Searching for Tara: The Goddess Who Became a Buddha

When integrated together, the carefully researched findings of the archeologists, historians, ethnographers, and sociologists can provide the framework for understanding the evolution of human spirituality and the psychological transformations that went with it. But there are three mysterious symbols from our mythology that bring it to life. The primal spirituality of our most distant ancestors was deeply rooted in the natural world and the energies of the body, symbolized by the Goddess. They lived in what the great sociologist Max Weber called an "enchanted garden." The trees, the plants, the animals, even the rocks and streams were alive and sentient, and their magical world abounded with spirits both seen and unseen. Powerful spiritual beings could enter into the bodies of humans, and on some occasions, such as ecstatic tribal dances, humans could even become these spiritual beings and access their extraordinary powers.

As our societies became ever more complex and hierarchical, a new mythic figure emerges on the scene, the Great Hero. He embodies the hyper-masculinity of the warrior. He challenges the Goddess and struggles to subject her instinctive power, and the natural world itself, to the demands of the rational ego. Though even the greatest Hero can never really vanquish the Goddess, the struggles of the heroic ego have come to dominate our psyche and our lives, and perhaps to threaten our very survival.

At this critical turning point, the glimmering of a new synthesis that incorporates the wisdom of the Goddess and the strength of the Hero is starting to emerge. The classic images of a male Buddha sitting in the cross-legged lotus posture give us a feeling for what this synthesis might be. He seems to rest in complete peace and equanimity, embodying a deep wisdom far beyond psychic conflict. Yet, at least to me, he also appears withdrawn and aloof from the chaos of this world of suffering, and it is hard to see how he could represent a path forward for the struggling masses of humanity.

If, however, we look at the images of Tara or another female Buddha, we get a very different feeling. She shows the same transcendental peace, but at the same time, she appears intimately connected to the life of the world. In many images, she has a radiant, loving smile and a glowing warmth, while her right leg is extended forward so she can leap to the aid of anyone who is suffering. Tara embodies the primal feminine energy of life, yet she wields the power of the rational mind with sublime skill, holding them both in the boundless love of enlightened awareness. She offers the alluring prospect of a way forward from the existential crises of our times. Of course, it is up to us whether we follow.

Ongoing thread. More from James Coleman to follow.