21 Taras

Image of the green Tara

21 Taras – Master Atisha Tradition

For Tara lovers

Arya Tara is the mother of all Buddhas – Tara the enlightened liberator who helps to start and master the spiritual path. She has promised to attain enlightenment in female form, even appearing as a woman in all future lives. Arya means Noble, Pure or Honourable. She appears in all imaginable guises to assist living beings who are on the spiritual path.

Here, 21 colourful Taras manifestations are connected to the main Green Tara. These cover all areas of human experience in life. This practice was more widespread in Tibet than almost any other and was held in high esteem by all masters and revered by everyone equally. This is also because the practice is relatively easy to learn and has a very quick and direct effect.

Initiation into each of the 21 Taras according to the Atisha tradition, short commentary, practice and meditation

Venerable Lodrö Rinpoche will give the Vajrasattva initiation on Saturday afternoon as preparation. This practice is very powerful and is practised to remove disturbing concepts and obscurations caused by ignorance.

From Sunday morning, Lodrö Rinpoche will give the 21 initiations for the practice of the 21 Taras according to Master Atisha.

The 21 Taras can be practised individually or as a whole. There are many different texts and explanations.

The practice is a source of energy and concentration. This type of yoga for the mind through meditation exercises in combination with visualisations has been practised and perfected in the Vajrayana for hundreds of years in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

The Venerable Lodrö Tulku Rinpoche will give a short commentary each day on the profound practice of the 21 Taras. During this week we will get a unique insight into the practice of the 21 Taras.

Natascha Keller Gassmann will introduce the group to the practice of the Taras as part of the Sadhana.

At the end of the retreat each participant should be able to do the tara practice/sadhana/visualisation on their own.

The course will take place on site in Ganden Chökhor and also online

All are invited to participate

Deadline for registration for the online course is March 5th 2024

 

Schedule with Lodrö Tulku Rinpoche – language English with German translation

Saturday afternoon                4.30 – 6.00 pm          Vajrasattva initiation

Sunday – Tuesday                   9.30 – 12 am noon     Initiations of the 21 Taras with 30 min break

Sunday – Tuesday                   3.00 – 5.30 pm         Initiations of the 21 Taras with 30 min break

Wednesday Free day

Thursday – Saturday              9.30 – 12.00 am noon  Initiations of the 21 Taras with 30 min break

Thursday – Saturday              3.00 – 5.30 pm     Initiations of the 21 Taras with 30 min break

Sunday:                                    9.30 – 11.30 am     21 Tara Puja at the end

 

Practice group for interested students

Saturday evening                  8.00-8.30 pm                Vajrasattva Sadhana ENGLISH

Saturday evening                  8.45 – 9.30 pm              Vajrasattva Sadhana GERMAN

Monday                                   7.00 – 7.45 am              21 Tara concise Sadhana and Mantra ENGLISH

Tuesday                                   7.00 – 7.45 am              21 Tara concise Sadhana and Mantra GERMAN

Wednesday Free day

Thursday                                 7.00 – 7.45 am               21 Tara very concise Sadhana and Mantra ENGLISH

Friday                                       7.00 – 7.45 am               21 Tara very concise Sadhana and Mantra GERMAN

Saturday                                  7.00 – 7.45 am               21 Tara Meditation with Praise 21 Taras

 

 

Grüne Tara

Tara Cycle: 21 Tara Surjagupta in Ganden Chökhor

For Tara Lovers

Initiation into each of the 21 Taras according to the Surjagupta line of transmission.

Venerable Lodrö Tulku Rinpoche will start with the Vajrasattva empowerment on Saturday afternoon. This practice is very powerful and is practiced to eliminate disturbing concepts and obscurations caused by ignorance. It is part of the daily practice/sadhana of the 21 Taras.

Sunday morning, Lodrö Rinpoche will give the 21 initiations on the practice of the 21 Taras according to Master Surjagupta (Sanskrit: Hidden Sun). It is an empowerment from anuttarayoga tantra and therefore carries with it the obligation to do daily practices of visualizations and mantras. For us, this includes: Never forgetting the practice of Arya Tara, reciting the Tara Mantra, practicing refuge in 6 sessions daily and, if possible, practicing a short Tara practice/visualization exercise with your own light body and the 21 Taras.

The practice is relatively easy to learn and is a source of energy and focus. This type of yoga for the mind or meditation exercises in combination with visualization has been practiced and perfected in Vajrayana for hundreds of years in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Venerable Lodrö Tulku Rinpoche will provide short commentary on the profound practice of the 21 Taras each day. 

Natascha Keller Gassmann will introduce the group to the exercises of the 21 Taras, as part of the Sadhana.

At the end of the retreat, each participant should be able to independently exercise with the 21 Taras:

Daily Practice: Sadhana, Visualization, Mantra – as well as Torma and Tsog offerings. 

 

Schedule with Lodrö Tulku Rinpoche – language English with German translation

Saturday afternoon                3.00 – 4.30 pm          Vajrasattva initiation

Sunday – Tuesday                   9.30 – 12 am noon        Initiations of the 21 Taras with 30 min break

Sunday – Tuesday                   3.00 – 5.30 pm         Initiations of the 21 Taras with 30 min break

Wednesday Free day

Thursday – Saturday              9.30 – 12.00 am noon  Initiations of the 21 Taras with 30 min break

Thursday – Saturday              3.00 – 5.30 pm     Initiations of the 21 Taras with 30 min break

Sunday:                                    9.30 – 11.45 am     Explanations Tara Powa, break, Tara Tsog at the end

 

Practice group for interested students

Saturday evening                  8.45 – 9.30 pm              Vajrasattva Sadhana

Monday                                   7.00 – 7.45 am              21 Tara concise Sadhana and Mantra GERMAN

Tuesday                                   7.00 – 7.45 am              21 Tara concise Sadhana and Mantra ENGLISH

Sunday – Tuesday                 8.00 – 8.45 pm              21 Tara praise and very short Guruyoga

Wednesday Free day

Thursday                                 7.00 – 7.45 am               21 Tara very concise Sadhana and Mantra GERMAN

Friday                                       7.00 – 7.45 am               21 Tara very concise Sadhana and Mantra ENGLISH

Saturday                                  7.00 – 7.45 am               21 Tara Meditation with Sadhana and Mantra

Thursday – Saturday             8.00 – 8.45 pm              21 Tara praise and very short Guruyoga

 

 

Course Schedule
Streaming Schedule Set my timezone

Date0:001:002:003:004:005:006:007:008:009:0010:0011:0012:0013:0014:0015:0016:0017:0018:0019:0020:0021:0022:0023:0024:00Sat 18.03.23Vajrasattva Initiation 15:00Vajrasattva Sadhana 19:00Sun 19.03.2321 Tara Meditation Sadhana, part 1 07:00Initiation 21 Taras, Session 1 09:30Initiation 21 Taras, Session 2 15:0021 Tara Praise and Guruyoga, part 1 20:00Mon 20.03.2321 Tara Meditation Sadhana, part 2 07:00Initiation 21 Taras, Session 3 09:30Initiation 21 Taras, Session 4 15:0021 Tara Praise and Guruyoga, part 2 20:00Tue 21.03.2321 Tara Meditation Sadhana, part 3 07:00Initiation 21 Taras, Session 5 09:30Initiation 21 Taras, Session 6 15:0021 Tara Praise and Guruyoga, part 3 20:00Wed 22.03.23Thu 23.03.2321 Tara Meditation Sadhana, part 4 07:00Initiation 21 Taras, Session 7 09:30Initiation 21 Taras, Session 8 15:0021 Tara Praise and Guruyoga, part 4 20:00Fri 24.03.2321 Tara Meditation Sadhana, part 5 07:00Initiation 21 Taras, Session 9 09:30Initiation 21 Taras, Session 10 15:0021 Tara Praise and Guruyoga, part 5 20:00Sat 25.03.2321 Tara Meditation Sadhana, part 6 07:00Initiation 21 Taras, Session 11 09:30Initiation 21 Taras, Session 12 15:0021 Tara Praise and Guruyoga, part 6 20:00Sun 26.03.23Explanations on Tara Powa and Tara Tsog 09:30

 

Registration for the online course

Registration closes on March 4st 2023

Apply for streaming access:



Association membership
You are not registered as a member of the association on your website. Become a member to support us and recieve a reduction on your contribution to the streaming costs. Or contact us at stream@ganden.ch if you already are a member (Streaming contribution regular: CHF 330, contribution as a member of our association: CHF 275).
(CHF 165 for the current course)

Event sponsoring
Better situated participants now have the opportunity to support the event as event sponsors. The Ganden Chökhor Association would like to thank all sponsors and helpers who make it possible for us to continue to run the center and to have digital access to Lodro Rinpoche's teachings in these difficult times! Further information...

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Grüne Tara

21 Taras – online

For Tara lovers and those who wish to become one.

The Teachings can be seen up to Sunday 7 th February 2021 –  10pm for all the participants of the course.

The practice of Arya Tara goes back a long way in time. Arya Tara has accompanied, supported and significantly influenced all the buddhas of the past with her limitless creativity. The great scholar and Buddhist master Atisha Rinpoche lived in India over 1000 years ago. He was a great devotee and practitioner of the profound practice of this female deity. Tara herself advised him to go to Tibet and offer his help to the people there.

The transmission of this practice of the 21 Taras  is timelessly popular and lives on to this day. It is widespread in practically all Buddhist countries, in monastic communities and families, in the Himalayan regions, in Tibet, Mongolia etc.

To give some idea of the significance and effect of this meditation practice for practitioners, one can say that its versatility and power is beyond description.

This course is suitable for all levels: as an introduction to the 21 Taras, as a meditation on the eight great dangers of existence, as a practice in wisdom and longevity, or as deepening meditation practice and concentration for advanced students.

Everyone is welcome to participate.

 

You can register from 16th of November 2020 until 24th of January 2021.

 

Time schedule of the course

With Lodro Tulku Rinpoche (English with German translation)

On Friday evening 7. 15 pm and for the Initiation on Saturday 2. 45 pm we will set the camera early, so that you can log in to be ready in time. Course starts as below (Friday at 7. 30 pm. Initiation on Saturday at 3 pm)

We all look forward meeting you soon.

 

Friday evening       7.30 – 9 *pm Introduction to Buddhist Practice and 21 Taras

Saturday                        3  – 5*  pm Initiation of 21 Taras according to Atisha Tradition

Saturday                  7.30 – 9* pm Introduction/commentary on the practice of 21 Taras

Sunday                     3 – 4.30* pm Introduction/commentary on the practice of 21 Taras

Sunday                     7.30 – 9* pm  Introduction/commentary on the practice of 21 Taras

Wednesday             4 – 5.30* pm   Final session: 21 Taras Purification Ritual

 

Practical exercises for new practitioners with Natascha    (English/German)

Sunday morning     10   –   12 *am      21 Taras meditation with mantra practice/sadhana and 21 Taras praise

Monday evening     7.30 – 9.30 *pm  21 Taras meditation with mantra practice/sadhana and 21 Taras praise

Tuesday evening    7.30 – 9.30 *pm   21 Taras meditation with mantra practice/sadhana and 21 Taras praise

 

Times:

Time: 3 pm Swiss time: (i.e.) 9 am New York time, 12 pm in Sydney time

 

The recordings:

The Initiation can be viewed for a period of 12 hours after the recording

The teachings and practical exercises will be available for viewing during the whole course and for an additional 24 hours after the final session on Wednesday.

Audio recordings of the teachings will made available for downloading to all registered participants of the course.

 

Introductory Video on how our streaming works

 

Great Mandala of the 21 Taras according to master Surjagupta with the red Tara

Initiation, commentary and exercises for the practise

The venerable Lodrö Rinpoche will first give the inauguration of the goddess Utschma according to Kriya Tantra on Friday evening. This practice is very powerful and is practiced to quickly remove energetic impurities in everyday life.

On Saturday/Sunday Lodrö Rinpoche will give the preparatory and main initiation into the large mandala to the practice of the 21 Taras according to Master Surjagupta (Sanskrit: Hidden Sun). This great practice with the red brave Tara in the center is very rarely to be received.

The authorization comes from Anuttarayoga Tantra and therefore attendees have an obligation to practice.

For us, this obligation includes: never forget the practice of the Arya Tara, recite the Tara Mantra, practice daily in 6 sessions and practice a short tara practice/visualization exercise with your own light body or the 21 tara. The practice is relatively easy to learn and is a source of energy and concentration.

The Venerable Lodrö Tulku Rinpoche will make daily comments on the profound practice of the 21 Taras according to Master Surjagupta. During one week we get an insight into the visualization and meditation techniques of this line of transmission. The course ends with a matching Four Tara Mandala Puja according to Master Surjagupta with 21 Taras.

The group learns the visualization exercises based on the ancient texts and practices them daily, similar to practitioners in Tibet and other Himalayan countries practiced centuries ago. Claudia Webinger and Natascha Keller Gassmann will introduce the group to the exercises of the Sadhana of the 21 Taras. At the end of the retreat each participant should be able to practice the Tara practice/sadhana, as well as torma and tsugar practice independently.

Beginners please contact Lama Lodrö Tulku Rinpoche:
dharma@ganden.ch

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator