TARA: A MEDITATIVE ART PRACTICE AND COLLABORATIVE LOCKDOWN PROJECT
During the pandemic, labs and institutions across the world shuttered their doors, as scientists and artists did OUR best to adapt to working remotely to continue our studies.
The IRL remained active during lockdown, adapting our Isness co-located multi-person VR experience into a distributed format in which participants could dial in across the globe.
Part of this research was conducted from a remote lab node established at D’Alijo Retreat centre in the mountains of Northern Portugal.
The 10,000 Tārās project was initiated as a meditation practice by Dr. David Glowacki in Jan 2021 at D’Alijo during the COVID lockdown. The first white Tārā consecrated in a ceremony by IRL collaborator Lama Karma. The lab and D’Alijo came together to set intentions and prayers moving forwards in uncertain times and the ceremony also marked the evolution of the lab and our continued presence at this beautiful and inspiring location!
Tārā consecration ceremony at D’Alijo Retreat Centre in Northern Portugal
FROM THE 10000TARAS.ORG WEBSTE:
Tārā (“she who saves”) is a buddha manifestation embodying the qualities of feminine energy within the universe. She offers warmth, compassion, and relief from suffering. Like a mother for her children, she engenders, nourishes, and smiles at the vitality of creation.
Tārā comes in different manifestations and colours. The most common are green and white. In her white form, Tārā is “The mother of all Buddhas”, embodying graceful power, wisdom, purity, truth, empowerment and the transcendence of all limitations. She is sometimes referred to as “the seven eyed Goddess”: besides the third eye, she has eyes in the palms of her hands and the soles of her feet. She sees all human suffering but at the same time encourages us to develop vigilance and sensitivity to the energies in and around us.
The 10,000 Tārās project was initiated as a meditation practice by Dr. David Glowacki in Jan 2021 during the COVID lockdown. It began with a White Tārā which was painted at the D’Alijo Retreat Centre in northern Portugal. It was intended as a kind of prayer offering to ease the physical, emotional, and psychological suffering of all beings impacted by COVID.
The team at D’Alijo have a dream that the Tārā energy will lead to the creation of 10,000 more Tārās, to the benefit of all sentient beings in all dimensions seen and unseen.