Nina Rao and Chandra Easton join Raghu to talk about embodying the goddess Tara through chanting.
Check out Chandra’s new book that further explores the 21 manifestations of Tara: Embodying Tara: Twenty-One Manifestations to Awaken Your Innate Wisdom
Raghu, Nina, and Chandra spend this episode discussing:
- Chandra’s Buddhist upbringing
- The deity Tara and the sacred feminine
- Nina and Chandra’s collaboration with chanting and mantras
- An acapella chant offered from Nina
- Tara for harmony
- Tantra and spirituality for the people
- The 21 praises to Tara
- Durga, Saraswati, and other feminine deities we can invoke through mantras
- The eighth Tara as a fierce and invincible embodiment
- The mara of doubt
“The main purpose of doing this aspect of the 21 Tara’s practice through chanting and more of a kirtan style is to uplift people, just like kirtan does. To bring joy, open people’s heart to the blessings of these Taras and to Devi and to the universal way. And also to help them remember the mantra, because some of them are pretty long they can be a little challenging to remember.” – Chandra Easton
About Nina Rao:
Nina Rao is a devotional singer. She tours with Krishna Das, playing cymbals, singing, and acting as his business manager. Nina has two of her own albums, “Antarayaami – Knower of All Hearts” and “Anubhav”. Nina regularly leads kirtan, workshops, and retreats in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York and beyond. Together with Chandra and Genevieve Walker, Nina operates the 21 Taras Collective. You can keep up with Nina on her website or find her on Instagram @nina_rao and on Facebook @NinaRaoChant.
About Chandra Easton:
Chandra Easton is a teacher, scholar, practitioner, and translator of Tibetan Buddhism. She has taught Buddhism and Hatha Yoga since 2001. In 2015, she was given the title of Vajra Teacher, Dorje Lopön, for Tara Mandala Retreat Center by Lama Tsultrim Allione and H. E. Gochen Sang Ngag Rinpoche. Seeking to bring forth the voice of the empowered feminine in Buddhism, Lopön Chandra regularly leads retreats and classes on Tara for various organizations, develops programs and curricula for Tara Mandala, and teaches nationally and internationally. She has also co-written melodies and recorded music for the twenty-one-Taras mantras found in her new book, Embodying Tara: Twenty-One Manifestations to Awaken Your Innate Wisdom. You can find Chandra on Instagram & Facebook @loponchandra.