Many Buddhist legends tell of the goddess Tara, the personification of compassion, offering salvation from the suffering of rebirth and death. Some tales tell of a Buddhist princess who became a bodhisattva, remaining in female form so as to better help others on their journey to enlightenment. Others say she was created from a single tear of Avalokiteshvara, shed in a moment of deep compassion. Tara—meaning “star” in Sanskrit—is thought to guide followers on their spiritual paths.