Ksitigarbha

Ksitigarbha is a Bodhisattva being the subject of a worship in China (under the name of Dizang or Dizangwangpusa (地藏王菩薩), and with the Japan under the name of Jizo or Jizosama . Its Japanese name is a transcription of the Chinese name, itself an attempt at translation of its name Sanskrit: " store full with treasures in terre". The phonetic transcription, qishadibosha (乞叉底蘗沙), less speaking, was abandoned.

Its worship developed in China where it is one of the four large bodhisattvas. Like those of Amituofo and Guan Yin, it is centered around the function of spiritual delivery that one lends to him. Nevertheless, whereas the two precedents are interested in the six categories of creatures without distinction, the speciality of Dizangwang is the help of the hearts of the hell. In Japan one can find his statue in the cemeteries. Like all Chinese interpretations of the Buddhism, it belongs to the unit mahayanist.

Its worship in China is also related to a monk of the time of the Tang considered as its Incarnation, founder of the temple of the Jiuhua mount where its mummy was preserved. Jiuhua is one of the four large Buddhist mounts associated each one with the one of the four large bodhisattvas.

Seen of Ksitigarbha

Like Amitabha and Avalokiteshvara, Dizangwang pronounced considering, that to deliver the hearts of the hell. This tradition is reported in the Sutra of the wish of Dizangwang (地藏菩薩本愿經). The arrival of Ksitigarbha is announced there by the Bouddha Shakyamuni in the Trayastrimsa paradise like marks gratitude towards his/her mother Mâyâ. The Buddha explains that Ksitigarbha was formerly a young person Brahman of which the mother had often shown impiété; it had then solved to save it through offerings and of prayers; she on this occasion had seen the hell and makes the wish become Buddha (or bodhisattva) to deliver all her inhabitants. According to the Sutra, the Buddha entrusted to Ksitigarbha the task to take care after him on the " world without bouddha" while waiting for the arrival of the boudha of the future, Maitreya. This text had familiar resonances for the Chinese: Millénarisme announcing the loss of the transmission of the Dharma until the arrival of the future Buddha; importance of the filial devotion. The association of Ksitigarbha with the millenarism in made the principal bodhisattva of the sect Sanjie (三階教) active in VIIe century, which contributed to popularize it.

In Japan, Jizo is especially requested by the women having made a miscarriage or having fallen through, and placed at the crossroads because these places particularly attract the phantoms and other demons. With the beginning of its introduction into the country, it was associated for a short period with Akasagarbha of which the name, “celestial store”, made during with his.

Apart from its assistance with the hearts in sorrow, it occasionally provides the function of a provider of richnesses under the terms of the pearl which it holds in hand on the tantric representations and of its name, which is reproduced sometimes on lottery tickets, with HongKong for example.

The monk of the Jiuhua mount

Jin Qiaojue (金喬覺), founder of the temple of the mount Jiuhua, one of the Four mounts Buddhist of China located in the province of Anhui, is regarded as an incarnation of Ksitigarbha, reason for which the Chinese and Japanese representations of Dizangwang or Jizo show it in monastic costume. Its natural mummy was preserved a long time on the mount. Apart from China, Jin Qiaojue is known little about and it is thought sometimes that Xuanzang evoked in celebrates it the Voyage in Occident was used as model for the representations of Ksitigarbha as a monk. The tradition makes of it a family member royal of Silla (kingdom occupying part of current the Korea), come at 24 years by its own means of continuing its study of the dharma in China, then field of the emperor Xuanzong of the Dynastie Tang. It would have obtained the support of the Master of Jiushan, certain Min (閔), to build a monastery there where it would have died in 99 years after having reached the illumination. It was in the 16th year of the era Kaiyuan, the evening of the 30 of the lunar seventh month, date on which takes place every year a pilgrimage. Its body not being degraded at the end of 3 years, it started to be the subject of a worship the identifier with Ksitigarbha. The temple played a considerable part in the growing popularity of Dizangwang in China. Nowadays, it is still possible to see several mummies of monk (more recent) on the Jiuhua mount.

Ksitigarbha in Buddhism Tibetan

Without occupying a particularly prominent place as in China or in Japan, Ksitigarba has its place in Buddhism tantric like bodhisattva of the line of Ratnasambhava (Baoshengrulai 寶生如來 in Chinese), that of the five Buddhas of wisdom which is associated with the South and the yellow color, often used for Ksitigarbha. It holds in its right hand the Perle cintanami which exauce wishes. It forms sometimes a couple with Chinese Akasagarbha (Xukongzang 虚空蔵, in Japanese. Kokuzo), the " store vide". In many Mandala S, it appears with a row lower than that of deities like Amitabha, but certain representations put it with Avalokiteshvara at the same row as the Buddhas.

Representations

It is in general represented out of monastic dress and carries the crown decorated with the five Buddhas of wisdom characteristic of the Clergé of high ranking; this one can be replaced by a hat of imperial civil servant (in China), unless there does not remain naked head (in Japan). It often has in the right hand the pearl which Buddhism Tibetan allots to him; in China, this pearl can be replaced by a Miroir, sign of straightness and perspicacity. In its left hand it holds the xizhang (CH.) or shakujo (jap.), kind of drive out-fly held in hand by the monks of high ranking, and whose original function is to drive out the insects in order to avoid wounding them. Sometimes it overlaps a " lion bleu" , fantastic animal considered as the transformation of the large white dog which, according to the tradition, accompanied Jin Qiaojue. In Japan, Jizo are seldom in sitting position. They can have a childish aspect which points out the newborn that one asks them to protect. The mothers having lost a baby put on a bonnet and a red bib to them.

Associations

In popular interpretation, because of its role of saver of the hearts, Dizangwang is sometimes associated with Guan Yin and Amituofo; besides two will sutras apocryphal books regard them as two aspects of the same entity. It is also associated to the guard of the hells, Yanluowang (Yama in Sanskrit).

Yanluowang
Guan Yin