Mother Tara: the protector and provider of unconditional love
It is the privilege of Yayasan Pema Norbu Vihara, Malaysia (YPNV) to be a modest producer of a series of Dharma music to benefit all sentient beings since last year. This is an instinctive response to lessen the negative impact of the pandemic by making Buddhist prayers and mantras easily available to all. Many Dharma centres and temples are temporarily closed due to the lockdowns and as such, daily and weekly practices are also interrupted. As many teaching sessions and even retreats are moved online, we decided to use music as a tool inspire and perhaps to motivate the practitioners to continue with their Dharma journey one step at a time.
With the supplication prayer to H.H. Holiness Penor Rinpoche being our first music video and song, we seek the blessings of our lineage masters to ensure this project is motivated by the right intention to help all sentient beings. Our most recent creation is the Twenty-one Praises to Tara, which is surely needed in times of turbulence and uncertainties. As we know, Arya Tara is not only compassionate and caring like our own mother, she is also swift to remove obstacles and hindrances with precision. When we sincerely pray to her, she will surely not forsake our pleas just like the care and love of His Holiness for his students and all sentient beings.
Composed and sung by Imeei Ooi
Produced by Yayasan Pema Norbu Vihara, Malaysia
Our music partner is none other than Miss Imee Ooi, a renowned Malaysian Buddhist performer and composer. It can be said that YPNV is merely a conduit in this entire process; maybe just a humble vessel for Mother Tara to guide and protect all who are troubled and confused. This could very well be the compassionate activity of Mother Tara herself!
We hope that by offering these music videos and songs to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, an abundant of merits will be dedicated to all of our students, friends, sponsors, volunteers and also to all sentient beings. As we learn to chant these prayers or mantras, listen to them anywhere from our phones and as we share them with someone we know or a stranger or even by posting the links on Facebook, we are all doing our part to help spread the Dharma far and wide.
Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche once said that in these modern times, we need something tangible, attractive, colourful and interesting so as to assist and bring in more people into Dharma-practice. Therefore, in light of this, we pray for Mother Tara to dispel and remove all falsehoods from cyberspace and to always protect our minds from distractions and the three poisons.
