Sanskrit: The constitutional position of the living being, which is the rendering of service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By the process of devotional service, one can revive that svarupa, and that stage is called svarupa-siddhi – perfection of one’s constitutional position.
Tantra
The continuum of energy, the constant flow of energy as cause and effect, is called in Sanskrit: Tantra. The word Tantra means “loop, flow, continuum.” It is the constant movement of energy and matter. The word Tantra has great power, because it refers to the root movement of energy in all levels of existence.
When we use the word Tantra in Gnosis, it has two primary applications:
- Tantra as the continuum of energy
- Tantra as the practices and techniques that harness and use that energy
Tapas
Tapas are austerity or penance. One of the chief skills that a student needs to learn is to perceive all circumstances as tapas, austerities, penance.
Tara
(Sanskrit तारा; Tibetan: Dolma) Literally, “savior” or “she who liberates.” A symbolic representation of the Divine Mother, who is formless but takes forms like this out of compassion for beings like us.
In Hinduism, Tara is seen as a form of Shakti, the vital energy of the gods, and is thus a manifestation of Durga or Parvati. In Hindu Tantra, Tara is very similar to Kali.
In Tibetan Buddhism, Tara is seen as an emanation of Avalokitesvara (Christ). She is considered the embodiment of the compassion of all the gods, and is thus seen as the mother of all the Buddhas. She appears in twenty-one forms; the two most common are White Tara (associated with healing and long life) and Green Tara (associated with protection). Her veneration is very popular in Tibetan Buddhism.
The mantra of Tara is oṃ tāre tuttāre ture svāhā (oṃ tāre tu tāre ture soha).
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