True Buddha Dharma-character Treasury – Ksitigarbha

【Ksitigarbha Mudra :】

Interlace all the fingers inward and straighten both middle fingers without touching them together. (Place the mudra in front of the chest)

【Ksitigarbha Seed Syllable :】

Ha (yellow in color emitting great white light)

【Ksitigarbha Mantra :】

「Om。ha-ha-ha。wei-sam-mo-yeh。so-ha。」

【Ksitigarbha Mantra to Remove Fixed Karma:】

「Om, pun-lah-moh, lin-toh-lin, so-ha. 」

【Ksitigarbha Dharmalakṣaṇa Brief Introduction】

Ksitigarbha wears a Five-Buddha crown and kasaya robes. His body is white and holds a bright precious pearl with both hands while sitting upon a lotus seat.

【Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu Dharma talk – Ksitigarbha Background and Key Cultivation Formula】

Homage to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva

Ksitigarbha is one of Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu’s principal deities. ”Ksitigarbha” is his Sanskrit name. His Tantric name is ”Compassionate Vajra” or ”Wish-fulfilling Vajra.” Ksitigarbha is one of the four major Bodhisattvas in Buddhism. He receives the same veneration as Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva and Samantabhadra. Because his vow is extremely deep and profound he is referred to as Great Vow Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

In the Ksitigarbha Ten Wheel Scripture, Ksitigarbha manifested as a Buddha, a Bodhisattva, a Sravaka, Brahma, Mahesvara and even as Lord Yama. He appears wherever prayers are made. His position in the Vajrayana Garbhadhatu mandala is in the Ksitigarbha Court. In the Vajradhatu mandala he is the Vajra Banner Bodhisattva of South Ratnasambhava.

Ksitigarbha manifests many different appearances, but generally, Ksitigarbha wears a Five-Buddha Crown and a cassock and he holds a bright pearl with both hands while sitting on a lotus seat. He may also be holding a staff. By roadsides in Japan one will see statues of Ksitigarbha in the form of a monk, standing upright. On rural roadsides in Japan this bodhisattva is widespread and popular. Ksitigarbha is also known as Earth Treasure Bodhisattva, Earth Holding Bodhisattva, Wonderful Banner Bodhisattva, and Boundless Heart Bodhisattva.

Ksitigarbha’s other names are: ”Vajra Vow Ksitigarbha, Vajra Treasure Ksitigarbha, Vajra Compassion Ksitigarbha, Vajra Banner Ksitigarbha, Radiant Light Ksitigarbha, Sky Holding Ksitigarbha, Protecting and Praise Ksitigarbha, Life Extending Ksitigarbha, Mani Ksitigarbha, Praise Dragon Ksitigarbha, Victorious Ksitigarbha, and Never Resting Ksitigarbha.” Each hand holds a different Dharma device.
In the Trayastrimsha Heaven Shakyamuni Buddha entrusted the great compassionate bodhisattva Ksitigarbha with the mission of preaching the dharma to sentient beings in the six realms.
The name ”Earth Treasure” of Ksitigarbha is derived from:
Tranquil and immoveable as the great ”earth”
Calmly contemplating the profound tantras as the secret ”treasure”

There are also six Ksitigarbhas:
Vajra Vow Ksitigarbha: His left hand holds a banner with skulls while the right hand forms the Nectar Mudra. His main focus is to save sentient beings in the Hell Realm.
Vajra Treasure Ksitigarbha: His left hand holds a precious pearl while the right hand forms the Nectar Mudra. This deity’s main focus is to save sentient beings in the Hungry Ghost Realm.
Vajra Compassionate Ksitigarbha: His left hand holds a staff while the right hand forms the Escort Mudra. His main focus is to save sentient beings in the Animal Realm.
Vajra Banner Ksitigarbha: His left hand holds a Vajra Banner while the right hand forms the Mudra of Bestowing Fearlessly. His main focus is to save sentient beings in the Asura Realm.
Radiant Ksitigarbha: His left hand holds a staff while the right hand forms the Mudra of Wish-fulfillment. His main focus is to save sentient beings in the Human World.
Sky Holding Ksitigarbha: His left hand holds a wish-granting pearl while the right hand forms the Dharma Discourse Mudra. His main focus is to save sentient beings in the Heaven Realm.
The most miraculous happening is when Ksitigarbha manifests as Lord Yama and salvages the most evil beings that are undergoing intense suffering in hell.
The six envoys are:
Yama Envoy (saving hell)
Treasure Holding Lad (saving hungry ghost)
Great Strength Envoy (saving animal)
Great Compassionate Goddess (saving asura)
Precious Treasure Goddess (saving human)
Summoning Heaven Envoy (saving heaven)
When Shakyamuni Buddha was teaching the Dharma to his mother, Mahamaya, in the Trayatrimsha heaven, he entrusted the six realms to Ksitigarbha. Ksitigarbha is one of the eight major Bodhisattvas. His vow is extremely profound: ”until hell is empty, I vow not to become a Buddha.”
Ksitigarbha saves sentient beings by acting as a shepherd. As a shepherd he will guide all his sheep to the other shore before he himself becomes a buddha. He wants all sentient beings to attain buddhahood before he does. This is the deepest compassionate mind. He is the bodhisattva with the greatest vow.

Why did Shakyamuni Buddha entrust the heavenly and human realms to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and not the other Bodhisattvas?
It is because among the eight mighty Bodhisattvas, only Ksitigarbha has the appearance of a ”monk.” Shakyamuni Buddha hoped that in the future, Buddhism would be administered by ”monks” with ”laypeople” as their supporters.
Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu’s vow is also: ”until hell is empty I promise not to become a Buddha and I will smash my body and splinter my bones to save sentient beings.”
Actually, ”until hell is empty I vow not to become a Buddha” is also Ksitigarbha’s great vow. By this, you can see that Ksitigarbha’s teaching is deeply rooted in Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu’s mind. In cultivation, the key point of Ksitigarbha Personal Deity Practice is: ”nondiscriminating mind.”

Ksitigarbha is also Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu’s ”brother.” Mount Jiuhua, one of the four major Bodhimandas of mainland China, is Ksitigarbha’s Bodhimanda. This Bodhimanda was built by ”Jin Qiaojue” and is an extremely spiritual Bodhimanda. ”Jin Qiaojue” is the ”Golden Padmakumara.”

Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu once asked Ksitigarbha: ”What pure lands does Ksitigarbha have?”
Ksitigarbha said: ”This pure land is not known to worldly humans. In this world, the only one who knows the name of this pure land is Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu.”
I asked again: ”What is the name of this pure land? Can it be the Jiuhua Pure Land?”
Ksitigarbha said: ”No, the full name of this pure land is Ksitigarbha Tsuei Wei Southern Realm of Bliss.”
Therefore, cultivators who practice ”Ksitigarbha Personal Deity Yoga” have a Buddha Pure Land for rebirth. This pure land is the ”Ksitigarbha Tsuei Wei Southern Realm of Bliss.”

Related Dharma Talk:
Ksitigarbha originally had six envoys in attendance. One of the six, Great Strength Envoy, has been commanded by Ksitigarbha to accompany Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu everywhere he goes and to follow my orders at all times. That is why the mark of Great Strength Envoy is on Grand Master Lu’s right thumb.

Ksitigarbha Personal Deity Practice