Kṣitigarbha

Kṣitigarbha (, , Wylie: sa yi snying po) is a bodhisattva primarily revered in East Asian Buddhism and usually depicted as a Buddhist monk. His name may be translated as "Earth Treasury", "Earth Store", "Earth Matrix", or "Earth Womb". Kṣitigarbha is known for his vow to take responsibility for the instruction of all beings in the six worlds between the death of Gautama Buddha and the rise of Maitreya, as well as his vow not to achieve Buddhahood until all hells are emptied. He is therefore often regarded as the bodhisattva of hell-beings, as well as the guardian of children and patron deity o

mountain in Anhui, China

thumb|Dōsojin represented as a human couple. thumb|250x250px|The Dōsojin is on the left Dōsojin (道祖神) are a class of protective Shinto deities (kami) commonly venerated in eastern Japan, particularly in the Kantō, Chūbu, and Tōhoku regions. They are associated with liminal spaces such as village boundaries, crossroads, and mountain passes, and are believed to ward off evil spirits, epidemics, and other harmful influences that threaten individuals or communities during transitional stages of life.2 The worship of Dōsojin reflects a blend of ancient animistic beliefs, local folk customs, and ele

Vajrayana Buddhist text

Japanese ceremony for those who have had a miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion

Japanese folk tale

a Japanese kami believed to be the local avatar (Gongen) of Buddhist bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha. The cult originated in Shugendō practices on Mount Atago in Kyoto

sutra in Mahāyāna Buddhism