White Tara is one of the three main longevity deities in the Tibetan pantheon and is often referred to as the “Mother of all the Buddhas”. White is the colour of purity and truth, and with her association with Avalokiteshvara she represents compassion as well. Given her association with longevity, it is common in Tibet for those who are gravely ill to recite her mantra in the hope of overcoming the destructive forces at the source of their disease.