Tara

Because of The passage below, I want to learn more about Tara. The picture and the passage come from here http://blog.dwbuk.org/diamond-way-buddhism/the-legend-of-tara-female-buddha-of-compassion/.

"The legend of Tara, as recounted by lamas such as Taranatha (1575–1634), explains that countless eons ago, during the life of a former historical Buddha, there was a princess called Wisdom Moon (Tib. Yeshe Dawa). She received instructions from the Buddha on developing bodhicitta, the intention to reach enlightenment for the benefit of all beings, and first took the Bodhisattva Promise in his presence.

Afterwards, some of the Buddha’s monks approached Wisdom Moon. They praised her intention, but offered their opinion that she would be much better suited to benefit beings in a male form, and that she should also wish to be reborn as a man. Wisdom Moon was taken aback as this idea did not agree with her understanding of the Buddha’s teaching that all beings equally have the potential to attain enlightenment. Being confident in her understanding and of strong character, Wisdom Moon made the opposite aspiration: she promised to be reborn only in female form in order to liberate beings that way and counteract such chauvinistic notions. And she did, diligently practicing the path to enlightenment in female incarnation after female incarnation. In her enlightened appearance she became known as Tara, or “Liberatrice”. Tara might thus be considered one of the earliest feminists!

In practicing the Buddha’s teachings, one’s form is irrelevant. It is one’s determination to be free from the cycle of conditioned existence and one’s compassionate concern for the welfare of others that are of paramount importance."