This statue has a Bodhi seed sealed into the base and, generally, this seed can be heard rattling around if you pick up the statue and gently shake it a bit. However, some statues don t rattle, even though they still have the Bodhi seed, so it just depends on the amount of space initially reserved for the placement of this seed.

In general, this seed represents the attainment of enlightenment that Buddha reached while meditating under the Bodhi Tree.

The Bodhi tree is also known as the Fig tree. Bodhi seeds are the fruits of the Ficus religiosa, a kind of fig originally found in South Asia, and now is more common in other locations around the world as well.

The Herder Dictionary has this to say about the fig/bodhi tree.

 The Fig Tree - Revered as a holy tree by many peoples, it often symbolizes fertility and abundance. The Bodhi Tree is the fig tree under which the Buddha became enlightened (from Sanskrit bodhi, enlightenment); in a general sense it is a symbol of knowledge and enlightenment. The Herder Dictionary of Symbols, Chiron Publications, Wilmette, IL, 1993, pg 75

If it helps you to know, before arriving at your home, this item was stored in a chest that has been Blessed by a Buddhist Monk. Click on the following link to read more about this Blessed Chest

The following quote comments on the Tara's green color. "Green indicates that Tara acts for the benefit of those who pray to her with the swiftness of wind." Quoted from Tara The Feminine Divine, Bokar Rinpoche, ClearPoint Press, San Francisco, CA, 2007, p44

The Green Tara mantra guards us from sufferings, dangers, and sicknesses. The meaning of the mantra is loosely defined below.

• OM=Body, Mind, Speech
• TARE=Liberates beings from sufferings (COMPASSION)
• TUTARE=Liberates beings from danger (PROTECTION)
• TURE=Releases beings from sickness (POWER)
• SOHA=Laying the foundation (SO BE IT!)