Goddess Tara Empowerment In Retreat

We are seeing the feminine principle re-emerging in the collective consciousness of humanity. Maybe this is why increasing numbers of Buddhists and non-Buddhists are finding so much comfort in embracing the practices of the GODDESS TARA. This is the popular archetype of matriarchal empowerment at its most compassionate.

We are also in an age of Goddess Yoga – a time when the feminine deity energy of the world has awakened so strongly that it has resulted in the rise of women’s empowerment groups. Increasingly, women all over the world are setting up GODDESS CIRCLES; organizing themselves into groups. This is happening everywhere irrespective of race or religion, and even amongst women who may not even have discovered the Goddess Tara.

Women are finding greater strength in numbers and so they gather together – to meditate, to sing, to dance, to do yoga, to travel, to go on rainforest retreats; establishing themselves into various kinds of groups. Women are increasingly being brought together by a shared desire to inspire each other into boldness – to awaken their inner energies. This is a powerful phenomenon that is becoming very popular indeed – and it seems like a reflection of the world’s energies propelling women to feel increasingly empowered.

There is strength of purpose when women come together in circles. The world’s collective yin energy is definitely gaining momentum and the spot of yang that is in the feminine is arising, and the circles are getting bigger, becoming more influential.

The key to releasing the essence of the GODDESS ENERGY within me started many years ago when I got to know beautiful GODDESS TARA. This led me to the Goddess path towards my own self discovery. I discovered that while I can find myself and my true calling by reflecting and contemplating, the path was made so much easier and was also more blissful when I started organizing groups of like-minded friends to undertake TARA Retreats.

That was when we got together to recite TARA mantras and praises. We were extremely lucky as we were guided in those early days by my great guru, the incomparable CHODEN RINPOCHE who has passed on and whose reincarnation has also been found. It was Choden Rinpoche who led us over three years to eventually receive the empowerment of CITTAMANI TARA. Those were blissful days indeed, as that was when we attempted the empowerment of Goddess Tara retreats. Those days we also started doing all-night chanting of Praises to the Taras.

Those days, our GODDESS CIRCLE retreats raised incredible blissful feelings within us all and these feelings have endured since then.

Goddess TARA Retreats gather together the power of group energies and any retreat always begins with empowering our tongues. Yes indeed, it is this that enhances all the recitations of OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA giving the sounds of the mantras incredible force. During retreat, the idea is to recite the mantra as many times as you can, and I have been on retreats where many give themselves seemingly impossible goals such as reciting a million TARA mantras over seven days!

At first, this seems so challenging, but somehow, the magic takes over and some have indeed actually recited this enormous number; usually it takes them more than three weeks to accomplish such a lofty goal. The most I have ever accomplished at any one retreat is 100,000 mantras.

When you chant GODDESS TARA’s mantra daily, you are activating powerful sonic vibrations internally and externally. Her mantra liberates your inner self, liberates you from all your fears, and embraces you with an aura of protective energies. This keeps you safe as you embark on your spiritual journey into yourself. The mantra of TARA comprises the syllable tare three times and this means liberation! Reciting the mantra hence brings on a sense of great liberation.

Spiritual meditation accompanied with sacred mantra recitation is what empowers your mind, generating boundless visualizations that manifest all that your mind wishes for into incredible reality.

When you do this daily, it leads to an awakening of spiritual power that evolves into your own conscious self-awareness. The Goddess energies that get released from within you while reciting Tara’s mantra and doing Tara meditations is a beautiful spiritual path of empowerment. Results are sure to come and you are certain to feel the energy of Tara, but it takes time and requires a daily practice of self reflection.

Learning the practice of TARA is always easier when you do a retreat, because then the practice sinks into your sub-conscious. It is also very comforting experiencing it with others. It helps immensely when you have a qualified guide, teacher or guru who is there to help you over difficulties that might arise unexpectedly. It is also easier when you can read from a set text, as this puts your mind into a state of easy awareness. The most empowering part comes when you start to recite the mantra. These seem to emit a powerful magic of its own.

RECITING PRAISES

Empowerment also happens when you train yourself to recite Praises to the 21 different emanations of the TARA Goddess, because that is when you come to accomplish the secret wisdoms that arise deep inside your consciousness. This is realizing an inner spiritual wisdom that is the precursor to attaining sacred spiritual strength.

Over time, you will come to differentiate between external and internal powers.

The Tibetans refer to the realization of external powers as siddhis, and this can be as mundane as being able to sense what others want to say before they speak, being able to hear what someone is thinking without them giving voice to their thoughts or being able to perform normal functions of the body at an increased speed, such as to walk or run very fast or even to fly!

Advertisements

These siddhis make your daily interaction with friends and colleagues much easier. They usually arise after much practice, and they often come without you even being aware. But when they become a part of you, these abilities usually arise alongside a more compassionate heart. You become more loving, more tolerant and kinder in your judgements.

External empowerment creates an amazing feeling – you actually feel greatly empowered the humbler you become and the nicer you see yourself becoming as you interact with others. External power sees you improving all your relationships as Goddess Tara helps you create a warm ambience to smoothen your daily life.

Meanwhile, inner power will also creep up on you.

This is spiritual empowerment that arises from daily mantra recitations done alongside daily self-reflection exercises. The process is evolutionary. Inner power gives you increasing control over all your emotions and thought processes as you interact and respond to others. Inner siddhis give you direct access to your own spiritual authority and it will make it easier for you to align your physical with your emotional and mental well-being.

Spiritual empowerment brings greater clarity of thought, takes you to a state of heightened inner peace and awakens you to your own divine essence. This elevates you to beautiful levels of sacred energies.

Embracing the feminine spirit frees all levels of your Mind, Body and Spirit. When you understand your Goddess energy (even if you are male), you will keep challenging yourself to go deeper into methodologies of conscious awareness. Thus you come to eventually realize your own unlimited capacity to achieve anything you want.

It becomes wish-granting, and that is when your wishes may well start to manifest like unexpected magic. Your mind takes on incredible authority and you become your own source of inspiration.

Spiritual meditation accompanied with sacred mantra recitation is what empowers your mind, generating boundless visualizations that manifest all that your mind wishes for into incredible reality.

If you feel a connection with Goddess Tara and there is an opportunity to participate in a Goddess circle retreat, make an effort to participate, even if it is only for one day. Who knows what divine spark can arise!