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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 a halo around his shaved head, he carries a staff to force open the gates of hell and a wish-fulfilling jewel to light up the darkness.
In Chinese Buddhism, Kṣitigarbha's image is usually in the form of a Buddhist monk; complete with a robe, shaved head or in a vishnu lou cap. [1] He sits in the lotus posture and wields a khakkhara in his left hand, symbolizing the unification of compassion for all living creations whilst holding strictly to the moral precepts. [1]
A compassionate bodhisattva who rescues sentient beings from descending into hell or purgatory, Kshitigarbha became enormously popular during the Goryeo period. A key figure in Pure Land Buddhism, Kshitigarbha was often depicted singly and in the guise of a monk—with a shaved head, or wearing a headscarf.
Conventionally, the term is applied to beings with a high degree of enlightenment. Bodhisattva literally means a "bodhi (enlightenment) being" in Pali and Sanskrit. Mahayana practitioners have historically lived in many other countries that are now predominantly Hindu or Muslim; remnants of reverence for bodhisattvas has continued in some of ...
The statue depicts Jizō (Ksitigarbha in Sanskrit), who in Japanese Buddhism is the bodhisattva of the earth, and is considered a protector of children and travelers. He is also a rescuer of beings in hell and is considered a guardian of souls for children who have died before their parents. [1]
That a bodhisattva has the option to pursue such a lesser path, but instead chooses the long path towards Buddhahood is one of the five criteria for one to be considered a bodhisattva. The other four are: being human, being a man, making a vow to become a Buddha in the presence of a previous Buddha, and receiving a prophecy from that Buddha.
As a Piśāca, head of the demons, he is represented in Buddhist iconography with three eyes and eight arms, and riding on a white bull; a bull or a linga being his symbol. [3] As a Śuddhāvāsa, or Pure dwelling, he is described as a bodhisattva of the tenth or highest degree, on the point of entering Buddhahood. [3]
It does not necessarily refer to the distribution of one's own possessions. The bodhisattva achieves the mental state of "generosity" by renouncing three things; the body, the possessions, and karmic merit. This is viewed by Shantideva as an important requirement for one who is on the path of the Bodhisattva.