jizô 地蔵
Kshitigarbha (skt.)
Jizô (ji = “earth”, zô = “womb”) is a Buddhist monk figure with a shaved skull, holding a wishing jewel and/or a pilgrim’s staff in his hand, moulded from stone with the Sanskrit name Ksitgarbha, which plays an important and very active role in the popular beliefs of the Japanese. Jizô, who travelled from India via Central Asia, China and Korea to Japan 500 years AD was given the role of spiritual guide from hell, protector of the roads and travellers and patron saint of children – especially those who died shortly after birth or were not born at all due to abortion (“water babies”).
other bosatsu
