Green Tara — known in Sanskrit as Syamatara and in Tibetan as Drolma — is one of the most beloved female Buddhas in the Buddhist world. She embodies swift compassion, protection from fear, enlightened action, and the courage to overcome obstacles.

Among the 21 manifestations of Tara, Green Tara is the principal form, representing the dynamic, active, and immediate aspect of compassion. Her vivid green color symbolizes vitality, protection, and the fearless energy that responds instantly when beings are in need.

👉 Explore Green Tara Thangka Collection:
Green Tara – ThangkaMarket

1. The Origin Story: How Green Tara Came Into the World

Green Tara’s origin is one of the most beautiful and meaningful stories in Buddhist mythology.

According to traditional narratives:

✦ When Avalokiteshvara saw the immense suffering of all beings, he shed tears of compassion.

From these tears, Tara emerged — a female embodiment of compassion in action.

✦ In another tradition, Tara is a princess who practiced for countless lifetimes and vowed:

“As long as suffering exists, I will take rebirth in the form of a woman to help beings.”

This vow established Tara as a symbol of female enlightenment, transcending patriarchal expectations and demonstrating that awakening is not bound by gender.

Tara’s origin reflects her core essence:
Compassion that moves. Compassion that protects. Compassion that acts.

2. The Meaning of Her Green Color

Green Tara’s body is a radiant emerald-green, a color rich in symbolism:

• Active compassion — unlike stillness, green represents movement and response.

• Nature & growth — vitality, flourishing life, and harmony.

• Protection — overcoming fear, danger, and adversity.

• Liberation — green is associated with the element of air and swift action.

In Himalayan culture, green is the color of fearlessness and quick movement, making it the perfect embodiment of Tara’s character.

3. The Eight Great Fears — Tara as the Protector of the Mind

One of Green Tara’s most important roles is liberating beings from the “Eight Great Fears.”
Although described as external dangers, they actually represent internal emotional obstacles:

This symbolic system — preserved for centuries — aligns closely with modern psychology, making Tara a powerful figure even for non-Buddhist readers.

Green Tara protects not only from external hardship but also from internal emotional suffering.

4. Tara’s Feminine Power: A Symbol of Enlightened Womanhood

Tara is one of the clearest representations of feminine enlightenment in Buddhism.

Her vow to remain always female is deeply significant:

• She embodies confidence, capability, courage, and protection

• She represents compassion with strength, not softness alone

• She shows that women, too, can achieve the highest awakening

• She symbolizes the sacred feminine — intuitive, nurturing, and fearless

Modern readers often see Green Tara as a symbol of:

• Feminine empowerment

• Emotional resilience

• Leadership with compassion

• Independence and strength

This gives Tara a contemporary relevance beyond religious boundaries.

5. The Twenty-One Taras — A Complete Spiritual System

Green Tara is the central figure among the 21 Taras, each representing a unique quality:

• Red Tara → Attraction, magnetizing energy

• White Tara → Longevity and healing

• Blue Tara → Wrathful protection

• Yellow Tara → Prosperity

• Black Tara → Cutting through obstacles

• Other forms → Peace, wisdom, protection, abundance, harmony

Green Tara is the primary form because she is:

✔ The most responsive

✔ The most protective

✔ The most universally invoked

This system makes Tara one of the most multifaceted Buddhist deities.

6. Iconography: How Green Tara Appears in Thangka Art

Green Tara’s posture and symbolism follow a precise visual language:

✦ Seated in "Royal Ease" (lalitasana)

One leg folded, one leg extended — she is ready to rise instantly.
This distinguishes her from Buddhas who remain seated in full meditation.

✦ Right hand in Varada Mudra

The gesture of giving, protection, and blessings.

✦ Left hand holding a blue lotus (utpala)

Often depicted in three stages: bud, bloom, full blossom — symbolizing past, present, future.

✦ Adorned with jewels, silk, and celestial ornaments

Representing enlightened beauty and purity.

✦ Surrounded by lotus petals or a luminous halo

Indicating awakening and protective light.

To explore how Nepal, Tibet, and Rebgong paint her differently:
Nepal vs Tibet vs Rebgong – ThangkaMarket

For specific style traditions like Menri, Gadri, or Newar:
Style Guide – ThangkaMarket

7. Green Tara in Ritual & Daily Life (Cultural Perspective)

In the Himalayan world, Tara is woven deeply into everyday life:

✔ Monks chant the Praises to the 21 Taras every morning

✔ Households keep Green Tara images for protection and good fortune

✔ Travelers invoke her for safety on long journeys

✔ Women look to her as a symbol of inner strength

✔ She is invoked in times of illness, fear, or uncertainty

Tara is beloved because she is immediate, intimate, and close to ordinary life.

8. The Mantra of Green Tara

Her mantra is one of the best known in Tibetan Buddhism:

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha

Culturally interpreted as:

• Tare — calling her name

• Tuttare — removing fears and inner obstacles

• Ture — completing success and protection

• Soha — grounding the intention

Its rhythmic structure also makes it popular in modern mindfulness practices.

9. Psychological Symbolism: Why Green Tara Resonates Globally Today

For non-Buddhist readers, Tara represents:

✔ Emotional courage

✔ Inner protection

✔ Overcoming anxiety

✔ A reminder of compassionate action

✔ A source of stability in uncertainty

Her image is often placed in:

• Meditation rooms

• Yoga studios

• Healing spaces

• Wellness centers

• Homes seeking peace and protection

Green Tara is both mythological and deeply human — a symbol of the strength we aspire to embody.

10. Why Collectors Love Green Tara Thangka

Green Tara is one of the most collected Thangka subjects because of:

✓ Vivid green palette

✓ Rich symbolic meaning

✓ Feminine elegance with protective strength

✓ Deep cultural history

✓ Harmonizing effect in interior spaces

👉 Explore handcrafted pieces:
Green Tara – ThangkaMarket

Green Tara stands as one of Buddhism’s most accessible, dynamic, and emotionally resonant figures.

She is:

• The mother who protects

• The warrior who acts

• The guide who illuminates

• The wisdom that dissolves fear

• The compassion that never hesitates

Whether approached as a sacred protector, a symbol of feminine enlightenment, or a stunning work of Himalayan art, Green Tara continues to inspire, comfort, and empower people around the world.