle] a TAM, [your own sambhogakaya nature], green in color,
radiates light that accomplishes the two purposes [: making offer-
ings to the tathagatas, who take the aspect of Arya Tara; and pu-
rifying all sen ent beings, who also take the aspect of Tara.] The
light absorbs back into the TAM, which itself absorbs, and a blue
utpala flower and a TAM arise anew.

This TAM then melts into light, and I arise as the Divine Wisdom
Mother, of emerald color, perfectly green, peaceful and loving,
with one face and two arms. Half of my hair is ed up in a knot and
decorated with precious ornaments and utpala flowers. My eyes
are long and narrow.

My right hand is in the mudra of giving sublime realiza ons; my le

at the heart is in the mudra of the Triple Gem. Each hand holds the
stem of a blue utpala flower.

My breasts are full. I am adorned with all the precious ornaments

and with various light scarves in different colors.

My right foot is stretched, and my le is bent. Behind me is a full

moon. I have clearly and fully accomplished the [thirty-two] signs
and [eighty] exemplifica ons [of a buddha].

At my crown is the essence of the indestruc ble body, a white OM;

at my throat is the essence of indestruc ble speech, a red AH; at
my heart is the essence of indestruc ble mind, a blue HUM.

From the TAM [in the gle of the HUM at the heart] light radiates,
and from the place of self-nature, (dharmakaya), the principal Chit-
tamani Tara, and around her twenty Taras [are invoked.]
20 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

Prostration
From the supreme abode of the Potala,
One born from the green le er TAM,
Your crown adorned by Amitabha Buddha,
Mother of the skillful ac ons of all buddhas of the three mes,
Tara, please come with your entourage.

The gods and demigods with their crowns

Bow down to your lotus feet.
Divine Mother who liberates from all struggles and dissa sfac on,
To you, Mother Tara, I prostrate.

Seven-Limb Prayer
I prostrate with a pure state of mind to divine Arya Tara and all
the buddhas and bodhisa vas abiding in the three mes and ten
direc ons.

I make offerings of flowers, incense, light, perfume, delicious food,

music, and so on, actually performed and mentally transformed.
Divine mother and your assembly, please accept these.

I confess the ten non-virtuous ac ons, the five immediate nega-

ve ac ons, and all other nega ve ac ons commi ed from begin-
ningless me un l now with a mind overwhelmed by delusions.

I rejoice in the merit of all virtuous ac ons accumulated in the

three mes by shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisa vas, and or-
dinary beings.

I request you to return the wheel of the great, small, and common
vehicles according to the a tudes and propensi es of the minds
of all sen ent beings.
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 21

I request you not to pass into nirvana un l samsara ends, and to

look with compassion upon all the beings who are immersed in the
ocean of suffering.

By the merit I have gathered, having become the cause of enlight-

enment, may I swi ly become the glorious liberator of all sen ent
beings.

Praises to the Twenty-One Taras

Recite the complete praises to the Twenty-one Taras or alter-
na vely, the condensed form in one verse that follows on p. 25.
Chantable Tibetan and English versions of the Praises can be
found star ng on p. 64.

Recite this prayer [once and/or offer prostra ons] and think like
this: Praising and prostra ng each me, like one spark of fire
comes from another, a replica of [the respec ve] Tara manifests
and sinks into you.

OM Homage to the Venerable Arya Tara

Homage to you, Tara, the swi heroine,

Whose eyes are like an instant flash of lightning,
Whose water-born face arises from the blooming lotus
Of Avalokiteshvara: Protector of the three worlds.

Homage to you, Tara, whose face is like

One hundred full autumn moons gathered together,
Blazing with the expanding light
Of a thousand stars assembled.

Homage to you, Tara, born from a golden-blue lotus,

Whose hands are beau fully adorned with lotus flowers,
You who are the embodiment of giving, joyous effort, asce cism,
Pacifica on, pa ence, concentra on, and all objects of prac ce.
22 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

Homage to you, Tara, the crown pinnacle of Those Thus Gone,

Whose deeds overcome infinite evils,
Who have a ained transcendent perfec ons without excep on,
And upon whom the sons of the victorious ones rely.

Homage to you, Tara, who with the le ers TUTTARA HUM

Fill the [realms of] desire, direc on, and space,
Whose feet trample on the seven worlds
And who are able to draw all beings to you.

Homage to you, Tara, venerated by Indra, Agni, Brahma, Vayu,

and Ishvara,
Praised by the assembly of spirits, raised corpses,
Ghandaravas, and all yakshas.

Homage to you, Tara, whose TRAD and PHAT

Destroy en rely the magical wheels of others;
With your right leg bent and le out-stretched and pressing,
You burn intensely within a whirl of fire.

Homage to you, Tara, the great fearful one,

Whose le er TURE destroys the mighty demons completely,
Who, with a wrathful expression on your water-born face,
Slay all enemies without excep on.

Homage to you, Tara, whose fingers adorn your heart

With the gesture of the Sublime Precious Three,
Adorned with a wheel striking all direc ons without excep on
With the totality of your own rays of light.

Homage to you, Tara, whose radiant crown ornament,

Joyful and magnificent, extends a garland of light,
And who, by your laughter of TUTTARA,
Conquer the demons and all of the worlds.
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 23

Homage to you, Tara, who are able to invoke

The en re assembly of local protectors,
Whose wrathful expression fiercely shakes,
Rescuing the impoverished through the le er HUM.

Homage to you, Tara, whose crown is adorned

With the crescent moon, wearing ornaments exceedingly bright;
From your hair knot, the Buddha Amitabha
Radiates eternally with great beams of light.

Homage to you, Tara, who dwell within a blazing garland

That resembles the fire at the end of this world age;
Surrounded by joy, you sit with your right leg extended
And le withdrawn, completely destroying all the masses
of enemies.

Homage to you, Tara, with hand on the ground by your side,

Pressing your heel and stamping your foot on the Earth;
With a wrathful glance from your eyes, you subdue
All seven levels through the syllable HUM.

Homage to you, Tara, O happy, virtuous, and peaceful one,

The very object of prac ce, passed beyond sorrow.
You are perfectly endowed with SVAHA and OM,
Overcoming completely all the great evils.

Homage to you, Tara, surrounded by the joyous ones,

You completely subdue the bodies of all enemies;
Your speech is adorned with the ten syllables,
And you rescue all through the knowledge-le er HUM.

Homage to you, Tara, stamping your feet and proclaiming TURE;

Your seed-syllable itself in the aspect of HUM
24 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

Causes Meru, Mandhara, and the Vindhya mountains

And all the three worlds to tremble and shake.

Homage to you, Tara, who hold in your hand

The hare-marked moon like the celes al ocean;
By u ering TARA twice and the le er PHAT
You dispel all poisons without excep on.

Homage to you, Tara, upon whom the kings of the assembled gods,
The gods themselves, and all kinnaras rely;
Whose magnificent armor gives joy to all,
You who dispel all disputes and bad dreams.

Homage to you, Tara, whose two eyes – the sun and the moon –
Radiate an excellent, illumina ng light;
By u ering HARA twice and TUTTARA,
You dispel all violent epidemic disease.

Homage to you, Tara, adorned by the three suchnesses,

Perfectly endowed with the power of serenity,
You who destroy the host of evil spirits, raises corpses and yakshas –
O TURE, most excellent and sublime!

Thus concludes this praise of the root mantra and the offering of
the twenty-one homages.

You may choose alterna vely to recite the condensed single

verse praise below.
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 25

Praise to the Mantra in One Verse

OM CHOM DÄN DÄ MA LHA MO DRÖL MA LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO
OM I prostrate to the goddess foe destroyer, libera ng
lady Tara.

CHHAG TSHÄL DRÖL MA TARE PÄL MO

Homage to TARE, savioress, heroine,
TUTTARA YI JIG KÜN SEL MA
With TUTTARE dispelling all fears,
TURE DÖN NAM THAM CHÄ TER MA
Gran ng all benefits with TURE,
SVAHA YI GER CHÄ LA RAB DÜ
To her with sound SVAHA, I bow.

Praises and Requests to the Assembly of Deities of the

Venerable Mother of the Twenty-One Homages
Homage to Arya Tara!

Well-born of the holy ac ons of all universal conquerors!

Supreme refuge of all the three realms’ beings!
Venerable treasure of compassion –
I bow at your lotus feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!

With divine ac ons quick as instant lightning,

You make the foes of the conquerors or objects of prac ce,
And Ganesh and others, all as obedient as slaves –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!

Demons of sickness and plague and evil spirits,

Un mely death, bad dreams, and obscura ons –
All such dark adversity you quell! –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!
26 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

All quali es, good collec ons, merits, and power,

Glory, excellence, and two kinds of realiza ons,
And the aryas’ seven treasures, you fully develop –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!

Of beings and world you increase all the splendor and majesty,
Gran ng the special, deathless, supreme siddhi,
And you conquer in ba le the Lord of Death –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!

As requisites for prac oners travelling to freedom,

You quickly summon each and every pleasing
And longed-for collec on and do conducive ac ons –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!

By the mere mental thought of you,

You make all assemblies of spirits, such as the ten
direc onal guardians,
Gather with servile devo on –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!

Should evil ones, thinking and ac ng to injure others,

Bring down on us magic spells, curses, impreca ons, and so on,
You turn all their power back upon themselves –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!

From noxious beings, who injure the Conqueror’s doctrine,

Perversely rebelling against right Dharma conduct,
You quickly separate the life and body –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!

From outer and inner adversi es and harm

Through producers of suffering, physical and mental,
You guard and protect us in this and all future lives –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 27

If one seeks refuge in you, you quell his injurious maras

and perverse thought of rthika conduct,
And then apply him to the perfect path –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!

With torrents of rain of all desired precious things,

Such as food and wealth and stores of enjoyments and beasts,
You eliminate every poverty, hunger, and thirst –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!

You let us achieve every aim we intend, as we wish;

With mundane and supermundane auspiciousness and goodness,
You fill the direc ons all the me –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!

For hindering demons, obstruc ons, and evil signs,

Just by one’s mentally recollec ng your form,
You put him in a vajra tent, without fear –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!

With frowning, very ac ve, open eyes,

You smash as if into atoms all bearers in min of cruelty,
Ganesha and his hindering demons –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!

All sins and obscura ons of karma and klesha,

Which throw one into the realms of woe, you cleanse
And purify, Mother, just through recalling your face –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!

Deep wisdom that realized true nature’s meaning;

Explaining, deba ng, and wri ng; the wisdoms of listening,
thinking, and medita on –
All these you increase and develop! –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!
28 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

With power that shakes all the three worlds in an instant,

Every enemy, robber, and thief, without excep on,
Victorious mother, you bind and subdue –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!

Harm from poison and contagion, and all poisoning

By noxious nagas and earth-owning spirits,
You quickly allay ll the very name does not exist –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!

Mutual conflict, torment by the law

Through fear of the king, and bad dreams – on all such things
You perform the ac on of rapidly pacifying –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!

Most violent and unbearable sickness and plagues

And every adverse and injurious group –
All these you protect from and totally pacify! –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!

Your universal ac ons, like calming spirits,

Corpse-raisers, yakshas, and fears; increasing, subduing
And fierceness; and all aims, you accomplish at will –
Devout, I prostrate at your feet, Tara, mother of conquerors!

Songs of longing and making requests

Alas! Lady Arya, listen a li le to me!
All quali es of your body, speech, and mind
Are manifested for sen ent beings’ sake.

You understand well the thoughts of your disciples,

And in all the universal conquerors’ holy ac ons,
O goddess, you directly appear!
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 29

So, as soon as this name of Her Who Quickly Liberates

From the samsaric ocean falls on my ears,
Like the beloved in the heart of a lover,
Again and again, your moon-like body’s reflec on
Appears in the dancing lake of my mental devo on.

Since, in my previous lives without beginning,

I’ve gathered unwholesome karma through defilements,
Again and again I have fallen to realms of woe,
And experienced endless, unbearable, violent suffering.

Of the bodies I’ve taken in human migra ons alone,

The blood and pus would, collected, exceed a great ocean;
The flesh and bones, heaped up, would be taller than Meru.

But though I have thus experienced violent suffering,

If, supreme refuge, you don’t seize me with your compassion,
S ll I shall have to wander much more than that.
Alas! O rescue me from the fears of samsara!

Of yore, in the perfect deity land of Tushita,

The supreme holy teacher gave u erance
To the conquerors’ son Manjushri, pronouncing that those
Who praised with the supreme praises that are taught
In the King of Tantras would win immeasurable virtues.

If, although with my effort I’ve praised with these praises,

Recited and prac ced, made offerings and requested,
You see the foul conduct of beings of mes of decline
And, Arya Mother, act with indifference towards us,
Then what is the use of your names
Of “Specially Loving Towards Inferior Beings,” “Swi One,”
and “Savior”?
30 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

However, since your loving compassion is free of near and far,

It applies to everyone;
Therefore, although, with inferior fortune,
I suffer from my karmic obscura ons, at present
I’ve not found another refuge superior to you;

So in all future lives, superior deity,

Will you look a er me without par ng for even an instant,
And manifest your supreme face as visual nectar!

Rescuing from the eight fears, outer and inner;

Your twenty-one ways of ac on, and all such
Universal ac ons – just by thinking,
Make all these quickly spontaneously arise!

All that hinder my prac ce of the Dharma –

Assemblies of human beings, ghosts, and spirits,
And all interrup ons such as the eight fears –
Please will you pacify without excep on!

Especially, supreme refuge, from your compassion,

In my mindstream let not perverse thoughts
Be born for even an instant,
wut let only Wholesome minds arise – inspire me thus!

Especially, on the sole base of all good collec ons’ arising,

A qualified, supreme, holy Guru,
Let me rely correctly with thoughts and ac ons
And follow him as he wishes – inspire me thus!

The base with which buddhahood can be achieved in one life,

This opportune, fortunate rebirth, found but once,
Perishes fast as lightning.
Let me produce this thought, and grasp its essence –
inspire me thus!
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 31

Driven by fear of woeful rebirth a er death,

Let me abandon nonvirtue and prac ce virtue,
Confess with regret all the sins I’ve created before,
And be able to stop them henceforth – inspire me thus!

Like seeing filthy sewage as amrita,

Let me not see samsara’s perfec ons as bliss,
But produce the mind that wants to be free of it quickly,
And train in the Conqueror’s doctrine – inspire me thus!

Since they are tortured by suffering and poor in happiness,

Let me produce well the thought of supreme awakening,
Which sets in buddhahood sen ent beings, my mothers,
And train in the powerful conduct – inspire me thus!

Especially, let the path uni ng calm and insight –

The middle view, excellent and profound –
Be born within my mindstream well and truly,
And grasping at extremes uprooted – inspire me thus!

Then let me enter the Supreme Vehicle teaching

And ripen my mind with the rivers of pure empowerments,
Protec ng the vows and pledges that I’ve taken
As the apple of my eye – inspire me thus!

Let me understand right the two stages, heart of the various tantras,
Then quickly, by good medita on,
Produce in my mindstream the state of union of the four kayas,
A wish-fulfilling jewel – inspire me thus!

Showing before each mother sen ent being

Countless emana ons, when I’m buddha earlier,
Let me transfer them to buddhahood, through the abandonment
Of all their two obscura ons – inspire me thus!
32 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

Let the realm where I accomplish a conqueror’s deeds,

My entourage, the measure of my incarna on,
And so on, all far surpass even Sugata All-Seeing’s –
To gain these excellent quali es, please inspire me!

From now un l I reach the supreme point of enlightenment,

Let me know well that the root of all good collec ons,
Samsaric and beyond, is only the Conqueror’s doctrine,
And strive to support and enact it – inspire me thus!

Wealth, respect, fame, desires, entertainments, diversions –

Let me not enter such ac ons blamed by the holy,
But s cking to solitude, think well on meanings I’ve learned,
And do the essen al prac ce – inspire me thus!

Let me realize easily and correctly

The subtlest inten ons of the Conqueror!
May all quali es, such as the aryas’ treasures,
Completely fill my mindstream – inspire me thus!

Through the infinite virtues arisen from this,

May I and all other beings without excep on
Be well upheld by the holy protector’s compassion,
Never becoming separate from the pure path!

Mandala Offering
Then [you offer the mandala]:

Long Mandala Offering of the Twenty-Three Heaps

ZHING KHAM ÜL WAR GYI WO / OM VAJRA BHUMI AH HUM / WANG
CHHEN SER GYI SA ZHI
Let us offer a buddha-field OM vajra ground AH HUM, mighty
golden ground. OM vajra fence AH HUM.
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 33

OM VAJRA REKHE AH HUM / CHHI CHAG RI KHOR YUG GI KOR WÄI Ü

SU / RII GYÄL PO RI RAB / SHAR LÜ PHAG PO / LHO DZAM BU LING /
NUB BA LANG CHÖ / JANG DRA MI NYÄN / LÜ DANG LÜ PHAG / NGA
YAB DANG NGA YAB ZHÄN / YO DÄN DANG LAM CHHOG DRO / DRA
MI NYÄN DANG DRA MI NYÄN GYI DA
Outside it is encircled by a wall of iron mountains. At the
center is Meru, king of mountains; the eastern con nent, Vi-
deha (Tall-body Land), the southern, Jambudvipa (Rose-apple
Land), the western, Godaniya (Ca le-gi Land), the northern,
Kuru; [the eastern minor con nents] Deha and Videha, [the
southern], Chamara and Apara-chamara (Chowrie-land and
western Chowrie-land), [the western], Satha and U ara-
mantrin (Lands of the Decei ul and the Skilled in Mantra),
[and the northern], Kuru and Kaurava.

SHAR DU LANG PO RIN PO CHHE / LHOR KYIN DAG RIN PO CHHE /

NUB TU TA RIN PO CHHE / /SHAR
JANG DU TSÜN MO RIN PO CHHE
LHOR MAG PÖN RIN PO CHHE / LHO NUB TU KHOR LO RIN PO CHHE /
NUB JANG DU NOR BU RIN PO CHHE / JANG SHAR DU TER CHEN PÖI
BUM PA / NANG GI SHAR DU NYI MA / NUB TU DA WA
In the east, the precious elephant; in the south, the precious
housekeeper, in the west, the precious horse; in the north,
the precious queen. In the southeast, the precious general;
in the southwest, the precious wheel; in the northwest, the
precious jewel; in the northeast, the great treasure vase. In
the east, the sun; in the west, the moon.

DAG ZHÄN LÜ NGAG YI SUM LONG CHÖ DU SUM GE TSHOG CHÄ

My own and others’ body, speech, and mind, wealth and
virtues, of the three mes,
RIN CHHEN MANDALA ZANG PO KÜN ZANG CHHÖ PÄI TSHOG CHÄ PA
This pure, precious mandala and a mass of Samantabhadra
offerings,
34 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

LO YI LANG NÄ LA MA YI DAM KÖN CHHOG SUM LA BÜL

I mentally take and offer to my Guru-Yidam and the Three
Precious Ones,
THUG JEI WANG GI ZHE NÄ DAG LA JIN GYI LAB TU SÖL
Please accept them through compassion and bestow your
inspira on

Short Mandala Offering

SA ZHI PÖ KYI JUG SHING ME TOG TRAM
This ground, anointed with perfume, strewn with flowers,
RI RAB LING ZHI NYI DÄ GYÄN PA DI
Adorned with Mount Meru, four con nents, the sun
and the moon:
SANG GYÄ ZHING DU MIG TE ÜL WA YI
I imagine this as a buddha-field and offer it.
DRO KÜN NAM DAG ZHING LA CHÖ PAR SHOG
May all living beings enjoy this pure land!

IDAM GURU RATNA MANDALAKAM NIRYATAYAMI

Request
You, the wisdom mother,
Who gives birth to those blissfully gone, all the buddhas
of the three mes.
Great treasure of divine compassion, O transcendental
Mother Tara, I request you:
Please purify my nega vi es and obscura ons.

This request is made with much respect and apprecia on.

 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 35

Purification
Focus on the principal Tara in space in front.

The le hand [is] in the mudra of giving refuge. At my request,

from [the thumb and] ring finger, much light goes out, enters my
brow chakra, and hooks into my central channel [shushuma]. Pow-
erful nectar flows like a stream of milk, and as my whole body is
filled, all nega vi es, the two obscura ons, and all stains are puri-
fied. Then my body becomes clear like crystal glass.

Contemplate this.

Absorption of the Merit Field

of the Twenty-One Taras
The twenty surrounding Taras melt into light and sink into the prin-
cipal Tara. The principal Tara [melts into light] [and] sinks into me,
and we become non-dual.

JAH HUM BAM HOH

Invocation
From the seed syllable at my heart, light beams are emi ed and
invoke [the mandala of the] lords of the five buddha families, with
Amitabha as the principal deity.

Then I make offerings.

OM PANCHA KULA SAPARIVARA ARGHAM (PADYAM,

PUSHPE, DHUPE, ALOKE, GANDHE, NAIVIDYA, SHAPTA)
PRATICCHA HUM SVAHA

Make request for ini a on.

36 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

I request you, please grant me ini a on.

Thus requested, the empowering dei es li up their vases filled

with wisdom amrita.

OM SARVA TATHAGATA ABHISHEKATA SAMAYA SHRIYE

AH HUM

As the amrita is poured, the ini a on is made. As my body is filled,

all stains are purified. From the excess amrita forming a swirl [ap-
pears] Amitabha Buddha, who adorns my crown [and is seated on
a lotus and moon]. Then all the ini a on dei es [the five tathaga-
tas] melt into light and sink into me.

Again I make offerings:

OM VAJRA AMRITA KUNDALI HANA HANA HUM PHAT

OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHA SARVA DHARMA SVABHAVA

SHUDDHO HAM

All becomes void. Out of the [non-dual] void [the le er] KAM [ap-
pears], and from it, [eight] skullcups. [Inside each is the le er] HUM,
from which [come] offering substances. These are void of inherent
existence [void of self-nature], but have the aspect of the individ-
ual offering substances. As these aspects func on as the object of
the six senses they give uncontaminated, inexhaus ble bliss.

[I bless each offering, visualizing OM AH HUM sinking into each

skullcup.]

OM ARGHAM AH HUM
OM PADYAM AH HUM
OM VAJRA PUSHPE AH HUM
OM VAJRA DHUPE AH HUM
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 37

OM VAJRA ALOKE AH HUM

OM VAJRA GANDHE AH HUM
OM VAJRA NAIVIDYA AH HUM
OM VAJRA SHAPTA AH HUM

OM ARYA TARE SAPARIVARA ARGHAM (PADYAM, PUSHPE,

DHUPE, ALOKE, GANDHE, NAIVIDYA, SHAPTA) PRATICCHA
HUM SVAHA

Inner Offering
OM ARYA TARE SAPARIVARA OM AH HUM

Visualize that Arya Tara appears from your heart and offers the
skullcup with the blissful wisdom-amrita to the twenty Taras
outside.

Prostration and Praise

I prostrate to the mother holding the utpalas,
Swi one, green in color, with one face and two arms,
To divine wisdom ac on of all the three mes’ buddhas,
My Yidam from previous lives.

The rainbow body of the deity lacks self-nature and is of non-

dual character, [a unity of non-duality and clean clear light vi-
sion]. If you can, contemplate on it as much as possible, as it
is essen al. If you cannot do that, enter into the recita on of
mantras.
38 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

Meditation on the Body Mandala

The meditation should be done as follows.

I am the deity. From the crown chakra of my clear light body, the
chakra of great bliss, thirty-two branch nadis go out. In the center
appears a white TAM. This transforms into a white Tara with thirty-
two Taras in similar aspect around.

From the throat chakra, the enjoyment chakra, sixteen branch

nadis go out. In the centre appears a red TAM. This transforms into
a red Tara with sixteen Taras in similar aspect around.

From the heart chakra, the Dharma chakra, eight branch nadis go
out. In the center appears a blue TAM. This transforms into a blue
Tara with eight Taras in similar aspect around.

From the navel chakra, the chakra of emanation, sixty-four branch

nadis go out. In the center appears a yellow TAM. This transforms
into a yellow Tara with sixty-four Taras in similar aspect around.

From the lower chakra [the secret place] the chakra which holds
bliss, thirty-two branch nadis go out. In the center appears a green
TAM. This transforms into a green Tara with thirty-two Taras in
similar aspect around.

At the heart, in the center of the Dharma chakra, at the heart of

the blue Tara is a crystal clear moon mandala: on it stands [a blue
HUM, in its tigle is the green seed syllable] TAM. Around the edge
of the moon, standing counterclockwise, are the ten letters of the
mantra.

Contemplate this visualization.

 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 39

From the dei es of the five chakras and the mantra garland much
light is radia ng, which touches all the buddhas and bodhisa vas
of the ten direc ons. All the victorious ones and their sons are in-
voked. As a great rain showers down and sinks into me, it blesses
[my chakras, my psychic points, and] my mindstream.

Contemplate this.

[Again] from the divine mother at the heart, countless similar aspects
[Taras] are sent forth and go out through the right nostril. They purify
the hatred of all angersome sen ent beings, who discover the dhar-
madatu wisdom and achieve the state of Akshobhya Buddha. Assum-
ing the body of Blue Tara, they all recite the mantra together. When
all the dei es, who emanated from myself, are assembled, they sink
into the deity of my own heart.

From the divine mother at my crown, countless Taras in similar aspect

emanate, and they purify the closed-mindedness of all closed-minded
sen ent beings, who discover the mirror-like wisdom and achieve the
state of Vairochana. Assuming the body of White Tara, they recite the
mantra together. All the dei es who emanated from me return and
sink into the deity at my own crown.

From the divine mother at my navel, countless Taras in similar aspect

emanate, and they purify the miserliness of all miserly sen ent be-
ings, who discover the wisdom of equality and achieve the state of
Ratnasambhava. Assuming the body of Yellow Tara, they all recite the
mantra together. All the dei es who emanated from me return and
sink into the deity at my own navel.

From the divine mother at my throat, countless Taras in similar

aspect emanate, and they purify the craving desire of all sen ent
beings with craving desire; they discover [the wisdom perceiving
40 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

dis nctly] the discrimina ng wisdom and achieve the state of Am-
itabha. Assuming the body of Red Tara, they recite the mantra to-
gether. All the dei es who emanated from me return and sink into
the deity at my own throat.

From the divine mother at my lower chakra, countless Taras in similar

aspect emanate and they purify the jealousy of all jealous sen ent
beings, who discover the all-accomplishing wisdom and achieve the
state of Amoghasiddhi. Assuming the body of Green Tara, they all
recite the mantra together. All the dei es who emanated from me
return and sink into the deity at my own lower chakra.

All the dei es [in my nervous system] are divine Mother Tara and
are in essence the buddhas of the five families. They all recite the
mantra together.

OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SVAHA

Meaning of the Mantra

OM: magnificent; total purity and unity of body, speech, and mind.
TARE: liberated or liberator of lower scope beings.
TUTTARE: more greatly liberated or greatest liberator of middle
scope beings.
TURE: most greatly liberated or greatest liberator of higher scope
beings. In these three words, the whole Lam-rim is contained
with all three scopes.
SVAHA: the founda on of all siddhis of Tara; this founda on is in
your heart.

As much as possible meditate on this while reci ng the mantra.

Do a retreat with sign un l you receive a sign or a coun ng retreat
of one million mantras or a med retreat of six months.
Before the session finishes recite the hundred-syllable mantra
of Padmasa va three mes.
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 41

OM PADMA SATTVA SAMAYA / MANUPALAYA / PADMA

SATTVA TVENOPATISHTHA / DRIDHO ME BHAVA / SUTOSHYO
ME BHAVA / SUPOSHYO ME BHAVA / ANURAKTO ME
BHAVA / SARVA SIDDHIM ME PRAYACCHA / SARVA KARMA
SUCHAME / CHITTAM SHRIYAM KURU HUM / HA HA HA HA
HOH / BHAGAVAN / SARVA TATHAGATA / PADMA MAME
MUNCHA / PADMA BHAVA / MAHA SAMAYA SATTVA AH
HUM PHAT (3x)

Offerings
OM ARYA TARE SAPARIVARA ARGHAM (PADYAM, PUSHPE,
DHUPE, ALOKE, GANDHE, NAIVIDYA, SHAPTA) PRATICCHA
HUM SVAHA

Inner Offering
OM ARYA TARE SAPARIVARA OM AH HUM

Prostration and Praise

I prostrate to the mother holding the utpalas,
Swi one, green in color, with one face and two arms,
To divine wisdom ac on of all the three mes’ buddhas,
My Yidam from previous lives.

Torma Offering
If you wish to offer torma then [do as follows]:

OM VAJRA AMRITA KUNDALI HANA HANA HUM PHAT

OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHA SARVA DHARMA SVABHAVA

SHUDDHO HAM
42 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

All becomes void. Out of the [non-dual] void, [the le er] YAM [ap-
pears]. From the YAM [comes] wind. [Above the YAM] [the seed
syllable] RAM [appears]. From that [comes] fire. [OM AH HUM
transform into three heads, which support] the le er AH, from
which comes a wisdom kapala [outside white, inside red], vast and
spacious. Inside are the five meats and the five nectars. From the
mixing of these arises a great ocean of wisdom amrita.

OM AH HUM (3x)

By saying this three mes, the three le ers sink into the skullcup
and bless the offering.

From the seed syllable at my heart, light emanates, and the as-
sembly of buddhas and bodhisa vas and the divine mother are
invoked. From her indestruc ble tongue, a straw made of light
comes and Tara drinks the [amrita] offering:

OM ARYA TARE SAPARIVARA IDAM BALIMTA KHA KHA

KHAHI KHAHI (3x)

Offerings
OM ARYA TARE SAPARIVARA ARGHAM (PADYAM, PUSHPE,
DHUPE, ALOKE, GANDHE, NAIVIDYA, SHAPTA) PRATICCHA
HUM SVAHA

Inner Offering
OM ARYA TARE SAPARIVARA OM AH HUM
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 43

Praises to the Twenty-One Taras

Recite the complete praises to the Twenty-one Taras or alter-
na vely, the condensed form in one verse that follows on p.
46. Chantable Tibetan and English versions of the Praises can
be found on p. 64.

Recite this prayer [once and/or offer prostra ons] and think like
this: Praising and prostra ng each me, like one spark of fire
comes from another, a replica of [the respec ve] Tara manifests
and sinks into you.

OM Homage to the Venerable Arya Tara

Homage to you, Tara, the swi heroine,

Whose eyes are like an instant flash of lightning,
Whose water-born face arises from the blooming lotus
Of Avalokiteshvara: Protector of the three worlds.

Homage to you, Tara, whose face is like

One hundred full autumn moons gathered together,
Blazing with the expanding light
Of a thousand stars assembled.

Homage to you, Tara, born from a golden-blue lotus,

Whose hands are beau fully adorned with lotus flowers,
You who are the embodiment of giving, joyous effort, asce cism,
Pacifica on, pa ence, concentra on, and all objects of prac ce.

Homage to you, Tara, the crown pinnacle of Those Thus Gone,

Whose deeds overcome infinite evils,
Who have a ained transcendent perfec ons without excep on,
And upon whom the sons of the victorious ones rely.

Homage to you, Tara, who with the le ers TUTTARA HUM

Fill the [realms of] desire, direc on, and space,
44 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

Whose feet trample on the seven worlds

And who are able to draw all beings to you.

Homage to you, Tara, venerated by Indra, Agni, Brahma, Vayu,

and Ishvara,
Praised by the assembly of spirits, raised corpses,
Ghandaravas, and all yakshas.

Homage to you, Tara, whose TRAD and PHAT

Destroy en rely the magical wheels of others;
With your right leg bent and le out-stretched and pressing,
You burn intensely within a whirl of fire.

Homage to you, Tara, the great fearful one,

Whose le er TURE destroys the mighty demons completely,
Who, with a wrathful expression on your water-born face,
Slay all enemies without excep on.

Homage to you, Tara, whose fingers adorn your heart

With the gesture of the Sublime Precious Three,
Adorned with a wheel striking all direc ons without excep on
With the totality of your own rays of light.

Homage to you, Tara, whose radiant crown ornament,

Joyful and magnificent, extends a garland of light,
And who, by your laughter of TUTTARA,
Conquer the demons and all of the worlds.

Homage to you, Tara, who are able to invoke

The en re assembly of local protectors,
Whose wrathful expression fiercely shakes,
Rescuing the impoverished through the le er HUM.
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 45

Homage to you, Tara, whose crown is adorned

With the crescent moon, wearing ornaments exceedingly bright;
From your hair knot, the Buddha Amitabha
Radiates eternally with great beams of light.

Homage to you, Tara, who dwell within a blazing garland

That resembles the fire at the end of this world age;
Surrounded by joy, you sit with your right leg extended
And le withdrawn, completely destroying all the masses
of enemies.

Homage to you, Tara, with hand on the ground by your side,

Pressing your heel and stamping your foot on the Earth;
With a wrathful glance from your eyes, you subdue
All seven levels through the syllable HUM.

Homage to you, Tara, O happy, virtuous, and peaceful one,

The very object of prac ce, passed beyond sorrow.
You are perfectly endowed with SVAHA and OM,
Overcoming completely all the great evils.

Homage to you, Tara, surrounded by the joyous ones,

You completely subdue the bodies of all enemies;
Your speech is adorned with the ten syllables,
And you rescue all through the knowledge-le er HUM.

Homage to you, Tara, stamping your feet and proclaiming TURE;

Your seed-syllable itself in the aspect of HUM
Causes Meru, Mandhara, and the Vindhya mountains
And all the three worlds to tremble and shake.

Homage to you, Tara, who hold in your hand

The hare-marked moon like the celes al ocean;
46 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

By u ering TARA twice and the le er PHAT

You dispel all poisons without excep on.

Homage to you, Tara, upon whom the kings of the assembled gods,
The gods themselves, and all kinnaras rely;
Whose magnificent armor gives joy to all,
You who dispel all disputes and bad dreams.

Homage to you, Tara, whose two eyes – the sun and the moon –
Radiate an excellent, illumina ng light;
By u ering HARA twice and TUTTARA,
You dispel all violent epidemic disease.

Homage to you, Tara, adorned by the three suchnesses,

Perfectly endowed with the power of serenity,
You who destroy the host of evil spirits, raises corpses and yakshas –
O TURE, most excellent and sublime!

Thus concludes this praise of the root mantra and the offering of the
twenty-one homages.

You may choose alterna vely to recite the condensed single

verse praise below.

Praise to the Mantra in One Verse

OM CHOM DÄN DÄ MA LHA MO DRÖL MA LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO
OM I prostrate to the goddess foe destroyer, libera ng
lady Tara.

CHHAG TSHÄL DRÖL MA TARE PÄL MO

Homage to TARE, savioress, heroine,
TUTTARA YI JIG KÜN SEL MA
With TUTTARE dispelling all fears,
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 47

TURE DÖN NAM THAM CHÄ TER MA

Gran ng all benefits with TURE,
SVAHA YI GER CHÄ LA RAB DÜ
To her with sound SVAHA, I bow.

Making Requests
O compassionate and venerable subduing goddeses,
May the infinite beings, including myself,
Soon purify the two obscura ons and complete both collec ons
So that we may a ain full and perfect enlightenment.

For all of my life mes, un l I reach this stage,

May I know the sublime happiness of humans and gods.
And so I might become fully omniscient,
Please pacify quickly all obstacles, spirits,

Obstruc ons, epidemics, diseases, and so forth,

The various causes of un mely death,
Bad dreams and omens, the eight fears and other afflic ons,
And make it so that they no longer exist.

May the mundane and supramundane collec ons

Of all excellent auspicious quali es and happiness
Increase and develop, and may all wishes
Be fulfilled naturally and effortlessly, without excep on.

May I strive to realize and increase the sacred Dharma,

Accomplishing your stage and beholding your sublime face:
May my understanding of emp ness and the precious
Mind of enlightenment increase like the moon waxing full.

May I be reborn from an extremely beau ful and holy lotus

In the joyous and noble mandala of the Conqueror,
48 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

And may I a ain whatever prophecy I receive

In the presence of Amitabha, Buddha of Infinite Light.

O Deity, whom I have accomplished from previous life mes –

The enlightened ac on of the buddhas of the three mes,
Blue-green, one face and two arms, the swi pacifier –
O mother holding an utpala flower, may you be auspicious!

Whatever your body, O Mother of Conquerors,

Whatever your re nue, your life span, and pure land,
Whatever your name, most noble and holy –
May I and all others a ain only these.

By the force of these praises and requests made to you

May all diseases, poverty, figh ng, and quarrels be calmed,
And may the precious Dharma and everything auspicious increase
Throughout the worlds and direc ons where I and all others dwell.

The Garland of Jewels:

A Song of Longing for Venerable Arya Tara
Homage to Guru Manjughosha!

Dispelling the eight fears of whoever remembers you,

Treasure of love, never red of helping others,
Constant protector, venerable Tara –
I touch my head to the lotus of your feet.
Listen a li le, while I lament my sorrows!

While in the endless dense forest of samsara,

I wander, careless, drenched in both kinds of defilements,
Arya Mother, where is your hook of compassion?
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 49

Ah me! Alas! O loving, kind-natured mother!

All the conquerors of the ten direc ons
Ordained and appointed you a refuge for beings.

Una ached to enjoying your own nirvanic bliss,

You help migrators, I’ve long heard it said.
So, turning my mind in your direc on,
I renounce other refuges and seek refuge in you.

If now, Arya Mother, without a glance

You abandon me amid my mass of sins,
Where has your loving Mother’s Compassion gone?
If you clamp down your surging bodhichi a,
In your sacred office, is this quite the thing?

Of yore, you’ve shown your face and cared for people

Times past coun ng, here in Tibet, I’ve heard.
Arya, is this a lie, or have you favorites?

Well, if you’re specially kind to inferior beings,

Then, this minute, come and show your face!
With the nectar of your voice, give me refreshment,
Wash off all my stains of evil ac ons!

Next, as soon as I leave this life’s forma ons,

In his wonderful pure land, Sukhava ,
Near the protector, Amitabha Buddha,
May I taste his speech’s nectar – inspire me thus!

From that most excellent realm, to other pure lands

Let me be able to travel through magical power,
And saving migra ng beings by my emana ons,
Let me become like Lord Avalokita!
50 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

Throughout all my life mes yet to come,

Let me meet the Venerable Lady, Tara,
Hear her speech, be cared for by her,
And carry out her orders – inspire me thus!

With rank, wealth, fortune, wisdom, great compassion,

Faith, renuncia on, and firm inten on,
Let me always strive to achieve enlightenment,
While every hindrance is quelled – inspire me thus!

From my ordina on, as long as I live,

Contrary to my pra moksha vows
Let me not perform the slightest ac on,
But prac ce the common path – inspire me thus!

The best of samsara’s a razor-edge s cking up;

This life’s appearances just a play of illusion –
This knowledge born in my mind, let me strive in the means
Of reaching omniscience – please inspire me thus!

In the six perfec ons that ripen one’s own mindstream,

And four a rac ons whose purpose is helping others,
Let me train with the force of con nuous effort,
Growing them right in my mindstream – inspire me thus!

Then, let me enter swi ly the profound uncommon path,

The path of the vajra vehicle,
And from a fully qualified spiritual friend
Receive the four pure empowerments – inspire me thus!

Through prac cing well the path of the first tantric stage,
May I purify all the stains of birth, death, and bardo,
And seeing the circle of dei es of great bliss,
Train in the second stage – inspire me thus!
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 51

Once the second stage also, as taught in the tantras,

Let me gain the full experience of each level,
And having perfected the learning union,
Gain the union beyond learning – inspire me thus!

A er that, to many impure lands

Let me send out many emana ons,
And by the mantra path linked with the view of emp ness
Guide every sen ent being – inspire me thus!

Through your compassion, Venerable Lady,

May my sincere words, just as I’ve expressed them, be fulfilled!
In short, may all my wishes
Without excep on easily come to pass!

This is a song of longing, the Garland of Jewels.

When a faithful disciple strongly urged
That an exhorta on to the venerable Supreme Mother
of Conquerors of the three mes
Would have immeasurable blessings, and in that way
One should strive devotedly with the three doors,
The Buddhist monk, Lodrö Gyatso, composed it,
Having with unchanging faith in the Manjughosha Guru Tsongkhapa,
Long revered as his special deity Venerable Tara,
So that by these merits, all beings may gain omniscience.
52 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

A Song of Longing for the Infallible

NAMO GURU ARYA TAREYA

From my heart I bow to the Divine Mother Tara, essence of love

and compassion, the most precious objects of refuge gathered
into one. From now un l I reach enlightenment, hook me with
your great love and kindness to liberate me.

By the witness of the Three Jewels, not just from my mouth but
from the depth of my most innermost heart and bones, I pray to
you morning and evening. Show your blissful face to me. Loving
one, grant me the nectar of your speech.

Great gurus and small gurus cheat us with their made-up teachings,
selling Dharma, teaching without comprehension, not observing
who is qualified and who is not, being concerned about their own
happiness and the eight worldly dharmas.

Since I cannot trust friends of this degenerate age any more, you
are my principal Guru. Bless me. Divine mother, essence of love,
arise the great power of your compassion and think of me.

I take refuge in you, Tara; like you, no buddha could ever deceive
me. But by understanding the odd character of these mes, most
buddhas went into the bliss of nirvana – even though they have
great compassion, we have no connec on.

Since for me there are no other dei es, you are my principal deity.
Bestow realiza ons upon me. Divine mother, essence of love, arise
the great power of your compassion and think of me.

Most Dharma protectors do not show their powers; red of those

who evoke them, they do not act. Other protectors, lacking insight,
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 53

but proud of their power, may be friendly for a while, but will later
do me harm.

But since I cannot rely on other protectors, you are my principal

protector. With divine ac on, wisdom mother, essence of love,
arise the great power of your compassion and think of me.

To ordinary view, the names of objects are the same as their

meaning. [Like this] they produce delusions and bind to samsara.
When it is me to die, unless I understand true nature, can a wish-
fulfilling gem let me carry even a sesame seed?

But since I do not trust in illusions, you are my real richness; please
grant my desires. Divine mother, essence of love, arise the great
power of your compassion and think of me.

I cannot rely on non-virtuous friends for even a day. They pretend

they are close to me and all the while have in mind the opposite;
[they are] friends when they wish it and enemies when they don’t.

But since I cannot trust in this kind of friend, you are my best
friend; be close to me. Divine mother, essence of love, raise the
great power of your compassion and think of me.

You are my Guru, my Yidam, my protector, my refuge, my food, my

clothes, my possessions, and my friend; since your divine quality
is everything to me, let me spontaneously achieve all that I wish.

Although I am overwhelmed by my habitual, uncontrolled mind,

please cut these self-cherishing thoughts so I’ll be able to give my
body and life millions of mes without any difficulty to each sen-
ent being; bless me to be able to develop this kind of compassion
to benefit all.
54 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

Empower me to cut the root of samsara, the ego-grasping, and to

understand the pure doctrine; the most difficult middle way, free
from the errors of extremes.

Bless me to prac ce as a bodhisa va, turned away from the

world, dedica ng all my virtues to the teaching of living beings,
never for even one instant thinking of my own happiness; let me
wish to a ain buddhahood for the sake of others.

Empower me to actualize as much as possible the most subtle ordi-

na ons and to keep them without a careless mind, thus becoming
the most perfect bodhisa va.

Let me be simple in my prac ce on the outside and inwardly actu-

alize the depth of the diamond vehicle, having the strong wish to
prac ce the two paths. Bless me to a ain enlightenment quickly
for the benefit of all.

Divine wisdom Mother Tara, you know everything about my life,

my ups and downs, my good and bad; think lovingly of me, my
only mother.

I give myself to you and all who trust in me, divine wisdom Mother
Tara. Being completely open to you, let us be born in the highest
pure land; set me there quickly with no births in between.

May the hook of your compassion and your skillful means transform
my mind into Dharma and transform the minds of all beings; who-
ever they are, they have all been my mother [the mother of one un-
able to follow the Conqueror’s teaching.]

By reci ng this prayer three mes a day and by remembering the

divine wisdom Mother Tara, may I and all beings who are connect-
ed to me reach whatever pure land we wish.
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 55

May the Three Precious Jewels and especially the divine wisdom
mother, whose essence is compassion, hold me dear un l I reach
enlightenment; may I quickly conquer the four maras.

If, as long as you live, you recite this prayer three mes every day,
not just from the mouth [in words only], but strongly linked with
your mind, you will have a close connec on and you will see Tara’s
face. No hindrances will be received, and all wishes will be fulfilled.

Then con nue to pray as much as possible.

Dedication
By this virtue may I quickly
Become the venerable Tara,
And may I lead every migra ng being
Without excep on to her most supreme state.

Prayer Containing All the Subjects

of Chittamani Tara
Due to the immaculate merits of medita ng on the sublime form
of Arya Tara, adorned with beau ful marks flowing from the lake
of a pure mind, by reci ng the verses of praise and by making of-
ferings, may I be cared for by a most perfectly qualified Vajrayana
teacher.

Through his great kindness, developing aversion to the perfec-

ons of samsara, may I generate strong renuncia on that propels
my mind to generate the wishing and actual thought of supreme
enlightenment. A er that, may I live by the conduct of the four
means of assembling [disciples,] [the four quali es of a bodhisat-
tva, and the six paramitas].
56 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

Then, having perfectly matured my mind by means of the four per-

fect ini a ons, and the general and uncommon methods of the
body-mandala received from a fully qualified Vajrayana teacher,
may I protect the vows of my samaya as I protect my eyes.

By properly prac cing the supreme method of guru yoga that leads
to the realiza on of the unity of non-duality and great bliss, may I
be blessed with siddhis falling like rain upon my mind.

Having made prepara ons for the great retreat, by comple ng the
preliminaries and the four main prac ces [recita on, offerings,
reci ng praises, and medita ng on the body mandala], which are
contained in the clear, unified, non-dual yoga medita on, then
may I spontaneously be successful in a aining the twenty-seven
accomplishments, such as pacifica on, rainmaking, and so on, and
complete the evolu onary yoga method.

The Completion Stage

Having purified the interferences of the three [upper] and four
[lower] chakras of my precious vajra body, then concentra ng
on the seed syllable TAM at the chakra of emana on [the navel
chakra], [heat is produced] which automa cally generates great
bliss at the crown chakra, ex nguishing all sluggishness and dis-
tracted thought.

Then the power of bringing to their upper and lower [male and fe-
male] airs causes all energy to enter, remain, and totally sink into
the shushuma, and I absorb completely into the navel chakra. By
the transforma on and the subsequent ac ons, may I receive the
illusory body of the deity, insubstan al and non-dual, unified with
the clear light and the four emp nesses.
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 57

In the seed at the crown is an AH, at the navel HA. As they burn
and melt, heat rises, and as moonlight, kundalini energy melts at the
crown and flows down. Thus bliss rises in all chakras. This stream of
nectar having perfectly melted descends to the four chakras, at the
crown, throat, heart, and navel, unifying the four stages of bliss with
the four emp nesses. Through this may I actualize the union of bliss
and voidness.

As the blissful energy spreads, it embraces the whole nervous system.

It rises to the crown chakra and the essence of the divine energy com-
pletely pervades the whole body. By this may I experience the innate
transcendental bliss.

At that me, having gained control over the winds, the energy and the
chakras, by correctly relying on the good path of a field- or mantra-
born dakini, may I discover in this life the state of Vajradhara.

Otherwise, by training the rainbow body, through the path of trans-

ference [of the consciousness], may I quickly enter the pure land; or
in transforming the bardo body into the sambhogakaya, may I actual-
ize and accomplish all skillful means.

Conclusion
In brief, un l I discover complete buddhahood, [having ex nguished
all delusions and accomplished everything,] may I be held and blessed
by Arya Tara. May I complete the stages and paths without interfer-
ence and a ain the unity-state of the four kayas.

By the blessings of the buddhas and their magnificent sons,

By the truth of the infallible law of interdependent arising,
And by the power of my pure mo va on,
May all wishes of this immaculate prayer be fulfilled.
58 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

Having recited this, then [recite]:

OM PADMA SATTVA SAMAYA / MANUPALAYA / PADMA

SATTVA TVENOPATISHTHA / DRIDHO ME BHAVA / SUTOSHYO
ME BHAVA / SUPOSHYO ME BHAVA / ANURAKTO ME
BHAVA / SARVA SIDDHIM ME PRAYACCHA / SARVA KARMA
SUCHAME / CHITTAM SHRIYAM KURU HUM / HA HA HA HA
HOH / BHAGAVAN / SARVA TATHAGATA / PADMA MAME
MUNCHA / PADMA BHAVA / MAHA SAMAYA SATTVA AH
HUM PHAT (3x)

Prayer for Forgiveness and Request

for Realizations
For all those offerings not fully done and those degenerated,
For all those done or caused to be done with my ignorant mind,
I request you, please forgive me.

For all I have done too much or too li le,

For all the degenerate prac ce of the yoga method,
And for whatever I have forgo en to do,
I request you, please forgive me.

Bestow on me the most perfect realiza ons

And the result of single-pointed concentra on.
Whatever all sen ent beings may wish,
Bestow on them peerless realiza ons.

Thus, the prayer for forgiveness and request for a ainment was
recited.

OM VAJRA MUH
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 59

The transcendental wisdom beings return to the place of self nature.

The samaya beings sink into me.

Contemplate this.

Absorption
From my heart as the deity, light radiates. It goes out into space,
embracing all the universal environment. All becomes a pure land,
and all sen ent beings become Chi amani Tara. Then all the envi-
ronment melts into light and sinks into the manifesta ons of Tara;
these melt into light and sink into me.

All the dei es of the five chakras absorb into the principal deity
at my heart. Then my body melts into light from above and below
and sinks into the deity at my heart. This absorbs into the TAM.
The TAM dissolves into the HUM. The U of the HUM absorbs into
the HA, and the HA into the head. The head absorbs into the cres-
cent (datse). That absorbs into the dot ( gle). That absorbs into
the flame (nada), which becomes smaller and smaller, un l it is so
subtle that it disappears, becoming impercep ble.

Here, concentrate single-pointedly on shunyata.

Out of the [non-dual] void, like a fish springing out of the water, I
manifest as the divine mother. My brow is marked with an OM, my
throat with an AH, and my heart with a HUM.
60 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

Verses of Auspiciousness
While u ering these verses, fill all direc ons with individual
flowers.

May the three realms be pervaded by an ocean of virtuous omens

of the reci ng of auspicious verses and the raining of flowers by an
assembly of the noble goddess completely filling the vast immortal
path and the extent of prosperity.

May there be the auspiciousness of the perfect virtue and good-

ness of the quick protectress who gives birth to the conquerors of
the three mes and of the root and lineage gurus—Chökyi Wang-
chug, Tänpäi Ngödrub, and the others – the medita onal dei es
and the buddhas.

May there be the auspiciousness of the perfect virtue and good-

ness of the holy Dharma of scripture and realiza on such as the
prac ce of the four tantra sets – the essence of the 80,000 ag-
gregates of Dharma – especially the defini ve final secret, the two
stages of the Noble Lady.

May there be the auspiciousness of the perfect virtue and good-

ness of the innumerable lords of the heroes and heroines residing
in wonderful places, of the holy Dharma of this tradi on, and of
the spiritual community, from those who uphold a mere por on
of it on upwards.

In short, due to the Great Lady, the treasury of compassion of all

the conquerors, may there be the auspiciousness of the perfect
virtue and goodness of actually seeing her face, as did the Gar-
gyi Wangpo, and of being happily cared for with the nectar of her
speech.
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 61

Short Long Life Prayers

For His Holiness the Dalai Lama
In the land encircled by snow mountains
You are the source of all happiness and good;
All-powerful Chenrezig, Tenzin Gyatso,
Please remain un l samsara ends.

For Lama Zopa Rinpoche

You who uphold the Subduer’s moral way;
Who serve as the boun ful bearer of-all,
Sustaining, preserving, and spreading Manjunath’s
victorious doctrine;
Who masterfully accomplish magnificent prayers honoring
the Three Jewels,
Savior of myself and others, your disciples: please, please live long!

During the break me, meditate on recognizing yourself as the

deity. Also in between sessions, prac ce the yoga of the three
recogni ons: [see all sen ent beings as a manifesta on of Tara,
see all the environment as the pure land of Tara, and hear all
sounds as her mantra]. While sleeping and waking, washing
and ea ng, dressing and other ac vi es, act as explained in the
commentary.
62 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

At the End of Retreat: The Yeshe Pä-nga Mantra

If you have completed the recita on of 600,000 Tara mantras,
you recite 60,000 Yeshe Pä-nga mantras.

OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SVAHA HUM AH ANTSÄ

While reci ng this mantra, do as follows:

First, do the sadhana of Chi amani Tara up to the mantra recita-

on. Recite some OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SVAHA mantras. Then
con nue with reci ng the Yeshe Pä-nga mantra and visualize as
follows:

From the seed syllable TAM and the mantra garland at your heart,
much radia ng light goes out and hooks back into your heart what-
ever you need. For example, if you want a son or a daughter, a hus-
band or a wife, you radiate light and this light hooks and brings
you a son, a daughter, a husband, or a wife. As well, all universal
supreme beings, all the buddhas, bodhisa vas, dakinis, and so on
have to sink into you. With them, all their divine realiza ons and
siddhis sink into you, like a fall of rain, as you recite this mantra.
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 63

Colophon from the original publication of the Lama Yeshe translation:

This edi on was translated by Lama Thubten Yeshe. It was dictated to and
roughly edited by Sylvia Wetzel and is likely to contain some mistakes. Instruc-
ons and clarifying phrases in the text that were added by Lama Yeshe and/or
the editor are enclosed in brackets.

First published January 1979 for the retreat at Kopan. Second edi on published
August 1979 for the retreats at Manjushri Ins tute and Tara Ins tute.

This edi on has been edited by Ven. Constance Miller, January–March 2004.
Transla ons of prayers that were missing from the original publica on have
been added from other sources (see individual colophons below). All errors are
the responsibility of this editor. Special thanks to Glenda Lee for inpu ng the
original text.

Addi onal light edi ng done by Sarah Shifferd for FPMT Educa on Services,
May 2014.

The prayers of taking refuge, the special genera on of bodhichi a, and the ex-
tensive prayer of the four immeasurables were drawn from the February 1984
sadhana transla on of Mar n Willson.

Praises and Requests to the Assembly of DeiƟes of the Venerable Mother of

the Twenty-one Homages: Composed by Ma sara (Lodrö Gyatso). Translated
from the Tibetan by Mar n Willson at Nalanda Monastery in France, on the
fi eenth day of the seventh month of the Iron Bird year (14 September 1981),
and subsequently revised with advice from Venerable Geshe Rabten. May it be
auspicious!

Reprinted by permission from In Praise of Tara by Mar n Willson, published by

Wisdom Publica ons, Boston, Massachuse s.

The Garland of Jewels: A Song of Longing for Venerable Arya Tara: Composed
by Ma sara (Lodrö Gyatso). Translated from the Tibetan by Mar n Willson.
Reprinted by permission from In Praise of Tara by Mar n Willson, published by
Wisdom Publica ons, Boston, Massachuse s.

Verses of Auspiciousness: Extracted from the transla on of the Tara Chi amani
Self-Ini a on by Gelong Thubten Tsültrim (George Churinoff) from the text in-
cluded in the CollecƟons of AcƟviƟes (Tib: Läs.tsogs) of Tara ÇhiƩamani, pp.
305–10, which gives no indica on of the author of the ritual. Is tuto Lama
Tzong Khapa, 23 December 1993.
64 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

Praises to the
Twenty-one Taras
Invocation
PO TA LA YI NÄ CHHOG NÄ
From your sublime abode at the Potala,
TAM YIG JANG KHU LÄ THRUNG SHING
O Tara, born from the green le er TAM
Ö PAG ME KYI U LA GYÄN
Your crown adorned with Amitabha,
DÜ SUM SANG GYÄ THRIN LÄ MA
Ac on-mother of the buddhas of the three mes,
DRÖL MA KHOR CHÄ SHEG SU SÖL
Tara, please come with your a endants.

Prostration
LHA DANG LHA MIN CHÖ PÄN GYI
The gods and demigods bow
ZHAB KYI PÄ MO LA TÜ DE
To your lotus feet, O Tara;
PHONG PA KÜN LÄ DRÖL DZÄ MA
You who rescue all who are des tute.
DRÖL MA YUM LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO
To you, Mother Tara, I pay homage.
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 65

The Praises
OM JE TSÜN MA PHAG MA DRÖL MA LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO
OM I prostrate to the noble transcendent liberator.

CHHAG TSHÄL DRÖL MA NYUR MA PA MO

Homage! Tara, swi , heroic!
CHÄN NI KÄ CHIG LOG DANG DRA MA
Eyes like lightning instantaneous!
JIG TEN SUM GÖN CHHU KYE ZHÄL GYI
Sprung from op’ning stamens of the
GE SAR JE WA LÄ NI JUNG MA
Lord of three world’s tear-born lotus!

CHHAG TSHÄL TÖN KÄI DA WA KÜN TU

Homage! She whose face combines a
GANG WA GYA NI TSEG PÄI ZHÄL MA
Hundred autumn moons at fullest!
K AR MA TONG THRAG TSHOG PA NAM KYI
Blazing with light rays resplendent
RAB TU CHHE WÄI Ö RAB BAR MA
As a thousand star collec on!

CHHAG TSHÄL SER NGO CHHU NÄ KYE KYI

Homage! Golden-blue one, lotus
PÄ MÄ CHHAG NI NAM PAR GYÄN MA
Water born, in hand adorned!
JIN PA TSÖN DRÜ KA THUB ZHI WA
Giving, effort, calm, austeri es,
ZÖ PA SAM TÄN CHÖ YÜL NYI MA
Pa ence, medita on her sphere!

CHHAG TSHÄL DE ZHIN SHEG PÄI TSUG TOR

Homage! Crown of tathagatas,
THA YÄ NAM PAR GYÄL WAR CHÖ MA
Ac ons triumph without limit
66 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

MA LÜ PHA RÖL CHHIN PA THOB PÄI

Relied on by conquerors’ children,
GYÄL WÄI SÄ KYI SHIN TU TEN MA
Having reached ev’ry perfec on!

CHHAG TSHÄL TUTTARA HUM YI GE

Homage! Filling with TUTTARE,
DÖ DANG CHHOG DANG NAM KHA GANG MA
HUM, desire, direc on, and space!
JIG TEN DÜN PO ZHAB KYI NÄN TE
Trampling with her feet the seven worlds,
LÜ PA ME PAR GUG PAR NÜ MA
Able to draw forth all beings!

CHHAG TSHÄL GYA JIN ME LHA TSHANG PA

Homage! Worshipped by the all-lords,
LUNG LHA NA TSHOG WANG CHHUG CHHÖ MA
Shakra, Agni, Brahma, Marut!
JUNG PO RO LANG DRI ZA NAM DANG
Honored by the hosts of spirits,
NÖ JIN TSHOG KYI DÜN NÄ TÖ MA
Corpse-raisers, gandharvas, yakshas!

CHHAG TSHÄL TRAD CHE JA DANG PHAT KYI

Homage! With her TRAD and PHAT sounds
PHA RÖL THRÜL KHOR RAB TU JOM MA
Destroying foes’ magic diagrams!
YÄ KUM YÖN KYANG ZHAB KYI NÄN TE
Her feet pressing, le out, right in,
ME BAR THRUG PA SHIN TU BAR MA
Blazing in a raging fire-blaze!
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 67

CHHAG TSHÄL TURE JIG PA CHHEN PO

Homage! TURE, very dreadful!
DÜ KYI PA WO NAM PAR JOM MA
Destroyer of Mara’s champion(s)!
CHHU KYE ZHÄL NI THRO NYER DÄN DZÄ
She with frowning lotus visage
DRA WO THAM CHÄ MA LÜ SÖ MA
Who is slayer of all enemies!

CHHAG TSHÄL KÖN CHHOG SUM TSHÖN CHHAG GYÄI

Homage! At the heart her fingers,
SOR MÖ THUG KAR NAM PAR GYÄN MA
Adorn her with Three Jewel mudra!
MA LÜ CHHOG KYI KHOR LÖ GYÄN PÄI
Light-ray masses all excited!
RANG GI Ö KYI TSHOG NAM THRUG MA
All direc ons’ wheels adorn her!

CHHAG TSHÄL RAB TU GA WA JI PÄI

Homage! She so joyous, radiant,
U GYÄN Ö KYI THRENG WA PEL MA
Crown emi ng garlands of light!
ZHE PA RAB ZHÄ TUTTARA YI
Mirthful, laughing with TUTTARE,
DÜ DANG JIG TEN WANG DU DZÄ MA
Subjuga ng maras, devas!

CHHAG TSHÄL SA ZHI KYONG WÄI TSHOG NAM

Homage! She able to summon
THAM CHÄ GUG PAR NÜ MA NYI MA
All earth-guardians’ assembly!
THRO NYER YO WÄI YI GE HUM GI
Shaking, frowning, with her HUM sign
PHONG PA THAM CHÄ NAM PAR DRÖL MA
Saving from every misfortune!
68 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

CHHAG TSHÄL DA WÄI DUM BÜ U GYÄN

Homage! Crown adorned with crescent
GYÄN PA THAM CHÄ SHIN TU BAR MA
Moon, all ornaments most shining!
RÄL PÄI KHUR NA Ö PAG ME LÄ
Amitabha in her hair-knot
TAG PAR SHIN TU Ö RAB DZÄ MA
Sending out much light eternal!

CHHAG TSHÄL KÄL PÄI THA MÄI ME TAR

Homage! She ’mid wreath ablaze like
BAR WÄI THRENG WÄI Ü NA NÄ MA
Eon-ending fire abiding!
YÄ KYANG YÖN KUM KÜN NÄ KOR GÄI
Right stretched, le bent, joy surrounds you
DRA YI PUNG NI NAM PAR JOM MA
Troops of enemies destroying!

CHHAG TSHÄL SA ZHII NGÖ LA CHHAG GI

Homage! She who strikes the ground with
THIL GYI NÜN CHING ZHAB KYI DUNG MA
Her palm, and with her foot beats it!
THRO NYER CHÄN DZÄ YI GE HUM GI
Scowling, with the le er HUM the
RIM PA DÜN PO NAM NI GEM MA
Seven levels she does conquer!

CHHAG TSHÄL DE MA GE MA ZHI MA

Homage! Happy, virtuous, peaceful!
NYA NGÄN DÄ ZHI CHÖ YÜL NYI MA
She whose field is peace, nirvana!
SVAHA OM DANG YANG DAG DÄN PÄ
She endowed with OM and SVAHA,
DIG PA CHHEN PO JOM PA NYI MA
Destroyer of the great evil!
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 69

CHHAG TSHÄL KÜN NÄ KOR RAB GA WÄI

Homage! She with joy surrounded
DRA YI LÜ NI NAM PAR GEM MA
Tearing foes’ bodies asunder,
YI GE CHU PÄI NGAG NI KÖ PÄI
Frees with HUM and knowledge mantra,
RIG PA HUM LÄ DRÖL MA NYI MA
Arrangement of the ten le ers!

CHHAG TSHÄL TURE ZHAB NI DEB PÄ

Homage! TURE! With seed le er
HUM GI NAM PÄI SA BÖN NYI MA
Of the shape of syllable HUM!
RI RAB MANDHARA DANG BIG JE
By foot stamping shakes the three worlds,
JIG TEN SUM NAM YO WA NYI MA
Meru, Mandara, and Vindhya!

CHHAG TSHÄL LHA YI TSHO YI NAM PÄI

Homage! Holding in her hand the
RI DAG TAG CHÄN CHHAG NA NAM MA
Hare-marked moon of deva-lake form!
TARA NYI JÖ PHAT KYI YI GE
With twice spoken TARA and PHAT,
DUG NAM MA LÜ PA NI SEL MA
Totally dispelling poison!

CHHAG TSHÄL LHA YI TSHOG NAM GYÄL PO

Homage! She whom gods and their kings,
LHA DANG MI AM CHI YI TEN MA
And the kinnaras do honor!
KÜN NÄ GO CHHA GA WÄI JI GYI
Armored in all joyful splendor,
TSÖ DANG MI LAM NGÄN PA SEL MA
She dispels bad dreams and conflicts!
70 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

CHHAG TSHÄL NYI MA DA WA GYÄ PÄI

Homage! She whose two eyes bright with
CHÄN NYI PO LA Ö RAB SÄL MA
Radiance of sun and full moon!
HARA NYI JÖ TUTTARA YI
With twice HARA and TUTTARE
SHIN TU DRAG PÖI RIM NÄ SEL MA
She dispels severe contagion!

CHHAG TSHÄL DE NYI SUM NAM KÖ PÄ

Homage! Full of libera ng
ZHI WÄI THÜ DANG YANG DAG DÄN MA
Pow’r by the set of three natures!
DÖN DANG RO LANG NÖ JIN TSHOG NAM
Destroys hosts of spirits, yakshas,
JOM PA TURE RAB CHHOG NYI MA
And raised corpses! Supreme! TURE!

TSA WÄI NGAG KYI TÖ PA DI DANG

These praises with the root mantras
CHHAG TSHÄL WA NI NYI SHU TSA CHIG
And prostra ons thus are twenty-one!
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 71

Praises to the
Twenty-one Taras
(abbreviated version)

This abbrevia on in a single verse of the praises to the twenty-one

Taras was received directly from Arya Tara by the great teacher,
Jowo A sha, for the swi collec on of meritorious energy.

OM CHOM DÄN DÄ MA LHA MO DRÖL MA LA CHHAG TSHÄL LO

OM I prostrate to the goddess foe destroyer, libera ng
lady Tara.

CHHAG TSHÄL DRÖL MA TARE PÄL MO

Homage to TARE, savioress, heroine,
TUTTARA YI JIG KÜN SEL MA
With TUTTARE dispelling all fears,
TURE DÖN NAM THAM CHÄ TER MA
Gran ng all benefits with TURE,
SVAHA YI GER CHÄ LA RAB DÜ
To her with sound SVAHA, I bow.

Tara’s Mantra
OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SVAHA
72 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 73

Commentary
from Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Seven-Limbed Prayer
The limb of reques ng to turn the wheel of Dharma is a special
remedy to ignorance and cri cism towards the teachings of Ma-
hayana sutra and tantra, as well as the four tradi ons of Tibetan
Buddhism. For instance, some Hinayana followers claimed that
Mahayana teachings were not taught by Buddha. Likewise, some
Chinese masters, without thorough studies, concluded that tantra
was not Buddha’s teachings and was merely fabricated by Tibetan
lamas. Other nega vi es include selling Dharma materials for busi-
ness purpose without the thought of benefi ng sen ent beings,
and disrespec ng Dharma like burning holy scriptures. The result
of offering this limb is to achieve Buddha’s holy speech, the Brahma
voice having sixty quali es, to expound the 84,000 teachings. You
will also be guided by Buddha and the deity in all your lives, meet
the Dharma again in future lives, and teach the Dharma to others.
The limb of reques ng the Guru to have a stable life and
not to pass away into the sorrowless state is a special remedy
to cri cizing spiritual masters with whom you have Dharma con-
nec ons. Disturbing the holy mind and displeasing your Guru are
the greatest obstacles to realiza on as every realiza on origi-
nates from pleasing your virtuous friend. The more your virtuous
friend is pleased with you, the more your heaviest karma is pu-
rified and extensive merit is accumulated, which is the quickest
way to achieve enlightenment. Offering long life pujas and doing
the seven-limb prac ce in your daily sadhana prac ce help to
achieve the holy vajra body of the deity.
74 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

Dedica on is to purify heresy to the Triple Gem and to Buddha’s

teachings on cause and effect, as well as toward your virtuous friend.
The result of this prac ce is to achieve all the quali es of Buddha.
The seven-limb prayer has three sec ons: accumula ng merit,
purifying nega vi es, and increasing our merit. The limbs of rejoic-
ing and dedica on have the power to increase the merit that we
have created.

Mandala Offering
Offering the mandala is one of the means to collect infinite merit
and good luck like limitless sky. Lama Tsongkhapa offered hundreds
of thousands of mandalas on a stone plate at the hermitage called
Wosel Cholung. With this prac ce, he completed the whole path and
achieved enlightenment. Likewise Gelongma Palmo realized bodhi-
chi a and achieved the Buddha of Compassion by offering mandalas.
By offering all those jeweled mountains, golden mountains, all the
precious materials and the en re universe by your visualiza on, the
amount of merit that you create has not the slightest difference from
offering the actual materials. And just by offering the golden base, ev-
ery atom of it allows you to take rebirth as a wheel-turning king many
many mes. For instance, King Ashoka, with his wealth and power,
was able to erect ten million stupas in one day, building many monas-
teries and offering services to the Sangha community, buddhas, and
sen ent beings. This was because in his previous life me when he
was a child, he met Buddha asking for alms. He offered a handful of
sand to Buddha’s begging bowl and imagined that it was gold. By this
merit, this child became King Ashoka. The other two children play-
ing with him also followed suit. As Buddha’s body was very tall, they
climbed onto the shoulders of each other and made offerings. They
were both born as ministers at King Ashoka’s me. But King Ashoka’s
merit didn’t finish in just his life me. As karma is expandable, he was
able experience the result of his virtuous deed for many, many re-
births, eventually achieving libera on and enlightenment.
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 75

Reci ng the short mandala offering verse is a request for the

realiza ons of the path. You can also change the wording for the
specific realiza on you want to achieve, while at your heart you
can make par cular wishes or prayers for anyone, reques ng the
Triple Gem to grant success.

Praise to the Twenty-one Taras

and Their Individual Mantras
This praise is extremely common and renowned amongst the four
Mahayana tradi ons of Tibetan Buddhism. Not only the great
meditators, yogis, and pandits, but the common people who rely
on Tara experience quick success and achieve the happiness they
desire. The embodiment of Buddha’s ac ons, Tara benefits sen ent
beings by gran ng temporary and ul mate happiness, including the
peerless happiness of enlightenment. By reaching the perfect state
of enlightenment, you can thus liberate sen ent beings by ceasing
their sufferings and the causes of sufferings, bringing them to the
state of omniscience.
Doing medita on on Tara and reci ng her praise also makes it
easier to achieve the Buddha of Compassion. As men oned by one
of my gurus, the color green of Tara’s holy body signifies the puri-
fied state of the wind element of Amoghasiddhi, the Buddha of Ac-
complishment among the five Dhyani Buddhas. This is the reason
for Tara’s quick ac on to grant success. Lama A sha’s success to
bring extensive benefits to Buddha’s teachings and sen ent beings
also came from Tara. So it is important to have full trust when re-
ci ng the praise. Not to men on ordinary success, like achieving a
deva or human body in future lives or taking rebirth in a pure land,
the best success of realizing guru devo on and the founda on of
tantra – renuncia on, bodhichi a, and emp ness – as well as the
two stages of the highest yoga tantra can also be achieved by pray-
ing to Tara.
76 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

If you have the great ini a on, or the highest yoga tantra ini a-
on, of Chi amani Tara, you can generate yourself as Tara. Oth-
erwise, you visualize Tara in front of you in a beau ful park like
Tara’s or Amitabha’s pure land. On the water pond there appears a
lotus with twenty-one petals. The principal Tara sits in the middle
of the lotus, surrounded by the twenty-one Taras in a clockwise
direc on, star ng with the first Tara, the Quick Heroine. With each
verse you imagine nectar beams showering forth and purifying
yourself, any family members or friends who are caught up with
sicknesses, court cases, or any troubles. Then visualize a replica
of that Tara absorbing into you when you recite “chhag tshäl lo”
(“homage”) at the end of each verse, genera ng strong faith that
you have acquired all the quali es of that par cular Tara, endow-
ing you with the power to eliminate obstacles, and gran ng you all
the successes of this life up to achieving enlightenment to benefit
sen ent beings and Buddha’s teachings. This point is extremely
crucial in this prac ce.
Whatever problems you have, stop at the Tara whose func on
is to pacify that problem and recite her mantra. This is how you
can use different mantras to benefit yourself and other beings. If
you check you will see there’s nothing that cannot be pacified with
this praise.
People generally offer the four mandala offerings puja to Tara
for success to have children or eliminate major obstacles like busi-
ness failure. They will sponsor the monastery to recite 100,000
Praises to the Twenty-one Taras. Apart from collec ng merits by
reci ng the Tara prayer, the sponsors also accumulate virtue by
offering to the Sangha community, be it food, tea, or money of-
ferings, as men oned by the Buddha in the sutra teachings. There
was once a poor couple who had nothing to offer but medicinal
drinks. They offered the drinks to four monks living in full ordina-
on. By the merit they accumulated, they took rebirth as kings in
India with much wealth, power, and enjoyments.
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 77

Even by making an offering to one monk living in full ordina on,

you can create lots of virtues, not to men on offering to the whole
monastery where there are hundreds of thousands of monks. You
can then collect great merits by making tea offerings and the like to
gain success in business.
If important ma ers occur the next day, like court cases, it will
be beneficial if you invite Sangha to perform a puja at your home.
But if no Sangha are available in your country, you can imagine put-
ng your head at the extended foot of Tara, holding her foot with
both hands. Then from the bo om of your heart recite the prayer
and make requests accordingly.

Praise to the Twenty-one Taras and the Benefits

of Recitation
1. Quick Heroine is red. Her right hand, in the mudra of gran ng
sublime realiza ons, holds a red vase that bestows the power
of controlling. OM TARE TUTTARE TURE VASHAM KURU SVAHA
2. Great Peaceful One is white and holds a white vase that pacifies
the nega ve karma and delusions that cause disease, spirit harm,
and so on. OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SHINGTIM KURU SVAHA
3. Increasing One is golden yellow and holds a vase bestowing the
power of increase of life, merit, wealth, and fame. OM TARE
TUTTARE TURE PUSHTIM KURU SVAHA
4. Tara for Long Life is yellow and holds a vase that grants long life.
OM TARE TUTTARE TURE AYU JNANA SHRIYE BHRUM SVAHA
5. Tara Making the Sound of HUM is orange. She holds a vase be-
stowing upon you the power of a rac on, the main purpose
of which is to bring Dharma to the person whom you want to
subdue and lead that person to libera on and enlightenment.
OM TARE TUTTARE TURE (your name or the person’s name)
AKAR CHAYA HRIH SVAHA
78 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

6. Victorious Over the Three Worlds is dark red, holding a vase

that carries the power to intoxicate and craze the yakshas and
spirits. OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SARVA TUTTI CHURU SVAHA
7. Destroying Others’ Black Magic is black with a slightly wrath-
ful demeanor and holds a vase that bestows the power to de-
stroy black magic. OM TARE TUTTARE TURE BEDYE BUDDHO
VARANAYA ZHU SVAHA
8. Destroyer of the Enemy, Mara, is dark red. She holds a vase
that grants the power of this ac on. OM TARE TUTTARE TURE
AMAGASHATRUM MARAYA HUM PHAT SVAHA
9. Signifying the Three Rare Sublime Ones is white, holding a vase
that carries the power to protect others from fears and dangers.
OM TARE TUTTARE TURE NUPA SARVA RAKSHA SVAHA
10. Destroyer of the Maras and Controlling the World is red, hold-
ing a vase that grants the power to destroy the maras that con-
trol the world. OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SARVA MARA PRAMA
TAYA HUM PHAT SVAHA
11. Elimina ng Poverty is orange, holding a vase that has the
power to eliminate poverty. OM TARE TUTTARE TURE VASU
DARE SVAHA
12. Making Everything Auspicious is orange, holding a vase that be-
stows auspiciousness. OM TARE TUTTARE TURE MANGALAM
PUSHTIM KURU SVAHA
13. The Flaming Blazing One is red, holding a vase that carries the
power to destroy and pierce your enemy. The main purpose of
this is for you to be able to actualize the path to enlightenment
for all beings and spread Buddha’s teachings and to prevent
your enemy from crea ng more nega vi es, bring Dharma to
him, and eventually lead him to libera on and enlightenment.
OM TARE TUTTARE TURE PUTAYA BASMI KURU SVAHA
14. Wrathful Wrinkled One is black with a slightly wrathful de-
meanor, holding a vase that grants the power to suppress the
interferers that create obstacles. OM TARE TUTTARE TURE VA-
JRA MAHA PUTAYA BASMI KURU SVAHA
 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 79

15. Great Pacifying One is white, holding a vase that grants the
power to pacify. OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SARVA PAPAM PUTA
MANAYE SVAHA
16. Libera ng from Wisdom HUM is red, holding a vase that has
the power to increase the power of mantra. OM TARE TUTTARE
TURE SARVA DHARMA PRATI SHUDDHA YA SVAHA
17. Shaking the Three Worlds is orange, holding a vase that carries
the power to control and destroy the power of black mantra.
OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SARVA TAM BANE DELE SVAHA
18. Elimina ng Poison is white, holding a vase that grants the pow-
er to eliminate poison. OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SARVA NAGA
BIKSHA SHANTING KURU SVAHA
19. Elimina ng Quarrels and Bad Dreams is white, holding a vase
that bestows the power to eliminate quarrels, like court cases,
as well as nightmares. OM TARE TUTTARE TURE MUCHA NAYA
SVAHA
20. Elimina ng Epidemic Diseases is orange, holding a vase that
has the power to destroy all contagious diseases. OM TARE
TUTTARE TURE VISARE SVAHA
21. For All the Ac ons is white, holding a vase that bestows the
power to complete all ac vi es successfully. OM TARE TUT-
TARE TURE SARVA SIDDHI SVAHA

Dedication
Dedica ng for the spread of the teachings and the long lives of our
teachers helps to spread the teachings of the Buddha and enhance
our scriptural understandings and the realiza ons of ourselves and
other sen ent beings. The success of this depends on the long life
of all the holy beings, including our own virtuous friends; other-
wise it would be impossible for us and other sen ent beings to
develop any realiza on.
Due to all the merits of the three mes collected by me, the
buddhas and bodhisa vas, and all other sen ent beings, who are
totally empty from their own side, may the I, who is totally empty
80 Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana

from its own side, achieve Tara’s enlightenment, which is also to-
tally empty from its own side, and lead all sen ent beings, who are
totally empty from their own side, to that enlightenment, which
is totally empty from its own side, by myself alone, who is totally
empty from its own side.
Dedica ng in this way makes the merit inexhaus ble. Even
a er enlightenment, we can s ll con nuously benefit sen ent
beings with our merit. It is extremely important to make such a
dedica on as this can prevent our merit from finishing a er expe-
riencing the result.
Chittamani Tara Retreat Sadhana 81
 Foundation for the Preservation
of the Mahayana Tradition

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is a dynamic worldwide organiza on devoted to educa on and public
service. Established by Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche,
FPMT touches the lives of beings all over the world. In the early 1970s,
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We invite you to join us in our work to develop compassion around the

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