I’ve been experiencing a series of synchronicities related to Tara since I began working on a song from a book my sister gave me many years ago. The song is based on a poem called 21 praises to Tara. Yesterday, these synchronicities have come full circle, ironically at the end of a 260-day Tzolk’in cycle.
This journey has its roots at Menla, a retreat center largely dedicated to the Dalai Lama and his teachings. Not relevant now, but my sister had previously stayed there to receive a Green Tara empowerment, which I did not know about until very recently. The work on 21 praises to Tara began after a very powerful synchronicity I had after writing a song dedicated to White Tara (this song can be found in a post above).
At the same time, I was taking Andrew’s Preparing to Die course. He suggested I get a powa empowerment as the next phase in my journey involving deity dream yoga. I had never heard of empowerments before this, which sent me down the rabbit hole. I didn’t even know Vajrayana Buddhism was the place to look for empowerments, so finding a local place that offered them was next to impossible for me. I reached out to a friend who recommended a few places. While those didn’t work out, the information provided led me to a series of synchronicities that ultimately helped me find a local place offering empowerments. This friend also gave me one piece of advice: to avoid the Kadampa lineage because they are opposed to some of the Dalai Lama’s teachings.
After a day or two searching for empowerments, I found an online archive that were conducted during COVID, including both powa and Tara empowerments. Interestingly, two days before discovering these empowerments, I had a vivid dream during a WILD in which I was doing powa. In the dream I exited my dream body, turned around saw it, then explored around the corner. It was a very well organized room, simplistic, yet very detailed and in the center of the room were chairs. One was occupied with a woman that I recognized as I began approaching her. She had a beaming smile and was ornated with her traditional items. It was a neutral color Tara (human skin tone, slightly sun tanned). I sat down next to her and the only thing I could think to do was say “Tare Tuttare” and right as the second word finished the dream abruptly ended. I felt stupid after waking up and felt I had missed a rare opportunity to engage with the energy that was in my dream, but I later learned that even this partial mantra is known to invoke Tara’s protective energies.
Fast forward two days, to when I came across an archive of empowerments. The neutral color of Tara allowed me to research and choose which energy resonated most with me. I decided on Green Tara and excitedly shared my experience with my sister, who had given me the book many years ago. She then revealed that she had received numerous Tara empowerments over the years across the US from various Lamas, including one at a local monastery. This synchronicity made me extremely happy, reaffirming the adage, “when nothing is done, nothing is left undone.”
My sister had provided what I had given up searching for: a place to seek in-person empowerments. To my surprise, she had received an in-person Green Tara empowerment at Menla from Gen Kelsang Norden of the New Kadampa Tradition. This was significant because the Kadampa lineage opposes some of the Dalai Lama’s teachings, yet Menla prominently features a shrine to the Dalai Lama in the main lecture hall. Among the eight Lamas from whom my sister received empowerments, only one was from the Kadampa lineage.
The synchronicity was striking: I had unknowingly sent her a Green Tara online empowerment, unaware that she had received any empowerments, let alone a Green Tara empowerment from a lineage opposed to the Dalai Lama, and at the only retreat center we had both visited.
Throughout this period, several other smaller synchronicities occurred, but the best part was the connection I developed with my sister while discussing different empowerments. We now plan to attend two together in early July.
The final synchronicity occurred yesterday during my Reiki session. My practitioner had moved her table and various items to a new room. Upon entering, I immediately noticed the one deity she had proudly displayed in the room: Green Tara.
Additionally, a fun little synchronicity happened when my practitioner drank some water before the session and set the glass next to a singing bowl on her cabinet. The water level was exactly at the same height as the bowl. We both thought it was incredible because of the precision. I believe that when synchronicities occur under conditions controlled by those they are meant for, they achieve a deeper level of profundity. This assurance, knowing that the events were untampered, enhances their significance. A nice final synchronicity for me too because I believe water and sound vibrations hold many secrets within their simple appearance.
These experiences have inspired me to write a Green Tara song, bringing my journey full circle. Even though I might have forgotten some smaller details, I hope you enjoyed the read and the song below!
