Dechen Shak Dagsay

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Dechen Shak-Dagsay est une Tibétaine qui a vécu en Suisse depuis son enfance. Comme deux mille autres Tibétains, sa famille a trouvé là un nouveau foyer depuis 35 ans. Dechen Shak Dagsay est la fille aînée d'un lama tibétain, le Vénérable Dagsay Tulku. Sa famille a toujours cherché à vivre et à préserver leur culture tibétaine, et très tôt Dechen Shak Dagsay a été fascinée par les chants et les danses traditionnels tibétains. En tant que personne pouvant s'identifier aux deux cultures tibétaine et occidentale, elle voit son chemin dans l'aide aux gens é trouver la porte de leur propre spiritualité. L'artiste est mariée au Dr. Kalsang Shak, un médecin tibétain, et a deux filles, Yuri-Lhamo et Tara Lhanzey. Dechen Shak-Dagsay travaille au département marketing d'une grande compagnie internationale. Elle es convaincue que les méthodes pour toruver la paix intérieure vont jouer un rôle toujours plus grand pour permettre de gérer les tensions nées de la vie moderne.

Dechen Shak-Dagsay is a Tibetan who has lived with her family in Switzerland since childhood. Together with about two thousand other Tibetans, her family found a new home there more than 35 years ago. Dechen Shak-Dagsay is the eldest daughter of a Tibetan lama, the Venerable Dagsay Tulku. Her family were always at pains to live and preserve their Tibetan culture, and at an early age Dechen Shak-Dagsay was fascinated by the traditional Tibetan songs and dancing. As a person who can identify with both the culture of Tibet and that of the western world, she sees her function in helping the people in the west to find the door to their own spirituality. The artist is married to Dr. Kalsang Shak, a Tibetan physician and they have two daughters, Yuri-Lhamo and Tara Lhanzey. Dechen Shak-Dagsay works in the Marketing Department of a big international company. She is convinced that the methods of finding inner peace will constantly play a bigger role to be able to better cope with the increasing tensions of the modern life.

"TARA DEVI" Inner journey towards ultimate happiness TARA means "The Liberator” and DEVI means Goddess. TARA DEVI is being worshipped by countless people as the most powerful and protective female Goddess in Buddhism. She is a Buddha and from her deepest compassion she manifests herself for the benefit of all the sentient beings.

We can perceive Tara on different levels such as the External, the Inner, the Secret and the Ultimate Tara.

The "External Tara” is referred to as the female form and her historic figure. There is a legend that speaks of a princess that vowed to reach Buddhahood in a female body and to always reincarnate in a female body. She wanted to show that also women have the potential to reach Buddhahood in order to liberate all beings from suffering and that there is no difference between male and female.
The "lnnerTara” represents the enlightened activities of all the Buddhas, therefore Tara manifests herself in many different forms such as the "Green Tara”, who is particularly powerful by eliminating obstructions and bestowing happiness. We consist of the five elements and the "Secret Tara” symbolises the Wind-Element of the enlightened beings, which has the potential to lead us to enlightenment and become Tara. The "Ultimate Tara” refers to the fact that Tara embodies the ultimate wisdom and is called the "Mother of all Buddhas”.

Tara is also known as the Liberator from the Eight Dangers. She possesses the great power of liberating us from the eight external and eight internal dangers. The external danger can threat our lives and our belongings whereas the eight internal dangers can hinder us on our spiritual path. Each of the eight external dangers symbolises an internal danger resulting from a negative state of mind. She protects us from the Lion of Pride, the Elephant of Ignorance, the Fire of Anger, the Snake of Jealousy, the Thieves of Wrong Views, the Chains of Miserliness, the Flood of Attachment and the Demons of Doubt.

With these melodies, that I am singing for TARA’s praises I would like to express my deepest gratitude and respect to TARA DEVI for her kindness and love for all sentient beings. Since my childhood I have felt protected by her and I am so grateful to my late mother Yischi Tsedön-la Dagsay for sharing her love and devotion to TARA DEVI with me. Thanks to the valuable guidance of my dear father Ven. Dagsay Rinpoche the following is a complete Sadhana for TARA. This meditation on TARA is practised in order to call upon her and to request her protection and to enable us to generate her qualities in our minds.

We start by "Taking refuge in the Three Jewels”, then "Generating the Bodhicitta mind”. "The Four Unmeasurables” is followed by the "Invitation” and "Prosternation”. Now the "Respectful praise to the 21 Taras” can be sung or recited while we meditate on her. At this point people who have already received a TARA initiation by a qualified teacher can do the practice, visualising themselves as Tara and generating the wish to attain all the qualities of Tara and to become Tara for the benefit of all beings. After this meditation we offer the "Seven Limbed Prayer” as well as the "Mandala offering”. At the end follows the "Request” and the "Dedication prayer” which conclude this Sadhana on Tara. Of course you can also listen to the prayers separately. Let us all be inspired by the beautiful blessings of TARA and let her take us to the inner journey towards ultimate happiness.

May you be connected with TARA DEVI at all times.

Sincerely yours, Dechen Shak-Dagsay