Here is a link to Sherry’s story with photos please click here for the full story and document
Theresa Elwell shares her experience of Tara Ling and the Monlam
Stepping onto the grounds of TaraLing for the first time, I immediately felt I was entering a sacred space, a slice of Tara’s pure land. As you enter the temple, the 3 deities – Green Tara at the center, White Tara to her right, and Vajra Yogini to her left — stand out. They have been consecrated and blessed, and therefore feel alive and present. Every offering on the altar and every hanging thangka feel carefully and diligently placed. Every wall you turn to, there is an enlightened one or protector blessing and empowering the space.
As we step into practice, we begin with the preliminaries — Motivation, Refuge, and Bodhicitta. Though having done these practices countless times before, they took on a new flavor with live music as well as in in the native language of the lands, Portuguese. It was exciting and uplifting for me to practice these dances in a different language and energetic brought by our Brazilian friends. This held true for all of our core practices, including Shantideva and the Mandala.
How the Monlam has influenced me is hard to put into words due to the profundity outside of conceptual thought. With each day and each practice, I set a strong intention to really open my heart and mind, to turn away from my selfish tendencies, and to fully open to Tara and her energy, inviting her into my deep mind to purify what needs to be purified and to manifest her qualities in fullness. Moments when I became tired or foggy, lazy or self-consumed, all I needed to do was look up and witness the other Taras — their love that was being generously shared through hugs, laughter, and conversation, all reflecting their joyful kindness, care, and presence with one another.
The Monlam was a rigorous prayer festival, with countless prayers and practices completed daily, along with completing 2 or 3 Mandalas in a day. For me, this challenged and stretched the mind, working it to meet each moment with openness. I gained faith in the practices Prema and Myri have developed for us because I chose to show up in each moment as my authentic self, and without fail I would be pruned, loved, carried, and broken open yet again to Tara’s deep love and guidance. No matter how I was in any moment, the dances were the medicine I needed to come back to a state of compassion and wisdom. On top of that, we all participated in the ongoing mantra recitation of Tara, taking 2 hour shifts with a partner. Many of us opted for the overnight shifts, pruning the mind yet again to diligently focus on Tara’s energy pouring into the world.
In one of my overnight shifts, I received incredibly powerful visualizations. One was this: TaraLing showed itself as the body of Tara, the temple being Tara’s Heart. In the center of her heart, in the center of the temple, from floor to ceiling, a beautiful luminous green syllable TAM. As the TAM pulsed like a heartbeat, each throbbing vibration sent the mantra spinning around the outside of the temple in golden letters – OM TARE TUTARE TURE SOHA – sending out infinite waves of light energy all across the world. I could direct the energy to a specific location, situation, or person and with great faith knew that the energy was received. At times I also visualized that with each throbbing TAM, billions of Taras were born and pulsing out of the temple into the world and universe. In this experience I felt how Tara is truly infinite, multi-bodied, and multi-dimensional.
Throughout our time together, I knew I wasn’t the only one having profound experiences. I heard stories of insights and visions that others were having. I could also feel it while witnessing the power and truth of each Tara being born from the mandala while dancing as a protector. I also felt it in the singers voices, and in “Calling Tara from the Heart” and witnessing tears streaming down the faces of my friends. With every mudra, every step, every hand hold, every breath, every heart beating “TAM,” we were bathing in Tara’s light and love.
A final highlight I wish to reflect is the visit from Chokyi Nangpa Rinpoche. His kindness to Prema and our Sangha is unmatched. He not only consecrated the temple, but also offered a Refuge Ceremony as well as an Empowerment of the 21 Taras. He gave us gifts of blessed string from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and mani pills. He and his translator completed all of our wishes, from answering questions to blessing objects. He greatly honored Prema, and congratulated her on her life and successes. He also honored Myri for all of her tremendous work in supporting the creation of TaraLing. A core memory for me was during Rinpoche’s parting words to us students of Prema, he stated how wonderful it is how we engage in the Dharma through these practices, and emphasized that if we only keep it for ourselves and do not share it, then it will get lost. It is up to us, the students, to continue the lineage and share this sacred form of practice so that many more can continue to benefit for decades to come.
Having been home about 10 days, I can feel a significant change in my mind and heart from this Monlam. I am different. My energy is more powerful. My visions more clear. My understanding is deeper. I feel empowered, blessed, and more whole. There is no doubt in my mind that this is due to the blessings of the positive activities we have accomplished together at this Monlam.
May all beings benefit from our powerful prayers. May Tara’s Love in Action conquer all disease, sickness, imbalance, fear, doubt, confusion, pain, and discomfort. May we all arise as the Great Mother in our communities, with pure motivation in our hearts to benefit each being that comes our way.
Om Tare!
