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Wearing taboos
1. Do not wear it when bathing: avoid thangka contact with water or bath products.
2. Avoid placing it in the toilet: the toilet is humid and unclean, which may damage the thangka.
3. Maintain piety and awe: thangka has religious significance and needs to be respected.
Daily care
1. Avoid exposure to the sun: place it in a constant temperature place to prevent the pigment from fading or the material from cracking.
2. Reduce smoke: long-term smoke will cause the surface of the thangka to turn yellow.
3. Moisture-proof area: keep it dry, and dry it in non-direct sunlight for 1-2 minutes in autumn to dehumidify, avoid strong light.
**1. Green Tara**
- **Image**: The whole body is green, the right hand is in the mudra of giving wishes (palm facing outward), the left hand holds the Ubala flower (blue lotus), and the feet are in a half-cross-legged sitting position (the right leg is extended, symbolizing that it is ready to get up and save sentient beings at any time).
- **Symbol**: **Action, fearless compassion**. Green Tara is known for her quick response to the suffering of sentient beings and is called the "Quick and Brave Mother of Salvation".
- **Merits**:
- Eliminates fear and disasters (such as the eight difficulties: fire, water, lions, elephants, snakes, thieves, prisons, and non-humans).
- Helps sentient beings escape the suffering of reincarnation and grants worldly and transcendental achievements.
- **Mantra**: Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā.
**2. White Tara**
- **Image**: The whole body is white, with one eye on the forehead, palm, and sole (a total of seven eyes), symbolizing wisdom that illuminates everything. She holds Ubala flowers in both hands and sits cross-legged.
- **Symbol**: **Longevity, pure wisdom**. White Tara is also known as one of the "Three Longevity Deities" (along with Amitabha Buddha and Vajrayogini).
- **Merits**:
- Prolong life, cure diseases, especially protect female practitioners.
- Purify karma and open up the wisdom of ultimate enlightenment.
- **Mantra**: Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Mama Āyuḥ Punya Jñāna Puṣtiṃ Kuru Svāhā).
- **Commonalities**:
- All are manifestations of the compassion of Avalokitesvara (legend has it that Green Tara was transformed from Avalokitesvara's tears).
- Belong to the "Twenty-one Taras" system, with Green Tara as the main deity of all Taras.
**Cultural influence**
- In Tibet, Green Tara is known as the "Guardian of Tibet", and Princess Wencheng is regarded as her incarnation; White Tara is often combined with the belief in Medicine Buddha.
- Practitioners often worship both at the same time, Green Tara helps to break through external obstacles, and White Tara nourishes inner enlightenment.
