Lama Govinda on Tara

Among the female embodiments of Wisdom (Prajña) Tara occupies a special position because she is not only of importance as the female aspect of a Dhyani-Buddha, but plays an outstanding role in the religious life of Tibet, on account of her special qualities. She represents the very essence of loving devotion, which is the foundation of all religious practice, from the simplest act of veneration (puja) to the most developed training of meditation. She is therefore one of the most popular, approachable, and attractive figures of the Tibetan pantheon. She unites in herself all human and divine traits of a Madonna, whose motherly love embraces all living beings, irrespective of their merits. She extends her loving care to the good and the bad, the wise and the foolish, like the sun that shines for sinners as well as for saints.

Tibetans, therefore, call her 'dam-ishig-sgrol-ma', the Faithful Dölma, She is the embodiment of that faithful devotion, which is born of love and strengthened by the Bodhisattva vow to liberate all living beings. 'Dam-tshig' means literally 'a sacred or solemn vow', but in the mystic language of the Tantras it is the force generated by such a vow through faith and complete self-surrender. It is 'the faith that moves mountains, the wisdom of the heart. It corresponds in a certain way to the Sanskrit term 'bhakti', which in the theistic religions of India signites the loving devotion to and the ultimate self-identification with God. It is therefore more than sraddha, more than simple faith, because it is inspired by love. A 'bhakta' is a devotee as well as a lover.

'Dam-tshig' is the devotion for the Buddha in one's own heart. The syllable "dam' means "bound', 'fixed'; as, for instance, 'bound by oath, promise, agreement or convention (Skt. samaya)'. But in this connexion it is a bond of inner relationship through the power of loving devotion, by which the devotee dedicates himself to the Dharma and identifies himself with the Buddha who forms the centre of his mandala of meditation or the object of his devotional practice (sadhanã).


Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism pp.111-2