White Umbrella Tara's Supreme Protection: Sitatapatra Dukkar, protects against obstacles and evils

Why is Sitatapatra, Dukkar, or White Umbrella Tara, considered the most protective of all the Buddhist Enlightened Deities? Which of the 21 Taras is Sitatapatra, also known as Dukkar? Why does Sitatapatra sometimes have 2 arms, and sometimes 1000 arms - but always with the protective umbrella. What are her mantras and Dharanis? We answer these questions and more, in this short introduction to the glorious Buddhist Goddess of Protection.
NOTE: This is a slightly revised version with an editorial fix, thank you.
VIDEO footage of two of the statues courtesy of Terma Tree. Their beautiful Sitatapatra statues can be found here: www.termatree....
Don’t let the serene look of white Sitatapatra confuse you; Sitatapatra is the ultimate protective form of Mother Tara.
She can be as simple as a beautiful white goddess carrying a parasol umbrella, or as ferocious as a towering deity with 1,000 heads, 1,000 arms, and countless all-seeing eyes!
Regardless of her emanation - 2 arms or 1000 - she always holds her vast protective Parasol, a symbol of impenetrable protection - and a Dharma Wheel in her right hand, to show us that the eightfold path of the Buddha is all the protection anyone would need.
She is also Tara, a form of Sita Tara (White Tara).
Among the 21 Taras, in the Nyingma Terma tradition, she is the 19th Tara, Tara who is unconquerable and victorious.
She is a Mahayana Bodhisattva from Sutra, as well as a Vajrayana deity, and is the ultimate protection against any form of danger, obstruction and especially any super normal or supernatural threats.
Whether she is visualized in her form with 1000 arms and heads, or 2 arms, she is known as the “undefeatable one”.
As a sutra practice - a teaching spoken by the Buddha - these powerful protective mantras and practices are suitable for everyone, and are very popular in many traditions of Mahayana Buddhism.
In the root Sutra, the vastly profound Śūraṅgama Sūtra, Sitatapatra originates as an emanation from Shakyamuni Buddha’s divine Ushnisha protuberance - born from the profound samadhi of the Buddha himself.
According to the root Sutra, her practice, and especially her mantra, will protect us from all harm, including supernatural threats, and ensures we will be born in Sukhavati, the Western Pureland of Amitabha.
Her Sutra practice is also for “healing illness, dispelling interferences and spirit possession, quelling disasters, and bringing auspiciousness” according to the late great teacher Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche.
Her practice is considered a complete practice, because of the emphasis on Samadhi, or meditation, and on embracing the Noble Eightfold Path of Shakyamuni Buddha, and the conduct of virtuous living.
Her benefits are summarized in her praise:
I salute you, exalted one!
Only mother of all the Buddhas, past, present, and future,
Your glory pervades the three worlds.
Homage to you, savioress from the evil influence of demons
and planets, obstacles and negativities
From untimely death and evil dreams,
From the dangers of poison, arms, fire, and water.
The mandala of your being is exceedingly vast.
You have a thousand heads full of innumerable mindstates,
A thousand hands holding flaming attributes.
Queen of all the mandalas of the three worlds,
Ever-present taming the evil ones,
I salute you, goddess of protection and magic, turning demons into dust!
In addition to various Sutras, Sitatapatra appears in some of Buddha’s previous life tales, known as Jatakas: The Mahaunmagga Jataka, or the life of Shakyamuni as Prince Mahosadha; and the Mugapakkha Jataka.
The easiest way to practice and invoke her protection is to chant her mantras. There is a short "heart" mantra, a medium size Dharani, a Longer Dharani and a full Heart Dharani. There is also the mantra of the 19th Tara of the 21 Taras.
Her mantra is especially powerful for protection, healing and blessings.
Sutra mantras require no empowerments, since the empowerment comes directly from Shakyamuni Buddha to us - directly into our hearts.
Her simplest mantra, according to the Sūtra is simply:
Hum ma ma hum ni svaha
The most common mantra, slightly longer, here repeated three times, is:
Om Sarva Tathagata Usnisha Sitatapatra Hum Phat Hum Ma Ma Hum Ni Svaha
OTHER VERSIONS OF MANTRA, see BuddhaWeekly.com feature: buddhaweekly.c...
NOTE: There are slightly different mantras from various lineages of practices. Be guided by your own lineage and teachings. The above is the Sanskrit version from the Sutra. For example, in version written by Lobsang Dragpa at the re- quest of the renunciate Sherab Gyältsen it is written
OM SARVA TATHAGATOSHNISHA SITATAPATRE HUM PHAT HUM MAMA HUM NI SVAHA
There are other variants in other lineages, although the essence is the same.

[@sourojeet]

Glory to the great wisdom mother Arya-Tara's powerful manifestation, Ushnisha-Sitatapatra 💕

[@voxincaelo]

Sadhu!

[@jayakumarkaarikuzhy4713]

It's an irony of fate that a person who is born and bred in the country which gave birth to Buddhism had to be taught about it by a channel which, I assume from the photos used in the video, is originated from some of the countries which is lying east of the country which 'fetched' Nirvana to Great Budha. I had been to Sarnath, Budhgaya, Lumbini,etc ., in 2019. Thanks and best wishes for your endeavours. You have taken me back to my school days of studying Budhism - not superfluous studies.

[@buddhafiles1626]

Woow, morning bliss from Sitatapatra 😍 Thanks a lot Buddha weekly 😘

[@BuddhaWeekly]

Thank you for watching. May all beings benefit. 🙏🙏🙏

[@healingartsandstars]

I am SO HAPPY, DELIGHTED, THRILLED that you have created this teaching video on SITATAPATRA DUKKAR! I have a wondrous thangka of her that I purchased twenty-three years ago. I was so very drawn to her. At the time she came into my life, I was specializing in assisting people suffering with AIDS and cancer. I searched for information about her for years and could not discover much, only her name from a postcard I found with the thousand armed image that matched my thangka. In the past couple years, I did find her mantras, but never an empowerment, it's especially meaningful to me that her practice does not require an empowerment, and that she is a form of White Tara. I became a paid subscriber of Buddha Weekly because of the wide-ranging Buddhist teachings you offer. MANY THANKS TO YOU ! 🙏🙏🙏🙏🌻🌻🌻🌻❤🧡💛💚💙🤍💜🖤💕💕💕💕💕❣❣❣❣❣🌻📿📿📿📿📿📿📿

[@BuddhaWeekly]

Thank you, that's so wonderful to hear! Being drawn to Sitatapatra is very special. Thank you for your work helping others, and thank you for your support of our volunteers. May all beings benefit!🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@Spectre2434]

🙏🙏🙏May All Beings Be Liberated!

[@holgerdanske3960]

Great video and information, may this video be helpful to many. What is else to mention? Dukkar ist the most powerful protection for travellers, especially on the northern hemisphäre. I expierenced great protection from this deity. I have survived three situations in car traffic, which under normal circumstances should have been fatal, without suffering the slightest damage. I always carry a blessed picture of her with me and when I go on a long trip, I recite her mantra intensely. The protection is just huge. However, one should always keep in mind that the true protection for sentient beings is the knowledge of cause and effect. No one can be protected - even by Dukkar - if karma does not allow it. Therefore, it is more than advisable to abandon negative actions and practice the Dharma sincerely. Invoking Dukkar is not magic, but only useful in the context of sincere Dharma practice.

[@gelekrapten5820]

Thank u for this video I m blessed.

[@BuddhaWeekly]

You are so welcome. May all beings benefit. 🙏🙏🙏

[@tony-qp3iw]

Wonderful ! 🙏

[@BuddhaWeekly]

Thank you! 🙏🙏🙏

[@NielsvanBedaf-go2gv]

Love

[@MrDale53]

I hope someday you will also add Cundi (or Cunda). Her mantra first appears in the same sutra as does Om Manipadme Hum. Though it can be said with the preface as a longer dharani, many Buddhist lamas and priests teach simply "Om Cale Cule Cunde Svaha" as the mantra. Thank you for all wonderful work, especially in giving the Feminine Bodhisattvas/Buddhas their due!

[@BuddhaWeekly]

Thank you for your suggestion and your kind words. Yes, we do plan to do the longer Dharani of Cundi in future. Right now we're in the recording studio for the Sanskrit chanting of Heart Sutra which was a huge project. Thanks again! In kindness, BW.

[@geauxgaia]

AMazing Video! Prostrations Tashi Delek

[@BuddhaWeekly]

Many many thanks 🙏🙏🙏

[@geauxgaia]

@@BuddhaWeekly for sure! Much love

[@somasreedey4336]

Thank you so much 🙏

[@BuddhaWeekly]

You're welcome 😊 Thank you for watching!🙏🙏🙏

[@CyndiGeary]

💛🙏📿

[@fivecents9362]

Ōṃ sarva tathāgata uṣṇīṣha sitātapatrā hūṃ phaṭ! [Ōṃ! All Thus Come如來 crown White Parasol (exclamation)] Hūṃ mama hūṃ ni svāhā

[@BuddhaWeekly]

🙏🙏🙏

[@basantagurung369]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@chimawoo5032]

🙏🙏🙏

[@BuddhaWeekly]

🙏🙏🙏❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏

[@johninman7545]

The Shuragama mantra has more than one form.. They are all correct. There are two versions on KZbin

[@MichaelRoyBroughton]

🙏🏻🥰🙏🏻

[@BuddhaWeekly]

🙏🙏🙏❤🙏🙏🙏

[@alishamanandhar3817]

🙏🙏🙏💖💖🌸🌸

[@JoHIVideo]

When will you post the mantra here?

[@BuddhaWeekly]

Our current schedule is: Lion-Faced Dakini -- recorded, and being edited as a video now. Medicine Buddha - recorded, and the next mantra video Refuge and King of All Prayers in Sanskrit is in the studio now being audio recorded -- this will be amazing one. Sitatapatra White Umbrella follows, but has only been musically written, studio probably in a couple weeks. Sorry for the delay, coming soon.

[@MariSuciu-w3q]

🙏🤍Gio

[@NymphaMaglupay]

Where to put white umbrella

[@nicholassookdeo9441]

Shurungama mantra/dharani when? Since she is associated with it.

[@BuddhaWeekly]

Thank you for the suggestion. The Shurangama mantra Dharani is very long, therefore a massive undertaking. The heart mantra we do plan to do, although we're trying to source Siddhim script or devanagari -- so far with no success (but we're limited by the time our group of volunteers has available). The actual White Umbrella Sitatatapatra mantra is in the plans, although we have only been able to source SIddham or Devanagari for the shorter version so far. Most of the medium length versions of this mantra are Tibetan transcriptions, and there are already version of that available. In the future, though, we will have at least the shorter length White Umbrella Sitattapatra and probably the heart mantra of Shurangama.