Jainarayan wrote:I'm going to go out on a limb here with my limited new knowledge... Green Tara because her right foot is stepping down from the lotus. White Tara is seated in a lotus posture. White Tara will also have markings for eyes on the soles of her feet, her forehead and I believe her hands. Did I get that right?
Yes, more or less.
Green Tara is ready to spring into action as she represents enlightened activity, and the colour green also symbolises activity and accomplishment (though I'm not sure why). Her left hand is in the refuge-granting mudra, and her right hand makes the boon-granting gesture. In her hands she also holds closed blue lotuses which symbolize purity and power. Her primary role is as a saviouress due to the idea that she helps her followers overcome dangers, fears, anxieties, and difficult worldly situations. Green Tara is a fiercer form but still intensely compassionate and acts quickly to help those who call upon her.
White Tara is sometimes called the Mother of all Buddhas and represents the motherly aspect of compassion. Her white colour signifies purity, wisdom and truth, and she often has seven eyes symbolising vigilance and ability to see all the suffering in the world. Her posture is one of grace and calm - Her right hand makes the boon-granting gesture and her left hand is in the protective mudra. In her left hand she holds a lotus flower with three blooms signifying the past Buddha Kashyapa, the present Buddha Shakyamuni, and the future Buddha Maitreya. These three blooms symbolize that Tara is the essence of the three Buddhas. She is also is believed to help her followers overcome obstacles, but in this case it is those that inhibit practice, and she is also associated with longevity.
