It is believed that human nature can be changed with the
proper understanding of the mathematical principles applied to language, and
specifically to name. When asked, “Who are you?”, we reply with our name and
not that of our friends’ or brother’s or sister’s. We respond only to our name
and it indeed determines our identity and personality.
Called the ‘Goddess of Action’, Green Tara or Aryatara is
emerald colored. (Also known as Jetsun Dolma in Tibetan Buddhism), she is a
female Bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism and appears as a female Buddha in
Vajrayana Buddhism. She is known as the “mother of liberation” who represents
virtues of success in works and achievements.
As my name is ‘Aryatara’, I decided to put myself on
paper and further explore my hobby of sketching and drawing at the same time.
While in Grade 10, I made a sketch of this deity whose name I have inherited
and dedicated it to my Baba(maternal grandfather) who named me so!
Before you, sitting on a lotus, is a beautiful woman with
a body of green radiating light. Tara’s body language expresses her inner
realizations and outer activities. She doesn’t sit with her head down or with
her arms crossed in front of her chest, as we do when we are closed or unhappy.
Rather, her “dancing posture” is relaxed, open and friendly. Her outstretched
right foot indicates her readiness to step into the realms of suffering,
confused beings in order to help us. Due to her altruistic intention, Tara can
appear in these realms without being adversely affected by the environment. She
doesn’t shy away from suffering, but faces it fearlessly and compassionately,
thereby counteracting it. Her left leg is tucked in, demonstrating that she has
full control over her subtle inner energies. No matter whether others praise or
blame her, harm or help her, her energy is not pushed off balance and she does
not lose her equanimity.
Tara’s right hand in the gesture of granting sublime
realizations shows that by following the path we can attain these realizations
ourselves. This gesture is also called the gesture of generosity, symbolizing
her willingness to give material possessions, love, protection and the Dharma
to all beings according to their needs and their dispositions. Her left hand is
in the gesture of the Three Jewels, with the thumb and ring finger touching and
the other three fingers stretched upward. These three fingers represent the
Three Jewels. They indicate that by entrusting ourselves to these three and
practicing their teachings, we can actualize the unity of compassionate bliss
and wisdom, symbolized by the joining of her ring finger and thumb.
As appealing as the meaning of my name may sound, it
stands to be equally challenging for me to be able to justify its connotation!
However, I know that I'd want to be the first "Aryatara" of the
twenty first century than a re-incarnation of some deity!
