White Tara, who is Rinpoche’s yidam (meditation deity), is called the Mother of all Buddhas and represents the motherly aspect of compassion. She strives constantly to relieve the suffering of all beings and is associated with longevity, healing, and the overcoming of obstacles, especially those that may inhibit the practice of religion.

In iconography, White Tara has seven eyes. In addition to the usual two, she has a third eye on her forehead and one on each of her hands and feet. This symbolizes her vigilance and ability to see all the suffering in the world. Her white color, "radiant as the eternal snows in all their glory," is indicative of the selflessness -- the purity -- of her compassion, but especially of the undifferentiated Truth of the Dharma.

She is seated in the diamond lotus posture, with the soles of her feet pointed upward. Her posture is one of grace and calm. Her right hand makes the boon-granting gesture and her left hand is in the protective mudra. In her left hand, she holds an elaborate lotus flower that contains three phases of blooming, representing the past, present, and future. The first bloom represents the past Buddha Kashyapa; the second symbolizes the present Buddha Shakyamuni; and the third signifies the future Buddha Maitreya, altogether symbolizing that Tara is the essence of the three Buddhas.