White Tara

Overall view with museum label; Tara (from Sanskrit) in Tibetan Buddhism, is a female bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism; she appears as a female Buddha in Vajrayana Buddhism. She is known as the "mother of liberation", and represents the virtues of success in work and achievements. She has 21 forms (always female); White Tara, (Sitatara) is known for compassion, long life, healing and serenity; also known as The Wish-fulfilling Wheel, or Cintachakra. Whether the Tara figure originated as a Buddhist or Hindu goddess is unclear and remains a source of dispute among scholars. Independent of whether she is classified as a deity, a Buddha, or a bodhisattva, Tara remains very popular in Tibet (and Tibetan communities in exile in Northern India), Mongolia, Nepal and Bhutan. In this sculpture she is seen giving the varada mudra (gift-bestowing gesture). Source: Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page (accessed 4/17/2015