Himalayan Art Resources

Buddhist Deity: Tara, Eight Fears (set 1)

Eight Fears Outline

Study Topics:
- Number of Paintings
- Landscape Narrative Composition
- Identifying the Eight Fears Vignettes

Video: Tara & the Eight Fears: Set 1

The Eight Great Fears: (1) water, (2) lions, (3) fire, (4) snakes, (5) elephants, (6) thieves, (7) false imprisonment and (8) ghosts are meant literally, but also have a deeper significance.

The Eight Taras removing the eight fears - outer inner and secret. The main, or central, composition of the nine paintings set is HAR #832. One painting is missing from the Rubin Museum collection. That painting is Tara removing the fear of snakes and it resides in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Jeff Watt 2-2005