A Prayer to "Tara the Seven Protectors"

by Lord Jigten Sumgon Gonpo

White Tara by Geghen Zanabazar (1635-1723)

The Mongolian Michelangelo

A Prayer to "Tara the Seven Protectors"

by Lord Jigten Sumgon Gonpo

In the Realm of the Unborn Dharmadhatu Abides the Blessed Mother Tara She who bestows happiness on all sentient beings I pray to you, protect us from all kinds of fears!

Not realizing oneself as Dharmakaya The minds of sentient beings are possessed by negative emotions These mother sentient beings wandering in Samsara Oh Blessed Mother, please protect us!

Not having the deep understanding of the Dharma from within And having followed the labelling of words on a conventional level Beings who are deceived by wrong philosophical views and dogmas Oh Perfect Mother, please protect us!

Difficult to realize is one's own mind Some realize it but do not practice perfectly afterwards Those who are lost in unwholesome worldly activities Oh Blessed Mother, Embodiment of Perfect Mindfulness, please protect us!

The Absolute Reality of the Mind is the Inborn Non-Dual Buddha-wisdom Yet because of habitual grasping at dualistic conceptions One is bound by it no matter what one does Oh Perfect Mother of Non-Dual Wisdom, please protect us!

Grasping at the conception of Emptiness some think they understand Absolute Reality But they do not understand the interdependence of Cause and Effect of Phenomenal Reality These beings are deluded with regards to the Reality of Phenomena Oh Omniscient Mother, please protect us!

Like the nature of space which is beyond all conceptions The Reality of all conditioned phenomena is no different from that But it has not been realized, therefore Oh Perfectly Enlightened Mother, please protect us beginners on the Path!

Once, when Lord Jigten Gonpo was staying at Echung Cave in Drikung, after having attained Enlightenment, he had a vision of the Seven Taras. At that time, he made the above supplication prayer through the seven verses. This prayer has manifold blessings and it is a widely used supplication prayer for the seven protections.