White Tara / Namgyalma

[cck123]

What is the difference between these two long life Taras?
They seem to have quite the same function...

Thx
Chris

[Saoshun]

Namgyalma is most powerful yidam I came thru.

[kirtu]

At least in these two forms they are different yidams. As noted Namgyalma might be "faster acting" than White Tara but I think it depends on the connection with the practitioner. Namgyalma is an Arya Bodhisattva and typically is associated with outer tantra whereas White Tara is found in all levels of tantra. I would personally like to learn the views of lamas on this as well. Pretty much Lama Zopa says that Namgyalma is "fast acting" and generates "mind blowing merit" but he doesn't compare the two so I'm pretty sure the connection is the real issue.

Kirt

[ngodrup]

Namgyalma is a purification deity in addition to longevity.
Garchen Rinpoche has said she is the more powerful of the two,
but hasn't AFAIK, said why. But, also for some reason encourages
White Tara, more typically.

[Fortyeightvows]

I think that Garchen Rinpoche is of the opinion that Tara is the most appropriate deity for these times.

[WeiHan]

However, White Tara is also more associated with gaining wisdom and attaining enlightenment other than longevity. So Dargye Khenpo of Setar Larung said that she is in fact Saraswati.

There are many notable lamas whose main practice is White Tara but none that I know take Namgyama as main practice. For example, HH Dudjom Rinpoche, HH Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche etc...all took Khyentse Wangpp's Chime Phagma Nyingtik as heart practice.

[joy&peace]

What's the difference between Green Tara and White Tara? I've studied some a lot, but not this one.

I remember one mantra is Om Tare Tuttare Tuttare Svaha, repeated, and the other has one or two more lines, which one could find. .

If this isn't in the right place, no need to reply to it

[conebeckham]

Tara is a much more "central" practice, as a yidam, in all the Tibetan lineages.

Namgyalma can certainly be a yidam, but is more often seen as a protective deity. Green Tara, of course, is a yidam who is also viewed as a protector--mainly, a protector against fear. In general, Namgyalma is from the lower Tantras, while Tara can be found at all levels of Tantra.

In terms of "power," the idea that Namgyalma is "more powerful" may relate to the 4 activities, I suppose. Green Tara is often related to the activity of "enrichment" or "growth." Of the four traditional activities--pacifying, enriching, magnetizing, and wrathful/destructive-- I think both deities have aspects of all of these, but perhaps Namgyalma on her own covers these four, while with Tara, different emanations may cover different activities. White forms for purification, pacification, longevity; red forms for magnetizing, Dark blue or black forms are wrathful, etc.

The general mantra for Tara is Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha. This is also White Tara's basic mantra, though there are additional "appended" bits for longevity. Those are best learned after receiving empowerment.

[WeiHan]

For the benefit of people who are unfamiliar, Chime Phagma Nyingtik, I mentioned above is an Ati yoga White Tara practice discovered by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo.

Many great lamas like Jamgon Kongtrul, HH Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche placed this white Tara practice with high regards, did practice it and did achieve great benefits through this practice.

[joy&peace]

Beautiful. Thank you very much.

[Palzang Jangchub]

Garchen Rinpoche practices Namgyalma for people who are sick. He would do this when visiting the homes of students and patrons in Tibet upon being asked to help them resolve an illness. If Rinpoche relies on her to protect the longevity of others, his students should have utter confidence in her.

As Cone mentioned, Namgyalma does indeed encompass all four tantric activities. Her central face is white (pacifying, longevity), right is yellow (enriching/increase), left is [dark] blue (wrathful/terrifying), and she holds Buddha Amitabha (powerful/magnetizing). She is victorious over the Four Maras.

[jmlee369]

At least from the Namgyalma (Ushnishavijaya) side of things, there is no relation to Tara. The source sutra of Ushnishavijaya does not mention Tara at all. In the kriya tantra scheme of things, Ushnishavijaya belongs to the Tathagata family, whereas the Taras come under the Lotus family. In that system, the Tathagata family is a higher class than the Lotus.

As stated in the sutra, the primary purpose of Ushnishavijaya is actually more than just long life, it is extremely powerful for destroying birth in the lower realms. As Lama Zopa Rinpoche often mentions, the sutra states that even merely being touched by the shadow of a mountain that enshrines the dharani will prevent birth in the lower realms. For those who are interested, here is a fairly decent English translation of one of the Chinese versions of the sutra (fair warning, it's been a while since I read the original Chinese, and I would recommend sourcing the dharani itself from elsewhere).

[pemachophel]

Ushnisha Vijaya Dharani

NA-MO BHA-GA-WA-TE TRAI-LO-KA-YA PRA-TI-BI-SI-TA-YA BUD-DHA-YA BHA-GA-WA-TE
TAD-YA-THA
OM BI-SHUD-DHA-YA BI-SHUD-DHA-YA
A-SA-MA SA-MA
SA-MAN-TA WA-BHA-SA SPHA-RA-NA GA-TI GA-HA-NA
SWA-BHA-WA BI-SHUD-DHE A-BHIN-SIN-CHA-TU MAM
SU-GA-TA WA-RA WA-CHA-NA
A-MRI-TA A-BHI-SE-KAI
MA-HA MAN-TRA PA-DAI
A-HA-RA A-HA-RA A-YU SAM-DHA-RA-NI
SHO-DHA-YA SHO-DHA-YA GA-GA-NA BI-SHUD-DHE
USH-NI-SHA BI-JA-YA BI-SHUD-DHE
SA-HA-RA RAS-MI SAM-CHO-DI-TE
SAR-WA TA-THA-GA-TA A-WA-LO-KA-NI
SAT PA-RA-MI-TA PA-RI-PU-RA-NI
SAR-WA TA-THA-GA-TA
MA-TI DA-SA BHU-MI PRA-TI-STHI-TE
SAR-WA TA-THA-GA-TA HRI-DA-YA
A-DHI-STHA-NA DHI-STHI-TA
MA-HA MU-DRE BA-DZRA KA-YA
SAM-HA-TA-NA BI-SHUD-DHE
SAR-WA BA-RA-NA A-PA-YA DUR-GA-TI
PA-RI BI-SHUD-DHE PRA-TI-NI-BAR-TA-YA
A-YU SHUD-DHE SA-MA-YA A-DHI-STHI-TE
MA-NI MA-NI MA-HA MA-NI
TA-THA-TA BHU-TA KO-TI PA-RI SHUD-DHE
BI-SPHU-TA BUD-DHI SHUD-DHE
JA-YA JA-YA BI-JA-YA BI-JA-YA
MA-RA MA-RA SAR-WA BUD-DHA A-DHI-STHI-TA SHUD-DHE
BA-DZRI BA-DZRA GAR-BHE BA-DZRAM
BHA-WA-TU MA-MA SA-RI-RAM
SAR-WA SAT-TO NAM-CHA
KA-YA PA-RI BI-SHUD-DHE
SAR-WA GA-TI PA-RI SHUD-DHE
SAR-WA TA-THA-GA-TA
SIN-CHA-ME SA-MA-SWA-SA-YAN-TU
SAR-WA TA-THA-GA-TA SA-MA-SWA-SA A-DHI-STHI-TE
BUD-DHYA BUD-DHYA BI-BUD-DHYA BI-BUD-DHYA
BO-DHA-YA BO-DHA-YA BI-BO-DHA-YA BI-BO-DHA-YA
SA-MAN-TA PA-RI SHUD-DHE
SAR-WA TA-THA-GA-TA HRI-DA-YA
A-DHI-STHA-NA DHI-STHI-TA
MA-HA MU-DRE SO-HA

Then the Buddha told Lord Shakra: "The above mantra is known as the 'Purifying All Evil Paths Ushnisha Vijaya Dharani.' It can eliminate all evil karmic hindrances and eradicate the suffering of all bad migrations.

[dzogchungpa]

Ushnisha Vijaya Dharani ...

My girl Imee Ooi does a nice version:

phpBB [video]

[Mantrik]

Does the Namgyalma mantra require formal empowerment ?
What about the Dharani ?

[Tolya M]

Sutra\dharani does not need a reading transmission. There is also such a version, but I do not know from where it is and whether the diacritics are correct.

oṃ namo bhagavate sarva trailokya prativiṣiṣṭaya
buddhayate namaḥ, tadyathā, oṃ bhrūṃ bhrūṃ bhrūṃ, śodhaya śodhaya, viśodhaya viśodhaya, asama samanta, avabhāsaspharaṇagati, gagana svabhāva viśuddhe, abhisiñcantumāṃ, sarva tathāgata sugata vara vacana amṛta-abhiṣekair, mahāmudra-mantrapadaiḥ, āhara-āhara, mama-āyuḥ-saṃdhāraṇi, śodhaya śodhaya, viśodhaya viśodhaya, gagana svabhāva viśuddhe, uṣṇīṣa vijaya pariśuddhe sahasra rasmi, samcodite, sarva tathāgatā avalokini, ṣaṭpāramitā paripūraṇi, sarva tathāgatā māti dasabhūmi pratiṣṭhite, sarva tathāgatā hṛdaya adhiṣṭhāna adhiṣṭhite, mudre mudre, mahāmudre, vajra kāya saṃhataṇa pariśuddhe, sarva karma āvaraṇa viśuddhe, pratinivartaya, mama āyur viśuddhe, sarva tathāgata samaya adhiṣṭhāna adhiṣṭhite, oṃ muni muni, mahāmuni vimuni vimuni, mahāvimuni, mati mati, mahāmati, mamati, sumati, tathātā bhūtakoṭi, pariśuddhe, visphuṭa buddhe śuddhe, he he, jaya jaya, vijaya vijaya, smara smara, sphara sphara, sphāraya sphāraya, sarva buddha, adhiṣṭhāna adhiṣṭhite, śuddhe śuddhe, buddhe buddhe, vajre vajre, mahāvajre suvajre, vajra garbhe, jaya garbhe, vijaya garbhe, vajra-jvāla garbhe, vajre udbhave, vajra saṃbhave vajre vajrini, vajram bhavatu, mama śarīraṃ sarva sattvānām ca kāya pariśuddhir bhavatu, me sadā sarvagati pariśuddhiś ca, sarva tathāgatāś ca mām samāśvāsayantu, buddhya buddhya, siddhya siddhya, bodhaya bodhaya, vibodhaya vibodhaya, mocaya mocaya, vimocaya vimocaya, śodhaya śodhaya, viśodhaya viśodhaya, samantāna mocaya mocaya, samanta raśmi pariśuddhe, sarva tathāgata hṛdaya adhiṣṭhāna adhiṣṭhite, mudre mudre, mahāmudre, mahāmudrā mantra padaiḥ svāha

OM, homage to you, subduing lady, surpassing all three worlds./ To you,
fully enlightened one, I prostrate./ It is like this:/ OM BHRUM BHRUM
BHRUM, purify, purify,/ completely purify, completely purify,/ unequaled
seer of all, going while emanating light./ Space nature, completely pure,/
please empower me./ All you tathagatas and those gone to bliss, with the
nectar of supreme speech, please empower me./ With the words of the great
seal mantra,/please, collect by all means, collect by all means./ You who
hold my whole life,/ purify, purify,/ completely purify, completely purify./
Space nature, completely pure,/ totally victorious and completely pure crown
of the head,/ lady emanating all thousand rays,/ seer of all tathagatas, who
accomplishes completely all six perfections. Mother of all tathagatas,/ who
abides in the ten stages,/ with the essence of all tathagatas,/ O you who
bless, bless me./ Seal, seal, great seal;/ totally pure lady, piercing the vajra
body,/ purifier of all karmic obstacles,/ please, restore my life./ You who are
blessed with the blessing of the totally pure pledge of all tathagatas./ OM,
able one, able one, great able one;/completely able one, completely able
one, great completely able one;/ intelligence, intelligence, great intelligence/
my intelligence/ good intelligence, suchness;/ perfect end, completely pure
lady;/ you who have fully developed knowledge, pure one./ Oh! Oh! Conquer!
conquer!/ Conquer completely, conquer completely;/ remember, remember/
increase, increase./ Please increase, please increase,/ you who are
blessed with the blessing of all the enlightened ones./ Pure, pure;/ enlightened,
enlightened;/ adamantine, adamantine, great adamantine lady;/ good
adamantine one, with adamantine essence, with victorious essence,/ with
completely victorious essence,/ blazing adamantine essence,/ source of adamant,
arisen from adamant,/ adamantine one, lady with adamant./ Please
let my body be adamantine./ Let the bodies of all sentient beings too be
totally pure./ Let all my thoughts always be totally pure./ May all tathagatas
also revive me./ Awakened, awakened lady; accomplished, accomplished
one,/ make me realize, realize, completely realize, completely realize./ Liberate,
liberate, completely liberate, completely liberate./ Purify, purify, completely
purify, completely purify./ Fully liberate, liberate./ All-splendid completely
pure one,/ you who are blessed with the blessing of the essence of all
tathagatas./ Seal, seal, great seal;/ by the words of the great mantra seal, may
the base be established.