According to legend, 观世音菩萨 Avalokiteshvara has many manifestations, and Tara is considered the principal deity representing his compassion and ability to alleviate suffering. White Tara 白度母 and Green Tara 绿度母 manifested from the tears shed by Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva 观世音菩萨, who is known for rescuing sentient beings from suffering.  There are twenty-one recognized forms of Tara, with White Tara and Green Tara being the most revered.

1 相传，白度母是观世音菩萨左眼眼泪所化。大悲观世音菩萨无量劫来救度众生，但是众生仍然常溺五欲生死苦海、轮回六道受无量诸苦，菩萨因为悲悯苍生而不由得悄然落泪，当此之时左眼的眼泪顿时变现出白度母，右眼的眼泪变现出绿度母，各自合掌恭敬向观音菩萨同声说道：“菩萨，您不要担心，我等誓度一切流转生死苦海的众生，为菩萨分担救度众生的悲愿。”

In Tibetan history, Princess Bhrikuti Devi is believed to be the manifestation of 白度母 White Tara, and Princess Wencheng is believed to be the manifestation of 绿度母 Green Tara. Before his death, King Songtsen Gampo of Tibet arranged his kingdom's affairs and made prophecies. He touched the heads of Bhrikuti Devi and Princess Wencheng, causing them to transform into lotus flowers symbolizing White Tara and Green Tara, respectively. These lotus flowers, along with the king's principal deity, Eleven-faced Avalokiteshvara, merged into light and integrated into the Avalokiteshvara statue.

2 在藏地历史上，尼泊尔的赤尊公主是白度母的化身，汉族的文成公主是绿度母的化身。有关资料记载，藏王松赞干布去世前，圆满安排了西藏的国事，对未来的重大事情进行了授记。然后藏王用右手为赤尊公主摸顶，结果赤尊公主变成了一朵白色的八瓣莲花，莲花中现出白度母的标志。藏王又用左手为文成公主摸顶，结果文成公主变成了一朵绿色的十六瓣莲花，莲花中现出绿度母的标志。最后藏王仰望自己的本尊十一面观音像，随即与两朵莲花一起化光融入观音像。

EXACTLY WHAT IS WHITE TARA White Tara, also known as the Savior Goddess of Longevity, is an emanation of 观世音菩萨 Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva. Avalokiteshvara has thirty-two forms of emanations, among which the emanations of Taras, specifically the twenty-one Taras, are prominent. White Tara is one of the twenty-one emanations of the Sacred Savior Goddess. In Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism, Green Tara and White Tara are among the most widely revered of the twenty-one Taras. In Tibetan Tantra, practitioners often combine White Tara with Amitayus Buddha and Ushnishavijaya as the “Three Longevity Deities.“

3 白度母，又称为增寿救度佛母，是观世音菩萨的化身。观世音有三十二种应化身，仅其中的度母化身就可以变化为二十一位救度母，白度母即为圣救度佛母的二十一尊化身之一。在藏传密教中，绿度母与白度母是二十一尊度母之中流传最广的，而藏密又常以长寿佛、白度母及尊胜佛母三尊合称为“长寿三尊”。