Tara Mantras

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criss284
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Tara Mantras

Post by criss284 »

I'm curious to learn more about the purpose of Mahayana mantras, particularly the Tara mantras. First of all, I am a newcomer to mantras but I have always understood that they are used as a form of meditation with which to concentrate the mind and develop a deep sense of Samadhi. However, from what I've been reading recently about the Tibetan mantras, they are used as a prayer to the Tara deities that they will come to help us with health, wealth and happiness as well as liberation etc.
I personally consider prayer and meditation as two separate concepts with meditation being a tool for self development, and prayer asking for help from the Gods or Goddesses to provide for us. So, is my understanding that this is how it works and the mantras are used so that the whoever we are reciting to will listen to our 'prayers' and come and liberate us?
I've always understood that Buddhism in fact teaches us that we have to liberate ourselves and thus the noble path and the noble truths are there to direct us like a map so that we can find our own way to liberation and not expect a higher enlightened deity to do the work for us because we keep repeating their mantra. Thanks for any insight that anyone may offer about this.
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Ayu
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Re: Tara Mantras

Post by Ayu »

I moved your topic to 'Tibetan Buddhism'.

In my opinion it's always difficult to explain those things accurately, because the western words are occupied for different meanings.

IMHO reciting Tara mantras is something in between meditation and prayer. IMO it's more near to meditation than to the Christian idea of prayer.

AFAIK in Tibetan 'prayer' is not so much making wishes, and even less making wishes for oneself. A bigger percentage is offerings and praises. 90% praises and no freestyle but ancient texts.

In my perception mantra is a means to get near to the diety. And if I say 'diety' I'm not completely sure what it is exactly. Could be a personalized concept of Buddha-mind (Dharmakaya) or it could be a certain kind of devine formless person as it appears so sometimes.

But basically as Buddhists we have to assume that nothing exists in the same way as it appears.
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