Kṣitigarbha (, , Wylie: sa yi snying po) is a bodhisattva primarily revered in East Asian Buddhism and usually depicted as a Bhikkhu. His name may be translated as "Earth Treasury", "Earth Store", "Earth Matrix", or "Earth Womb". Kṣitigarbha is known for his vow to take responsibility for the instruction of all beings in the Desire realm between the death of Gautama Buddha and the rise of Maitreya, as well as his vow not to achieve Buddhahood until all hells are emptied. He is therefore often regarded as the bodhisattva of hell-beings, as well as the guardian of children and patron deity of deceased children and aborted fetuses in Japanese culture.
Usually depicted as a monk with either a halo or a crown bearing images of the Five Tathāgatas around his shaved head, he carries a khakkhara to force open the gates of hell and a Cintamani to light up the darkness.
Overview
Kṣitigarbha is one of the four principal
along with Samantabhadra,
Manjusri, and Avalokiteśvara (
Guanyin) in
Mahayana.
At the pre-Tang dynasty grottos in Dunhuang and Longmen Grottoes, he is depicted in a classical bodhisattva form. After the Tang, he became increasingly depicted as a monk carrying Buddhist prayer beads and a staff.
His full name in Chinese is Dayuan Dizang Pusa (p=Dàyuàn Dìzàng Púsà), or "Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva of the Great Vow," pronounced Daigan Jizō Bosatsu in Japanese, Jijang Bosal in Korean, Đại Nguyện Địa Tạng Vương Bồ Tát in Vietnamese. This name is a reference to his pledge, as recorded in the , to take responsibility for the instruction of all beings in the Desire realm in the era between the parinirvana of the Buddha and the rise of Maitreya. Because of this important role, shrines to Kṣitigarbha often occupy a central role in temples, especially within the memorial halls or mausoleums.
Scriptural sources
As a Brahmin maiden
The story of Kṣitigarbha was first described in the
Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Pūrvapraṇidhāna Sūtra, a popular
Mahayana sutras. This sutra is said to have been spoken by the Buddha towards the end of his life to the beings of the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven as a mark of gratitude and remembrance for his beloved mother, Maya. The
Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Pūrvapraṇidhāna Sūtra begins, "Thus have I heard. Once the Buddha was abiding in Trayastrimsas Heaven in order to expound the Dharma to his mother."
The Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Pūrvapraṇidhāna Sūtra was first translated from Sanskrit into Chinese between 695 and 700 CE, during the Tang dynasty, by the Tripiṭaka master Śikṣānanda,[Schopen, Gregory. Filial Piety and the Monk in the Practice of Buddhism: A Question of 'Sinicization' Viewed from the Other Side.] Currently there is no definitive evidence indicating either an Indian or Chinese origin for the text.
In the Kṣitigarbha Sūtra, the Buddha states that in the distant past eons, Kṣitigarbha was a maiden of the Brahmin caste by the name of Sacred Girl.[Frederic, Louis. Buddhism: Flammarion Iconographic Guides. 1995. pp. 184-185][Edkins, Joseph. Chinese Buddhism. 2003. pp. 225-226] This maiden was deeply troubled upon the death of her mother, who had often been slanderous towards the Three Jewels.
Iconography
Traditional iconography
In Buddhist iconography, Kṣitigarbha is typically depicted with a shaven head, dressed in a monk's simple robes (unlike most other
, who are dressed like Indian royalty).
In his left hand, Kṣitigarbha holds a tear-shaped jewel or cintamani (), which is a wish-granting jewel that symbolizes enlightenment or salvation. In his right hand, he holds a Khakkhara (), which is used to alert insects and small animals of his approach so that he will not accidentally harm them as well as to open the gates of Hell.
In the Chinese tradition, Kṣitigarbha is often depicted wearing a Five Buddha crown (Chinese language: 五佛冠, pinyin: Wǔfó Guān), which is a crown that bears the images of the Five Tathāgatas. His image is similar to that of the fictional character Tang Sanzang from the classical novel Journey to the West, so observers sometimes mistake Kṣitigarbha for the latter. In China, Kṣitigarbha is also sometimes accompanied by a dog. This is in reference to a legend that he found his mother reborn in the animal realm as a dog named Diting, which the Bodhisattva adopted to serve as his steed and guard.
In Japan, Kṣitigarbha's statues are often adorned with bibs, kerchiefs or kasa hat on his head, and sometimes dressed with a haori. Tōsen-ji in Katsushika, Tokyo, contains the "Bound Kṣitigarbha" of Ōoka Tadasuke fame, dating from the Edo period. When petitions are requested before Kṣitigarbha, the petitioner ties a rope about the statue. When the wish is granted, the petitioner unties the rope. At the new year, the ropes of the ungranted wishes are cut by the temple priest.
Kṣitigarbha as Lord of the Six Ways
Another category of iconographic depiction is Kṣitigarbha as the Lord of the Six Ways, an allegorical representation of the Six Paths of Rebirth of the
Desire realm (rebirth into hell, or as pretas, animals, asuras, men, and devas). The Six Paths are often depicted as six rays or beams radiating from the bodhisattva and accompanied by figurative representations of the Six Paths. Many of these depictions in China can be found in
Shaanxi province, perhaps a result of
Sanjiejiao teachings in the area.
A Japanese variation of this depiction is the Six Kṣitigarbhas, six full sculptural manifestations of the bodhisattva. An example of this can be found in Konjikidō, the ‘Hall of Gold,’ in the Chūson-ji temple.
In Buddhist traditions
Chinese traditions
In certain Chinese Buddhist legends, the
arhat Mulian (目連) acts as an assistant to Ksitigarbha, known as
Dizang, in his vow to save the denizens of hell. As a result, Mulian is usually also venerated in temples that enshrine Dizang. In folk beliefs, Dizang has a mount called
Diting, who is a divine beast that can distinguish good from evil, virtuous and foolish. In iconographic form, it is often enshrined at the side of Ksitigarbha, or portrayed with Ksitigarbha riding on its back as a mount.
Due to his scriptural row as a saviour of hell-beings and his vow of not attaining Buddhahood until the hells are empty, Dizang is commonly invoked in Chinese Buddhist rituals involving the salvific liberations of sentient beings in saṃsāra, such as the Yujia Yankou rite and the Shuilu Fahui ceremony.
In some areas, the admixture of traditional religions has led to Kṣitigarbha being also regarded as a deity in Taoism and Chinese folk religion. Kṣitigarbha Temples (p=Dìzàng'ān) are Taoist temples that usually enshrine Kṣitigarbha as the main deity, along with other gods typically related to the Chinese netherworld Diyu, such as Yanluo Wang and Heibai Wuchang. Believers usually visit these temples to pray for the blessings of the ancestors and the souls of the dead.
Association with Mount Jiuhua
Chinese Buddhist traditions hold that
Mount Jiuhua, one of the Four Sacred Mountains of China, was chosen by Dizang himself to serve as his bodhimaṇḍa. These traditions stem from historical accounts from biographical sources such as the
Jiuhua shan Huacheng si ji (九華山化城寺記, lit: "Record of Huacheng Monastery on Mt. Jiuhua") by Fei Guanqing (費冠卿, active circa 9th century) and the
Song gaoseng zhuan (宋高僧傳, lit: "Biographies of Eminent Monks of the Song dynasty") by the scholar monk Zanning
(贊寧, 919-1001).
During the Tang dynasty (618-709), Buddhism flourished and spread widely across China, eventually spreading to Korea. At the time, monks and scholars arrived from those countries to seek the dharma in China. One of these pilgrims was a former prince from Silla named Kim Gyo-gak, who became a monk under the Chinese name Dizang ("Kṣitigarbha"), pronounced Jijang in Korean.
For a few years, Jijang continued to meditate in his hut, until one day, a local nobleman surnamed Zhuge (諸葛) led a group of friends and family to visit the mountain.
Jijang lived in Mount Jiuhua for 75 years before passing away at the age of 99. Three years after his nirvana, his tomb was opened, only to reveal that the body Incorruptibility. Because Jijang led his wayplace with much difficulty, most people had the intuition to believe that he was indeed an incarnation of Dizang. Jijang's well-preserved, dehydrated body may still be viewed today at the Shrine of the Living Buddha on Mount Jiuhua.
Japanese traditions
In Japan, Kṣitigarbha, known as Jizō, or respectfully as Ojizō-sama, is one of the most loved of all Japanese divinities. According to legend, the first Jizō-statue was introduced in Japan in the reign of emperor Shōmu in the Nara period. However, while records exist that indicate a Jizō-statue in the Tōdai-ji, the existence of these statues in former times is probable but no evidence has yet been discovered.[Dykstra, Yoshiku Kurata (1978): Jizō, the Most Merciful. Tales from Jizō Bosatsu Reigenki. In: Monumenta Nipponica, Summer, 1978, Vol. 33, No. 2 (Summer, 1978), pp. 179-200. Tōkyō: Sophia University. p. 182.] Jizō’s worship developed significantly and became more widespread in Japan during the Heian period (794–1185) and Kamakura (1185–1333) periods. During these periods, people were afraid of the period that is known as mappō, the decline and disappearance of Dharma, which was propagated by Pure Land Buddhism as a period in which it is impossible to understand the original Buddhist teachings anymore and attain enlightenment through traditional means.[Bloom, A. (1967): The Sense of Sin and Guilt and the Last Age Mappo in Chinese and Japanese Buddhism. In: Numen, Jul., 1967, Vol. 14, Fasc. 2 (Jul., 1967), pp. 144-149. Berlin: Brill. p. 10.] This foundation supported the role among people of Kṣitigarbha as he helped those who were in danger of falling into hell realm in hearing their confessions and to ensure their salvation.[Dkystra (1978): 184—185.] The Konjaku Monogatarishū includes many tales about him and another collection of tales, Jizō Bosatsu Reigenki, consists of twenty-five stories that focus on miracles performed by Jizō. The devotees described in these stories recite the Lotus Sutra.[Dykstra (1978): 183—184.]
The statue at Kenchō-ji Temple, crafted in the 15th century, signifies the longstanding tradition of enshrining Jizō where the doomed or suffering were memorialized.
In contemporary Japan, His statues are a common sight, especially by roadsides and in graveyards. Jizō is celebrated as the protector of children (including deceased and unborn), travelers, pilgrims, and the souls suffering in the realms of the dead. He is usually depicted as a humble monk holding a staff with six rings and a wish-fulfilling jewel.
Ryōki
The Ryōki (c. 822 CE), the earliest known collection of setsuwa or tales, contains a story about Fujiwara Hirotari. After he dies he catches sight of his wife suffering in the Land After Death, and with the aid of Jizō he returns to life and lifts the burden of suffering from his wife by copying the Lotus Sutra.
Children's limbo legend
In the common tradition associated with the 賽の河原, the banks of the Sanzu River, Jizō is portrayed as the protector of the souls of dead children, who are condemned to stack piles of stones, in vain, since the piles are repeatedly toppled by oni or demons. In a later version recorded by Lafcadio Hearn, the oni not only wreck the stone piles, but torment the children, who find refuge in Jizō's robes.[ In an earlier version, found in the extra="The Tale of the Fuji Cave", c. 1600 or earlier, c. 1600 or earlier when the dead children pile stones at the Sai no Kawara, winds and flames are the agents knocking down the stone piles, and the flames reduce the children to cremated bones, to be revived by Jizō (or by the oni).][ 富士人穴草子 via j-texts.com, From Nihon bungaku taikei 19 Otogizōshi, 1925.]
This concept of Sai no Kawara, or children's limbo, first appeared in the Otogizōshi during the Muromachi Period,[ and note 10.] and the "Tale of the Fuji Cave", discussed above, is part of the Otogizōshi.[ However, the concept had been developed much earlier, being associated with the priest Kūya in the 10th century.][ The legend was then connected with Kūya and his wasan, or chanting, probably some time in the 17th century, creating the Jizō wasan. As for the identification of certain this-worldly features with the Sai no Kawara, as on the mountain Osorezan in northeastern Japan, the establishment of Jizō worship there occurred during the late Tokugawa Period, in the early to mid-18th century,]
Lost pregnancies
Jizō is also worshipped as the guardian of the souls of mizuko ("water children"), stillborn, miscarriage, or abortion children, in the ritual of extra="offering to water children". In this context, he is worshipped under the form of Mizuko Jizō.
Offerings
Statues of Jizō are sometimes accompanied by piles of stones placed on or by them in the hope that the time that dead children have to suffer in the underworld may be shortened.[ The practice is derived from the tradition of building as an act of merit-making.
Jizō is seen as the guardian of children in general, but in particular of children who died before their parents. Statues of Jizō can sometimes be seen wearing children's clothing or bibs, or with toys brought by grieving parents to help their lost ones, in the hope that Jizō will protect them. Sometimes the offerings are given by parents to thank Jizō for saving their children from serious illness. Jizō's features are commonly made to resemble those of the children he protects.
]
Agonashi Jizō
Lit. = Jizō without a Jaw. Also known as Shitsu Heiyu 歯痛平癒地蔵 (Jizō who Heals Toothaches). Says Gabi Greve:
Roadside god
Jizō is also believed to be one of the protective deities of travellers, the dōsojin, and roadside statues of Jizō are a common sight in Japan. Firefighters are also believed to be under his protection.
Southeast Asian traditions
In Theravada, the story of a bhikkhu named Phra Malai with similar qualities to Kṣitigarbha is well known throughout Southeast Asia, especially in Thailand and Laos. Legend has it that he was an arhat from Sri Lanka who achieved great supernatural powers through his own merit and meditation. He is also honoured as a successor to Maudgalyayana, the Buddha's disciple foremost for his supernatural attainments. In the story, this pious and compassionate monk descends to Hell to give teachings and comfort the suffering hell-beings there. He also learns how the hell-beings are punished according to their sins in the different hells.
Mantra
In mainstream Chinese Buddhism and Shingon Buddhism, the mantra of Kṣitigarbha comes from the "Treasury of Mantras" section of the Mahavairocana Tantra. The effect of this mantra is producing the "Samadhi Realm of Adamantine Indestructible Conduct." This mantra is the following:[Giebel, Rolf. The Vairocanābhisaṃbodhi Sutra. Berkeley: Numata Center, 2005]
Other mantras
-
Mantra of Eliminating Fixed Karma:
- In Chinese, this mantra is called p=miè dìngyè zhēnyán in pinyin (t=滅定業真言). It reads:
-
In Chinese Buddhism, the following mantra is associated with Kṣitigarbha:
-
In Korean Buddhism, the following mantra is associated with Kṣitigarbha:
-
In Tibetan Buddhism, the following mantras are associated with Kṣitigarbha:
-
In Shingon Buddhism, a mantra used in public religious services is:
Om! Ha ha ha! O wondrous one! svāhā!
Haiku & Senryū
In popular culture
-
The Saviour Monk is a 1975 Hong Kong film starring David Tang wei as Dizang-wang (Ksitigarbha king), and Doris lung Chun-Erh. The film was directed by Liang Che-Fu. By 2020, the movie has been digitally restored by the Hong Kong Embassy In The Philippines and the University of the Philippines Film Institute.
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The vandalism of a Kṣitigarbha statue is the central theme of The Locker, a 2004 Japanese horror and thriller film directed by Kei Horie.
-
In the 1988 video game Super Mario Bros. 3, Mario and Luigi gain the ability to turn into Kṣitigarbha statues. This ability returns in the 2011 video game Super Mario 3D Land. Additionally, multiple Kṣitigarbha statues appear in Super Mario Odyssey.
-
In the 2004 video game Ninja Gaiden, a defaced Kṣitigarbha statue can be found in Ryu Hayabusa's village, with its head knocked off. If Hayabusa replaces the head, the statue's cintamani becomes a "Life of the Gods" item that can extend his maximum health.
-
In the 2004 Hong Kong drama My Date with a Vampire III, Ksitigarbha was portrayed by Ricky Chan, also known as Ma Siu-Fu, Ma Siu-Ling's twin brother. He starts a romance with Chang'e and is unaware that she has actually been going around killing people when she cannot control her vampire bloodlust. Later in the series, he is revealed to be the reincarnation of the bodhisattva Ksitigarbha (labels=no), who presides over the Underworld and relentlessly tries to help the souls of the damned get out of Hell. He helps the protagonists in their quest to stop Yaochi Shengmu and Fuxi from fighting and ending the world.
-
In the 2022 video game , praying to Kṣitigarbha statues (referenced as Jizo statues in-game) allows the player to carry more ether, which is used to attack enemies.
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In The House of the Lost on the Cape, the ojizōsama play a crucial role in restoring hope to a region devastated by a tsunami.
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In the 1988 Studio Ghibli animated film My Neighbor Totoro, the character Mei (who has become lost in the countryside) is found by her older sister Satsuki while waiting by a Jizo statue.
Notable Iconography
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A 13th-century Jizō statue by the renowned sculptor Kaikei—originally at Kōfuku-ji and now in the Met Museum—represents exquisite Kamakura realism in Buddhist sculpture.
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Also at the Met: a richly adorned 1291 Jizō intended for Kōfuku-ji, crafted from hinoki wood with gold leaf and rock crystal eyes, typifying devotional artistry of the era.
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A medieval copper relief shows Jizō presiding over the Ten Kings of Hell, reminding judges to temper justice with compassion.
See also
Explanatory notes
Bibliography
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-
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French, Frank G. (ed); Shi, Daoji (trans.)(2003). The Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha's Fundamental Vows (地藏經), Sutra Translation Committee of the U.S. and Canada/The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation Taipei, Taiwan, 2nd ed.
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Moto-Sanchez, Milla Micka (2016). Jizō, Healing Rituals, and Women in Japan, Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 43 (2), 307-331
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Visser, Marinus Willem de (1914). The Bodhisattva Ti-Tsang (Jizo) in China and Japan, Berlin: Oesterheld
External links
