Recently, I listened to a Ted talk ' Female in Buddhism' given by Drukmo Gyal, a young Tibetan Yogini and Healing mantra singer with beautiful angelic voice, talking about Female in Tibetan Buddism.
In her talk, Drukmo explained Tara as the most important female Buddha in Tibetan Buddhism, her name in Tibetan language means 'Female Liberator'.
Green Tara, also called Mother Tara is usually associated with protection from the eight fears: lions(pride), elephants(ignorance), fires(anger), snakes(jealousy), thieves(wrong views), bondage(miserliness), floods(attachment) and evil spirits(deluded doubts).
Drukmo said in Tibet, it is very common for the mothers to breastfeed their children for 2,3 or even up to 4 years, and this deep physical connection helps children to build up Divine relation with their mothers, and all mothers are considered as Tara .
That's why she never imagined that hatred and inharmony could exist between a child and a mother until she came to the west. She said that in the west, modern education has been over commercialised, there are so many standards and rules for children to standardise their behaviours and parents follows so called science proven education methods of do's and don'ts for their children, and children feel suppressed and disconnected. Many times when they grow up, they feel difficulties of loving their parents in return, because they are traumatised. On the other side, parents believe they have done everything they could for their children, that is the beginning of the problem. She went on to question that, how parents can decide how much love their children need, individual needs of love is so different, we can only find out the extend by loving our children unconditionally.
She believes two very essential teachings of Buddhism, compassion and wisdom, are key points to bring harmony to family and society, and she understands as Buddhism is Feminism.
Speaking about Feminism, she said she received a letter from a lady claiming she is a Feminist and she experienced learning smoking and drinking alcohol, because she wanted to prove that she can do anything that a man can. She said when one doesn't practice compassion and wisdom, any external appearances and material values can easily carry away the mind. She is not against Feminists/Feminism when they promote equality due to female potential, but when anger and hatred are involved, then it's going very far from initial goal.
At the end of talk, she said that she really believes harmony between a child and a mother can come back through practicing compassion and wisdom.
I often thought about Feminism and the change of society in the wake of Feminism in the past decades. Here is my little verse reflecting my thoughts.
Are we, in the name of Feminism, forgetting our own wisdom and true nature as women?
Are we, in the name of Feminism, losing sight of our true potential as women?
Are we, in the name of Feminism, separating and disconnecting our children from us?
Are we, in the name of Feminism, sacrificing our children's right to be loved and cherished?
Are we, in the name of Feminism, not teaching our children the very thing they came to learn in this life that is Love?
Are we, in the name of Feminism, making unhappy, insecure and traumatised generations?
Are we, in the name of Feminism, creating a broken society which is filled with hatred, division and hostility?
When Feminism is looking for the wisdom, not the power outside, the world will be again in harmony and peace.
When Women are searching for Green Tara within themselves, and guide others, the world will be once again connected.
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