Tara, the Buddhist goddess of compassion, can manifest within all of us. In this class, Lopön Chandra will share how to invite Tara’s awakened energy to come alive in yourself through teachings, guided meditations, and mantra recitations on various Taras from the Nyingma tradition of the Twenty-One Tara Pantheon (From the "Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse" treasure cycle of Jigme Lingpa). We will practice both mantra japa (recitation) and kirtan (mantra melodies) to Tara in her many forms.  Find out how important women and movements in modern history have achieved this through their own embodiment of Tara’s enlightened activities. The stories of Jane Goodall, Nawal El Saadawi, Vandana Shiva, Ani Choying Drolma, and others will inspire you to bring these aspects of Tara into the world in creative and socially conscious ways for the benefit of all. You will learn meditations and mantras for many of the twenty-one Taras and hear stories of real-life women who embody their qualities. They will inspire you to bring these aspects of Tara alive in yourself, bringing your body, mind, and soul into alignment with your enlightened nature.

Chandra Easton is a Dharma teacher, author, and translator of Tibetan Buddhist texts. She has taught Buddhism and Hatha Yoga since 2001. She studied Buddhism and Tibetan language in Dharamsala, India, and at UCSB’s religious studies department. During her studies, she cotranslated Sublime Dharma: A Compilation of Two Texts on the Great Perfection (Vimala Publishing, 2012) with B. Alan Wallace. Seeking to bring forth the voice of the empowered feminine in Buddhism, Chandra regularly leads retreats and classes for various organizations, develops programs and curricula for Tara Mandala Retreat Center, founded by Lama Tsultrim Allione, and teaches Dharma nationally and internationally. She co-founded the 21 Taras Collective with Nina Rao and Genevieve Walker, to record music for the twenty-one Taras mantras found in her new book, Embodying Tara: Twenty-One Manifestations to Awaken Your Innate Wisdom (Shambhala Publishing, 2023).