Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha
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some interesting knowledge and reading info on some of the Dharma Protectors:-
Deva Kings - the Four Celestial Kings who dwell on Mount Meru and guard the four gates at the four compass points. They are considered guardians of Buddhism.
The four deva kings are:-
Dhrtarastra - who guards the East and is King of the Gandharvas(celestial musicians). He is white in color and holds a stringed instrument.
Virudhuka - who guards the South and is King of the Khumbanda (giant demons). He is blue and holds a sword.
Vaisravana - who guards the North and is King of theYakshas (wild demonic beings). He is yellow and holds a banner in his right hand and a mongoose in his left hand. Because he oversees the Treasures in the North he is sometimes called the Treasure Deva King.
Virupaksa - who guards the West and is King of the Serpent Gods. He is red in color and holds a serpent and a jewel. -
some extra info..
Celestial Cities
Sanskrit Puranas recount how 8 celestial cities surround the great golden city of Mount Meru om the peak of the world's cosmic mountain. The 3 chief hindu gods, Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, dwell in Mt meru.
Each of the 8 cities is a realm of a particular god and quality, and each has a specific cardinal or inter-cardinal direction. The gods of these cities are collectively known as the lopalalas, the guardians of the directions.
EAST - City of Sakra or Amaravati, home of Indra, king of the gods; realm of the primary superintendent gods, the 14 ray masters of the Great Bear: Mount Olympus.
SOUTHEAST - City of Tejovati, realm of the fire god, Agni; realm of the wild untamed sun god, prototype of time: Mithraeum.
SOUTH - City of Samyamani, realm of Yama, Lord of Death; equivalent of the Greek Hades, King of the Dead, transition point out of planetary spheres: Underworld.
SOUTHWEST - City of Nirrti or Raksovati, realm of the Raksasas, Nagas, and cosmic serpent, Ananta-Sesa; primordial creative energy: Naga City
WEST - City of Suddhavati, domain of King Varuna; also known as the western Paradise, Blessed Isles, realm of the spiritual hierarchy: Shambhala.
NORTHWEST - City of Gandhavati, domain of King Vayu, Lord of the Winds, realm of the Gandharvas and Apsaras; prototype of spacetime: Avalon.
NORTH - City of Sankara, Yasovati, or Lanka, realm of Kubera, lord of wealth and endless riches; deep cosmic memory: Grail Castle.
NORTHEAST - City of Soma or Kantimati, the Moon God, source of the Elixir of Immortality culled from the Ocean of Milk; prototype of Space; Soma Temple. -
This one is Hinduism, not BuddhismOriginally posted by geforce:some extra info..
Celestial Cities
Sanskrit Puranas recount how 8 celestial cities surround the great golden city of Mount Meru om the peak of the world's cosmic mountain. The 3 chief hindu gods, Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, dwell in Mt meru.
Each of the 8 cities is a realm of a particular god and quality, and each has a specific cardinal or inter-cardinal direction. The gods of these cities are collectively known as the lopalalas, the guardians of the directions.
EAST - City of Sakra or Amaravati, home of Indra, king of the gods; realm of the primary superintendent gods, the 14 ray masters of the Great Bear: Mount Olympus.
SOUTHEAST - City of Tejovati, realm of the fire god, Agni; realm of the wild untamed sun god, prototype of time: Mithraeum.
SOUTH - City of Samyamani, realm of Yama, Lord of Death; equivalent of the Greek Hades, King of the Dead, transition point out of planetary spheres: Underworld.
SOUTHWEST - City of Nirrti or Raksovati, realm of the Raksasas, Nagas, and cosmic serpent, Ananta-Sesa; primordial creative energy: Naga City
WEST - City of Suddhavati, domain of King Varuna; also known as the western Paradise, Blessed Isles, realm of the spiritual hierarchy: Shambhala.
NORTHWEST - City of Gandhavati, domain of King Vayu, Lord of the Winds, realm of the Gandharvas and Apsaras; prototype of spacetime: Avalon.
NORTH - City of Sankara, Yasovati, or Lanka, realm of Kubera, lord of wealth and endless riches; deep cosmic memory: Grail Castle.
NORTHEAST - City of Soma or Kantimati, the Moon God, source of the Elixir of Immortality culled from the Ocean of Milk; prototype of Space; Soma Temple.
Puranas is Hindu scripture, I know, I read before. It's mostly mythologies. -
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva - "He who encompasses the earth".
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva (a Mahayana Buddhist Bodhisattva), is also known as - Earth-Store Bodhisattva or Great Vow Bodhisattva. in Japan he is called Jizo. in China he is known as Di Zang Wang Pu Sa or Ti Tsang Wang Pu Sa. in Tibetan he is addressed as Sai Nyingpo - (jewel).
in many Chinese Buddhist places, he is depicted wearing the robe of a Northern Buddhist monk and is seated on a lotus throne. his hands hold a precious flaming pearl with unimaginable powers. on his head is a five-lobed crown with an image on each of the leaves - the Five primordial Dhyani Buddhas. he is depicted with a benevolent expression, either sitting or standing. his attributes are a Wish-fulfilling Jewel, often described as a pearl and a staff with a khakhara (rattle) at its top. he is also known by his mendicant's staff with 6 rings that jangle as he goes on his way. the sound of its six jangling rings was intended as a warning to any tiny animals so that they could get out of the way and avoid being trod upon. It is also sometimes called the alarm-staff.
in Japan, he is especially venerated by those who have lost children or babies, born or not - stillborn, miscarried and aborted fetuses who, in Japanese tradition, receive divine punishment for bringing grief to their parents. statues of Ksitigarbha can be found throughout Japan, especially in cemeteries, since he is believed to be the protector of people condemned to hell. he also protects travellers thus, common sights of statues of Jizo on roadsides can be seen in Japan. he is usually depicted in standing posture which symbolizes the readiness of Jizo to respond immediately to those who have faith in his power of salvation. he stands on a lotus, holding in his left hand the flaming jewel that can overcome even the most profound darkness while in his right he holds the ringed staff with which he is able to even force open the gates of hell.
(Ksitigarbha statue at Mt. Osore, Japan)
Ksitigarbha's famous vow recited by many Buddhists is "Not until the hells are emptied will I become a Buddha; Not until all beings are saved will I certify to Bodhi."
Misconceptions:
it should be made clear that Ksitigarbha is not the judge of hell, Yama, which many uninformed Buddhists, other practitioners and those who believe in Chinese folk religion, see Ksitigarbha as.
Ksitigarbha has also often been mistaken by many uninformed Buddhists to be Xuanzang, the famous Tripitaka master of the Tang Dynasty who made the hazardous journey to the west to seek the Buddhist scriptures, and the basis for the fictional character from the Chinese novel Journey to the West. this is mainly due to the robe and the Five Buddhas crown which both are seen to wear. -
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Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
Ksitigarbha or 'Earth-Womb' is more popular in the Far East than he ever was in India. From a bare mention in the roll of the Eight Bodhisattvas, he has risen, in Asia, and especially East Asia, to a popularity second only to that of Avalokitesvara.
The reasons for this development are obscure. As his name suggests, Ksitigarbha is connected with the depths. Like all Bodhisattvas, he aspires to deliver sentient beings wandering astray in the five(or six) paths of mundane existence; but he specializes in delivering them from hell.
This expresses an extremely profound and esoteric aspect of the Bodhisattva's compassionate activity: he takes upon himself the fearful task not merely of plumbing the depths of existence, and bringing relief and consolation to those in torment, but of personally transforming and uplifting the vast inchoate mass of fear, hatred and despair swarming and pollulating in the pitch darkness of the Abyss.
He is that loving 'compassion' of the highest to the lowest which, abandoning its own bright seat, does not shrink from working under conditions the most difficult and appalling -- amidst scenes of horror, madness and desolation -- at the seemingly hopeless task of reclaiming what is 'irrecoverably' lost.
Ksitigarbha is the principle of spiritual sublimation in its most radical aspect, powerful enough to transform not merely hell into heaven but the foulest dregs of the Samsara, even, into the pure radiance of Nirvana.
He is the supreme embodiment of spiritual optimism, the most profound development of Mahayana universalism, which wills that not so much as a grain of dust should be left outside the scheme of salvation. -
Namo Di Zhang Wang Pu Sa!
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Namo Di Zhang Wang Pu Sa!
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Namo Di Zhang Wang Pu Sa!
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Namo Di Zhang Wang Pu Sa!
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Namo Di Zhang Wang Pu Sa!
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Namo Di Zhang Wang Pu Sa!
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Namo Di Zhang Wang Pu Sa!
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Namo Di Zhang Wang Pu Sa!
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Namo Di Zhang Wang Pu Sa!
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Namo Di Zhang Wang Pu Sa!
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Namo Di Zhang Wang Pu Sa!
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Namo Di Zhang Wang Pu Sa!
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Namo Di Zhang Wang Pu Sa!
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Namo Di Zhang Wang Pu Sa!
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removed
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Namo Di Zhang Wang Pu Sa!
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removed
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Namo Di Zhang Wang Pu Sa!
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Namo Di Zhang Wang Pu Sa!