In Mahayana Buddhism, few enlightened beings embody the dynamic urgency of compassion quite like Green Tara. Known as the "Mother of Liberation" and the "Swift One," Green Tara represents not just compassion in the abstract, but compassion in action—ready to respond instantly to those in need.

Green Tara sits in a distinctive posture that communicates her readiness to act. Unlike many Buddhist deities depicted in full lotus meditation, she sits with her right leg extended, prepared to spring into action at a moment's notice. Her left leg remains folded in the traditional contemplative position, symbolizing her perfect balance of meditative wisdom and engaged compassion.

Her emerald green color is significant, representing the active force of compassion and the flourishing vitality of awakened activity. In her right hand, she holds the gesture of supreme generosity (varada mudra), while her left hand holds the utpala flower, a blue lotus that blooms with the rising and setting sun, symbolizing her tireless work across time.

The origins of Tara worship stretch back to approximately the 5th-6th centuries CE in India, though some traditions place her emergence much earlier. According to popular legend, she was born from the tears of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. When he wept at the suffering of the world, his tears formed a lake from which a lotus grew, revealing Tara. In another account, she was once a princess named Wisdom Moon who, after developing bodhicitta (the enlightened mind), was told she should pray to be reborn as a man to progress on the path. She refused, vowing instead to remain in female form throughout all her enlightened activity.

Tibet embraced Tara practice enthusiastically following its introduction by Atisha in the 11th century. She became so central to Tibetan Buddhism that the Dalai Lamas are considered her manifestations. Her mantra, "Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha," resonates in monasteries and homes throughout the Himalayas.

For practitioners, Green Tara offers protection from eight fears: pride, delusion, hatred, jealousy, fanatical views, greed, attachment, and doubt.