Green Tara is said to embody the fulfillment of all beings’ desires, both worldly and spiritual. As one who grants beings’ wishes, she personifies good fortune, although unlike the worldly wealth-bestowing deities, the wishes she fulfills include liberation from ignorance.

She was once a princess named Jnana Chandra in a human realm. In her youth, she took a vow to achieve complete enlightenment in a female form and entered into deep concentration, focusing her mind on the dependent nature of reality and the task of benefiting other beings. She then made an oath to dedicate her entire future existence to the welfare of all beings.

Her green hue indicates that she grants wishes. The gesture of her right hand shows that she will guide those who aspire for Buddhahood to their goal, while the gesture of her left hand indicates that she is free from all ignorance, being therefore endowed with the authority and ability to carry out her intention to fulfill the needs of beings. Her white necklace represents the joy that arises when the obscurantist of ignorance are overcome, while the utpala flower she holds in her left hand represents the effort that is required to overcome these obstructions. Her outstretched right leg suggests her readiness to help any being in suffering.