In Tibetan Buddhism, the twenty-one forms of Tara each embody a distinct quality of awakened compassion. Green Tara acts — swiftly, fearlessly, clearing obstacles in the world. White Tara heals — gently, deeply, working at the level of life force itself. Her mantra is one of the most beautiful in the Tibetan tradition, and her practice is particularly beloved for times of illness, ageing, and the wish to protect those we love.
White Tara's Form
White Tara is depicted seated in full lotus, her body white as moonlight. She has seven eyes — one in each palm, one in each sole of the feet, and one at the third eye — representing her omniscient compassion: she sees suffering wherever it exists and responds immediately. She holds a white lotus, and from her body radiates a soft, purifying light.
The Mantra
Om Tare Tuttare Ture Mama Ayuh Punya Jnana Pushtim Kuru Soha
The first part — Om Tare Tuttare Ture — is shared with Green Tara's mantra, calling upon Tara in her three aspects: liberating from suffering, preventing future suffering, and granting swift aid. What distinguishes the White Tara mantra is the personal petition that follows: Mama Ayuh Punya Jnana Pushtim Kuru — "increase my lifespan, merit, and wisdom." It is an unusually direct request for specific blessings.
Healing Practice
White Tara's practice is most commonly undertaken for healing — either for oneself or for others. When chanting for another person, hold their image clearly in your mind and visualise White Tara's white light flowing through you and into them, filling their body and clearing any illness or obstacle. The combination of compassionate intention and mantra is considered especially potent in this tradition.
Longevity
In Tibetan Buddhist teaching, lifespan is not fixed — it can be shortened by negative actions and lengthened through merit, practice, and the blessings of wisdom beings like White Tara. Chanting her mantra is therefore also a practice of accumulating the spiritual conditions for a long and meaningful life. This includes not just physical longevity, but the continuation of one's capacity to benefit others.
Benefits
Practitioners of the White Tara mantra often describe a quality of inner softening — a gentleness toward oneself and others that grows gradually over time. The mantra seems to cultivate the specific quality of compassionate presence: the ability to be with suffering, one's own or another's, without being overwhelmed by it.
