Origins of Tārā - Story of Jñānacandra or Wisdom Moon

Once upon a time, in a world known as Manifold Light, there was a legendary figure called Tathāgata Lord Dundūbhisvara, also known as Sound of the Drum. Living alongside him was a remarkable woman named Jñānacandra, also known as Moon of Wisdom. She was a devout follower of the Buddha and his infinite community of disciples and enlightened beings. Every day, she made offerings of great value, filling up miles in all directions with jewels. She even generated the Bodhicitta or Thought of Enlightenment, the most important thought of all. It became apparent in her community that she was approaching enlightenment. One day, a group of monks approached her and told her, “you won’t become enlightened unless you come back in your next life as a man. It is impossible to attain enlightenment as a woman. “ However, Princess Jñānacandra rejected their advice, stating that she would, “pursue the bodhisattva path to enlightenment, only as a woman.” The first Buddhist feminist and to this day she inspires many woman seekers of the truth.

In this origin story, it is said that she stated, "There exists no distinction between man and woman, self and personhood, or any notion of such. The attachment to the labels of 'male' and 'female' is meaningless and misleads those with poor understanding. In light of this, I vow to work for the benefit of all sentient beings in the form of a woman, as it seems that many strive for enlightenment in a man's body but none consider it as a woman. I will continue this pursuit until saṃsara has been ended."

This statement meant she would keep freeing sentient beings, which would be regular people who suffered endlessly until everyone was enlightened. Princess Jñānacandra challenged the traditional values of the patriarchal tradition of the time as a woman and a practitioner. Her motivation to attain enlightenment stemmed from a deep sense of compassion toward others. Her uniqueness lies in her determination to serve others in a woman's form.

I think in modern life and those who are on a spiritual path in today's world would feel some of the same patriarchal attitudes are still present. Tārā in her mission is first and foremost a feminist and a revolutionary. She personified female empowerment and freedom then and now. The success of Tārā led to a prophecy that as long as she achieved unexcelled, perfect enlightenment, she would be known as Goddess Tārā. Despite her obscure origins in Indian sources, her following gained strength by the seventh century and eventually spread to Tibet, where she was proclaimed the "Mother" of the Tibetan people. The Tarā-mūla-kalpa, a ritual compendium of that time, that serves as the basis for what is known as the Tārā worship in early formative periods in India. This text is the largest canonical source on the goddess, comprising roughly four hundred folios. The Sanskrit text was believed to have been composed in seventh-century India and translated into Tibetan in the fourteenth century by Bu-ston, classified as a kriyā tantra. Unfortunately, the Sanskrit text was lost, and only the Tibetan translation is still available. So what we know about early Tārā comes through the lens of Tibetan Tārā.

Lesson Summary

In the ancient world of Manifold Light, there lived a legendary figure named Tathāgata Lord Dundūbhisvara, also known as Sound of the Drum. He was accompanied by an extraordinary woman named Jñānacandra, or Moon of Wisdom, who was a devoted follower of the Buddha and his enlightened community.

Jñānacandra made offerings of great value every day, filling miles in all directions with jewels and generating the Bodhicitta, the most important thought of enlightenment. As she approached enlightenment, a group of monks advised her that she could only attain it in her next life as a man, stating that it was impossible for women.

However, Princess Jñānacandra rejected their advice and proclaimed her commitment to pursue enlightenment as a woman. She stated that there is no distinction between man and woman and that attachment to such labels is meaningless. Her vow was to work for the benefit of all sentient beings in the form of a woman until saṃsara, the cycle of birth and death, ended.

Princess Jñānacandra challenged the patriarchal values of her time and embodied compassion towards others. She sought enlightenment to serve others in a woman's form. Tārā, in her mission, became a feminist and revolutionary, representing female empowerment and freedom.

Her success led to the prophecy that she would be known as Goddess Tārā as long as she achieved unexcelled, perfect enlightenment. Her following gained strength in the seventh century and spread to Tibet, where she was revered as the "Mother" of the Tibetan people.

The Tarā-mūla-kalpa, a ritual compendium from that time, serves as the basis for early Tārā worship. Comprising roughly four hundred folios, this text was believed to have originated in seventh-century India and then translated into Tibetan by Bu-ston in the fourteenth century. Unfortunately, the original Sanskrit text is lost, and only the Tibetan translation remains available.

Thus, our understanding of early Tārā comes primarily from the Tibetan perspective.