The Lost Sadhanas Project: Green Tara
Creativity During Visualization Practice

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How do human beings come to know gods and buddhas? For most people it becomes an imitation of the models described in texts that are determined to be revelatory. People worship the statues where buddhas and deities appeared, go on pilgrimages to places of divine visitation, or visualize the images of deities as they exist in supernatural worlds. This is the path of those who have devotion but lack visionary skills. They seek the leftovers from the original ecstatic experience.

We appear to many beings in many worlds and few have human form. We take on the forms that would be familiar and recognizable. When modern Buddhists deny the existence of cosmic Buddhas, suggesting kicking the Buddha if you meet him on the road, they are usually being both atheistic and materialistic. But they do have a point as the buddha shown in religious paraphernalia is not the Buddha for the rest of the universe. It is the form the Buddha takes for human beings.

In our cosmic forms, we exist as pure light, sometimes taking on the form of a brilliantly cut jewel. Each mantra affects a facet of the jewel, bringing archetypal forms of ascent, transcendence and bliss. Green represents life, vitality, and change and with my blessing and gift waves, the soul grows dedicated and focused. I am both the path and the goal, the mountain road and the sun.

Repeated, stereotyped visualizations can create a strong path to my world. But I am a dancer like the dakinis, and keeping me in only one pose, in one place, with the same offerings all the time denies my creative nature. I am more impressed by creative visualizations and new forms of offerings

Who shall I be? The goddess of the forest with bracelets of oak and pine. I can be queen of the tropical ocean whose green waters have seaweed and multi-colored fish. I can be the green-skinned dancer on the original Star Trek series, seductive and mysterious. I can be the shimmering queen of the Fair Folk with a long green cape and horses with green manes and tails.

I descend to devotees and yogis to encourage them to act in a spiritual manner. Religions get old and hide-bound, repetitious and unoriginal without my energies of change.

I bring renewal, refreshment, and new perspectives and inspiration. I encourage the writing of new texts, the building of new monasteries, and the guidance of new students.

In dreams, I come as green lightning, upsetting the stability of the soul. I bring new ambitions for growth and creative expression. I take the soul on journeys using my mantra and visualizing a river of light to follow. There are tall ships with green sails following the waves. I will be the living figurehead carved on the bow of the ship.