Can you do the merging with White Tara when having the Green Tara empowerment?

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Jekateriina
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Can you do the merging with White Tara when having the Green Tara empowerment?

Post by Jekateriina »

Greetings everyone,

I've googled extensively and can't seem to find the answer to this question. I apologize if it has been asked and answered before on this forum; my detective skills may not be the best.

As far as I understand, you don't need the empowerment to do the visualization of White Tara, receiving her blessings and doing the mantra. However, if I understand correctly, you shouldn't do the self-visualization and the merging with her. What about if you have the empowerment and lung for Green Tara? Does one Tara empowerment and lung count for all, or do you need them for each specific Tara? It would be great if someone had a source on this, but I would also be grateful for anyone's experience from their own teachers.

Thank you :)
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Aryjna
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Re: Can you do the merging with White Tara when having the Green Tara empowerment?

Post by Aryjna »

You need an empowerment for White specifically. This makes sense in general, but it has also been specifically answered by Lama Tenzin (of Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling). You can do the merging without empowerment, as it is a part of various practices that do not require empowerment.
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Könchok Thrinley
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Re: Can you do the merging with White Tara when having the Green Tara empowerment?

Post by Könchok Thrinley »

If I understand correctly it is okay to use green Tara mantra for White Tara and vice versa. So you can stay with Green Tara.
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kirtu
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Re: Can you do the merging with White Tara when having the Green Tara empowerment?

Post by kirtu »

The answer is more dependent upon the style of sadhana. White Tara does of course have her own empowerment. But if you have the Green Tara empowerment you can practice what is in effect Upa (Charya) tantra White Tara (this is at least the case with one of my Sakya teachers). So you would not visualize yourself as White Tara but visualize her in front of you but recite the standard Tara mantra (associated with Green Tara but this is really a kind of base Tara mantra). Jamyang Khyentse Wango wrote a sadhana specifically for this.

So outside of Sakya this might not be considered kosher (although it should be really in Kagyu and Nyingma). Any objections I would take up with Jamyang Khyentse Wango.

Kirt
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