Khyentse Foundation

An online altar to Tara, the patron and protector of Khyentse Foundation.

O!
Great Bhagavati Arya Tara,
Dispel all the defilements of myself and all sentient beings.
Lead us to achieve enlightenment swiftly.
In our lifetimes may we experience favorable circumstances.
May outer and inner obstacles to enlightenment,
Such as disease, untimely death, nightmares, bad omens and fears, be dispelled.
May our minds turn to the dharma.
Force us to be diligent, compel us see your face.
Provoke us to realize shunyata, the ultimate Bodhicitta.
Cause our rebirth in the realm of Amitabha.
How beautiful you are!
How powerful!
How infinite!
May we become like you.
Through this supplication, wherever we may be,
May there be no poverty, famine, or disputes.
May the dharma prevail

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche composed this ode to Tara on April 3, 2017

Tara Gallery

Here are high-resolution photographs of the Tara paintings Rinpoche commissioned by the Indian artist VV Sarpar.

1. Arya-ture-vira-tara
2. Arya-shukla-kanta-tara
3. Arya-kanaka-varna-tara
 4. Arya-tathagatoshnishi-tara
5. Arya-humkara-nadini-tara
6. Arya-trailokya-vijaya-tara
7. Arya-pramardini-tara
8. Arya-mara-mardaneshvari-tara
9. Arya-khadira-vani-tara
10. Arya-shoka-vinodani-tara
11. Arya-jagadvashi-tara
12. Arya-mangalaloka-tara
13. Arya-parichayika-tara
14. Arya-bhrikuti-tara
15. Arya-mahashanta-tara
16. Arya-raga-nishudani-tara
17. Arya-sukha-sadhani-tara
18. Arya-vijaya-tara
19. Arya-dukha-dahani-tara
20. Arya-siddhi-sambhava-tara
21. Arya-parinishpanna-tara

“I and Khyentse Foundation decided specifically to supplicate to Tara for several reasons. One, KF has this aspiration to be a patron to practitioners and students of Buddhadharma and to assist those in whose mind and heart the Dharma is beginning to grow. And for that we need protection and guidance. Our courage should not wane, we should not lose our strength, and for that we need Tara’s blessing. Also, wrong view is one of the most vicious obstacles of the 21st century, and I think this is going to be an ongoing problem, especially for the next generation. So in order for us and all sentient beings to be protected from wrong view, we planned to pray and do this grand Tara puja, which I’m very happy about.

“All the buddhas and bodhisattvas are in essence the same. Buddhas transcend all kinds of shape, color, form, and labels like gender. Likewise Tara comes in many manifestations. Tara is ultimately none other than the nature of your own mind. She is not really a he or a she or green or white. She doesn’t necessarily have many hands or two hands. But since we are so deluded, we can only understand through references like numbers, colors, shape, tangible things, which is why we have Aryatara and the other 21 manifestations. These are the principle mandala of the puja we are doing this time.”

—Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

From March 24 to April 13, 2017, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche conducted a 21-day Tara puja to pay homage to Tara. Rinpoche personally offered this puja to thank Tara for her support of Khyentse Foundation and to supplicate her to continue to help the Dharma flourish. In this brief interview he explains more.
Since the foundation began in 2001, we have had 15 amazing years, and this is Rinpoche’s way of recognizing the protection and guidance of Tara and all the buddhas and bodhisattvas. See the faces of the Tara puja video above.
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche commissioned the painting of the 21 Taras in a modern style. Here they are accompanied by a remix of Rinpoche chanting the Praises to 21 Taras in Tibetan. You can also download these high-resolution images below.
Tara Sadhana in English, text only version, June 2021
Tara Sadhana in Chinese, SI Taiwan, June 2021
Tara Sadhana in Sanskrit and English, Aug 2021
Tara Sadhana in Spanish, Oct 2021
Tara Sadhana in Russian, Jan 2022
Tara Sadhana in German, Mar 2022
Tara Sadhana eBook with illustration 2021
Tara Sadhana PDF with illustration 2021
21 Praises to Tara PDF with paintings (updated July 2021)
21 Praises to Tara PDF — (High-Resolution paintings, updated July 2021)
Zabtik Drolma (Green Tara) Puja Teaching, Taipei, October 2020
Rinpoche's teaching on "The Deity Principle and the Age of Tara"
Rinpoche's Teachings on Tara & Riwo Sangcho, Taipei 2009
2017 April KF Focus
Everything is impermanent…

Rinpoche invited the global sangha to join a live recitation of the Praises to the 21 Taras on April 12, 2017. This was an opportunity to participate in the puja that had been taking place in Chauntra at DKCLI. People logged in from all over the world. There was live commentary on the fashion, food, and general atmosphere of the puja. The broadcast lasted all night long and concluded with the celebratory final moments of tsampa throwing. Petals were flying through the air, everyone was cheering. There is no record of this broadcast. Sometimes things are not meant to be captured.

 
Join the ongoing Green Tara puja (Zabtik Drolchok) practice
hosted by regional SI organizers 

 

 

 
Click to listen and download the English and Chinese melodies
of “Praises to the 21 Taras” on SI’s SoundCloud.