Sūtras for Wellbeing: Tara Who Protects from the Eight Dangers
By Jan Willis
A powerful female Buddha who vowed to remain in feminine form until all beings are free—Tara's practice offers relief and resilience during crises, ancient and contemporary.
Sūtras for Wellbeing
What do ancient Buddhist sūtras have to say about wellbeing today? In this six-part short video series, we explore selected sūtras and the practical insights they offer for navigating modern life. Through brief, accessible reflections, each episode highlights how the Buddha’s words can support clarity, balance, and inner resilience.
Episode 3 | Tara Who Protects from the Eight Dangers
In this video, Jan Willis introduces Tara, a prominent female Buddha revered for her boundless compassion and her vow to remain in feminine form until all beings are liberated. Born from the tears of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, Tara is known as a swift protector and savior, embodying deep empathy alongside the power to act decisively. This episode highlights a sūtra translated by 84000 that describes how she protects practitioners from eight great dangers, ranging from external threats such as fire and floods to inner afflictions like pride and anger. Throughout history, influential Buddhist masters have turned to Tara for guidance and protection in times of difficulty. Jan Willis suggests that invoking Tara continues to offer a powerful means of finding relief and resilience amid today’s global and social challenges.
Listen to:
English | "Tārā Who Protects from the Eight Dangers" recited by Ani Jasmine
84000 · Ep. 3 | English | "Tārā Who Protects from the Eight Dangers" recited by Ani Jasmine
Tibetan | "Tārā Who Protects from the Eight Dangers" recited by H.H. Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang Rinpoche
84000 · Ep. 3 "Tārā Who Protects from the Eight Dangers" recited by H.H. Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang Rinpoche
"The Dhāraṇī of Tārā" recited by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
84000 · Ep. 7 | "The Dhāraṇī of Tārā" recited by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
View other episodes:
- Episode 1: On Entering the City of Vaiśālī
- Episode 2: Dedications “Fulfilling All Aspirations” and “Protecting All Beings”
- Episode 3: Tara Who Protects from the Eight Dangers
- Episode 4: The Dhāraṇī of Pārṇaśavarī
- Episode 5: Praise to Tara with Twenty-One Verses of Homage
- Episode 6: The Aspiration Prayer from “Destroyer of the Great Trichiliocosm”
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