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Jizo's customary symbols are the shakujo (six-ring staff) and the hoshunotama (wish-fulfilling jewel). When he shakes the staff, he awakens us from our delusions, to help us break free of the six states of rebirth and achieve enlightenment. The jewel (Skt: cintamani) signifies his bestowal of blessings on all who suffer, for the cintamani is a gem that grants wishes, pacifies desires, and brings clear understanding of the Dharma (Buddhist law). A halo often surrounds his head. Jizo is the only Bosatsu portrayed as a monk -- shaven head, no adornments, no royal attire, nearly always dressed in the simple robe (kesa) of a monk. SOME FORMS OF JIZO IN JAPAN Anzan Jizo Expectant mothers Asekaki Jizo Sweating Jizo. Excretes white sweat if good things are about to happen, and black sweat when bad things are foreseen. Hadaka Jizo Nude Jizo; carved nude but dressed in clothing Hitaki (Kuro) Jizo Fire Kindling Jizo Patron of Firemen Kosodate Jizo 子育て地蔵 Child-Raising Jizo Koyasu Jizo 子安地蔵 Child-Giving Jizo Migawari Jizo Jizo who "substitutes" himself for one who is suffering Miso Jizo Bean-Paste Jizo. Mizuko Jizo Water-Child Jizo Guardian of Unborn Children (or children who die prematurely) Omokaru Jizo おもかる地蔵尊 Heavy / Light Jizo Onegai Jizo Wish-Giving Jizo Shibarare Jizo String-Bound Jizo Sentai Jizo 1,000 bodies of Jizo; groupings of hundreds of Jizo statues Shogun Jizo Battle field protector SIX REALMS JIZO 1. Enmei Jizo 2. Hoshu Jizo 3. Hoin Jizo 4. Hosho Jizo 5. Jichi Jizo 6. Kengoi Jizo For more forms of Jizo, click here (Japanese)

One of the most beloved of all Japanese divinities, Jizo works to ease the suffering and shorten the sentence of those serving time in hell. Jizo can appear in many different forms to alleviate suffering. In modern Japan, Jizo is popularly known as the guardian of unborn, aborted, miscarried, and stillborn babies (Mizuko Jizo). These roles were not assigned to Jizo in earlier Buddhist traditions from mainland Asia; they are instead modern adaptations unique to Japan. At the same time, Jizo serves his customary and traditional roles as patron saint of expectant mothers, children, firemen, travelers, pilgrims, and the protector of all beings caught in the six realms of reincarnation. Other modern manifestations of Jizo in Japan, such as the Asekaki Jizo (Sweating Jizo), are unique to Japan and not found elsewhere in mainland Asia.

Jizo is perhaps the most popular deity of the common people, a friend to all, never frightening even to children, and his many manifestations -- often cute and cartoon like in modern Japan -- incorporate attributes from both Buddhist traditions and from earlier Shinto beliefs and Shinto kami. Jizo statues can be found everywhere in Japan, especially in graveyards. Jizo is often translated as "Womb of the Earth," for JI means earth, while ZO means womb. But "ZO" can also be translated with equal correctness as "store house" or "repository of treasure" -- thus Jizo is also translated as "earth store" or "earth treasury."

Although of India origin, Kshitigarbha (Jizo) is revered more widely in Japan, Korea, and China than in either India or Tibet. In Japan, Jizo first appears in records of Nara Period (710 to 794 AD), and then spreads throughout Japan via the Tendai and Shingon sects. In China, Jizo worship can be traced back to at least the fifth century AD (to the Chinese translation of the Sutra of the Ten Cakras 大方広十輪経), and in later centuries Chinese artwork often shows Jizo surrounded by the ten kings of hell to signify Jizo's role in delivering people from the torments of hell. But Jizo is mentioned even earlier in the Mahavaipulya Sutra (Garland Sutra) of India, in which he appears to the historical Buddha at the time of the Buddha's death. Jizo is a Bodhisattva (Bosatsu), one who achieves enlightenment but postpones Buddhahood until all can be saved. He promised to remain among us doing good works, to help all those spinning endlessly in the six realms, until the advent of Miroku Nyorai (Maitreya; the Buddha of the Future). Miroku is scheduled to arrive, according to the Shingon Sect, about 5.6 billion years from now.

In Japan, Jizo first appears in the Ten Cakras Sutra in the Nara period (now a treasure held by the Nara National Museum), but the height of his early popularity was during the late Heian era (794 to 1192 AD) when the rise of the Jodo Sect (Pure Land Sect devoted to Amida Nyorai) intensified fears about hell in the afterlife. Since then, Jizo worship has attained a tremendous following in Japan, and even today Jizo is one of Japan's most common and widely revered deities. Due to his association with the realm of death and suffering souls, he is also closely associated with Amida Nyorai and with Amida's heavenly western paradise, where true believers may seek enlightenment and avoid the torments of hell. However, Amida is not revered by the Nichiren sect, who hold Amida worship in low esteem.

SEX CHANGE
In Japan today, Jizo Bosatsu and Kannon Bosatsu (Goddess of Mercy) are two of the most popular Buddhist saviors among the common folk. Like Jizo, the Kannon Bosatsu is intimately associated with Amida Nyorai, for the Kannon is one of Amida's principal attendants, and she often wears an effigy of Amida in her headdress. Curiously, however, both Jizo and Kannon underwent a sex change after arriving in Japan. The Kannon was originally male, but is now portrayed almost always as female, while Jizo was initially female, but is now portrayed almost always as male (except, perhaps, when appearing as the Koyasu (Child-Giving) Jizo). <Editor's Note: the reasons for this sex change are confusing and hard to understand; I hope to expand on this in the future>

From comic book by
Daido Publications, Tokyo

Even today, you will invariably find little heaps of stones and pebbles around Jizo statues, as many believe that a stone offered in faith will shorten the time their child suffers in the underworld. You will also notice that Jizo statues are often wearing tiny garments. Since Jizo is the guardian of dead children, sorrowing parents bring the little garments of their lost ones and dress the Jizo statue in hopes Jizo will specially protect their child. A little hat or bib or toy is often seen as well, the gift of a rejoicing parent whose child has been cured of dangerous sickness thanks to Jizo's intervention, or a gift to help the deceased child in the afterlife.

 Jizo Statues at Hase Dera in Kamakura, Japan

Hitaki (Kuro) Jizo
The Fire Kindling Jizo
Jizo also has many devotees among firemen. The story is that Jizo descends into the infernal regions to witness the punishments and tortures of condemned souls. He was so affected by their agony that he, for a time, took the place of their relentless custodian, and greatly reduced the intense heat of the purgatorial fires to ease their pain. Hence his following among firemen. This Jizo is known as the Black Jizo (the "Kuro" or "Hitaki" Jizo). <above paragraph adapted from "Kamakura: Fact and Legend" by Iso Mutsu>
 

Jizo descends into the underworld to help those in need
 From comic book by Daido Publications, Tokyo

 Jizo Mantra in Japanese Language
On kakaka bisanmaei sowaka (Japanese)
 Om ha-ha-ha vismaye svaha (Sanskrit)

Six States of Existence
Jizo vowed to assist beings in each of the Six Realms of Existence, in particular those in hell, and is thus often shown in groupings of six. Within the six realms (or states), the lowest three are called the three evil paths. They are the states of (1) people in hell, (2) hungry ghosts, and (3) animals. Above these three realms are the states of (4) Asuras, (5) Humans, and (6) Devas. For details on the six states (also called the Six Paths of Transmigration or Reincarnation, the Wheel of Life, or the Cycle of Suffering), click here.

Roku Jizo (Groupings of Six Jizo)
In Japan, groupings of six Jizo statues (one for each of the Six Realms) are quite common and often placed at busy intersections or oft-used roads to protect travelers and those in "transitional" states. Jizo also often carries a staff with six rings, which he shakes to awaken us from our delusions -- the rings likewise symbolize the six states of existence. The six Jizo come in various versions. One common grouping is: 

• Enmei (long life; prolonger of life; Beings in Hell)
• Hoshu (Ratnapani; treasure hand or possession; Hungry Ghosts)
• Hoin (Ratnamudrapani; treasure seal; possession of earth; Animals)
• Hosho (Ratnakara; treasure place; place of treasures; Asura)
• Jichi (Dharanidhara; land possession; earth; Humans)
• Kenko-i or Nikko (strong determination; Deva)

Above: Roku Jizo at Hase Dera in Kamakura


 (L) Roku Jizo at Roku Jizo Intersection in Kamakura
(R) Roku Jizo at Hase Dera in Kamakura

Below Text Courtesy of Buddhism: Flammarion Iconographic Guides ISBN: 2-08013-558-9 The name of this Bodhisattva means "He who encompasses the earth." According to the monk Eshin (Genshin, 942-1017), he is also the master of the six worlds of desire and of the six destinies of rebirth. When considered in particular as a Bodhisattva who consoles the beings in hell, he is identical to Yamaraja (Japanese Enma-o), the king of the Buddhist hells (Naraka, Japanese Jigoku). In India, Ksitigarbha, although known very early to the Mahayana sects (since the fourth century), does not appear to have enjoyed popular favour, and none of his representations can be found, either there or in South-East Asia. In China, on the contrary, he was fairly popular since the fifth century, after the translation of the Sutra of the Ten Cakras which lists his qualities. Ksitigarbha, moved by compassion, is said - like all Bodhisattvas - to have made the wish to renounce the status of Buddha until the advent of Maitreya, in order to help the beings of the destinies of rebirth. In hell, his mission is to lighten the burdens caused by previous evil actions, to secure from the judges of hell an alleviation of the fate of the condemned, and to console them. Thus, in the popular mind, Ksitigarbha has become the Bodhisattva of hells par excellence. His cult remains immensely popular in Japan, where it spread from the ninth century in the Tendai and Shingon sects. A popular custom made him the confessor to whom faults committed during the year were revealed, in the so-called "confession of Jizo ceremony." Unknown artist and period; found on web at www.skpqiost.com BELOW TEXT ADAPTED FROM MIHO MUSEUM (JAPAN) www.miho.jp/booth/html/doccon/00000612e.htm Jizo acts to save people during the long Buddha-less age which extends between the death of Shaka Nyorai (the Historical Buddha) and the coming of Miroku Nyorai (Maitreya, i.e., the Future Buddha). Many images of this deity from the Heian and later periods show him holding a six-ringed staff in his right hand. This staff is based on the belief that this deity does not reside in the Pure Land, but rather remains active in this world, protecting all in the six states of existence. Most Jizo statues hold a jewel in the left hand and a staff in the right hand, forming the standard iconography of this deity. Jizo is also often portrayed in the "one-foot-slightly-forward" pose to indicate that Jizo is walking in the present world. Although one can easily find images of the seated Jizo, the majority of Jizo images are shown standing. In Japan, by the Heian Era (794-1192), there is widespread belief in the Age of Mappo (Decline of Buddhist Law). At the time, the "Days of the Dharma" were divided into three periods, the first phase lasting 500 years (Age of Shobo 正法、 しょうぼう) during which Buddhism gains acceptance and spreads; the second phase lasting 1000 years (Age of Zoho 象法、ぞうほう) during which Buddhist practice begins to weaken; and the final phase lasting 3000 years (the Age of Mappo 末法、まっぽう), when Buddhist faith deteriorates and is no longer practiced). Jizo Bodhisattva promised to remain on earth from the time of the Historical Buddha's death until the coming of Miroku Nyorai (the Future Buddha, who is expected to appear 5.6 billion years from now).  In Shingon Buddhism, when young children die, the Sanskrit letter Ka, which stands for Ksitigarbha, is written on the memorial tablet. This signifies that the powerless child is saved and enabled to attain enlightenment. Mizuko Jizo in graveyard at Raikoji Temple in Kamakura Jizo, 19th century, Victoria & Albert Museum At Hase Dera in Kamakura Below Excerpt Courtesy of: THE MIZUKO JIZO AND THE MIZUKO CEREMONY IN JAPAN From book Jizo Bodhisattva by Chozen Roshi The most common form of Jizo made in Japan today is the Mizuko Jizo. The Mizuko Jizo often is portrayed as a monk with an infant in his arms and another child or two at his feet, clutching the skirt of his robe. The Mizuko Jizo is the central figure in a popular but somewhat controversial ceremony called the mizuko kuyo. The word ku-yo is composed of two Chinese characters with the literal meaning "to offer" and "to nourish". The underlying meaning is to offer what is needed to nourish life energy after it is no longer perceptible in the form of a human or occupying a body we can touch. In actual use kuyo refers to a memorial service and mizuko kuyo to a memorial service for infants who have died either before birth or within the first few years of life. An image of the Mizuko Jizo usually is the central figure on the altar at such a ceremony. Grieving parents may buy a small statue of Mizuko Jizo to place on the family altar or in a cemetery as a memorial for their child. The two Chinese characters in the word mizu-ko are literally translated "water" and "baby". It is a description of the unborn, beings who float in a watery world awaiting birth. The Japanese perceived that all life is originated from the sea long before evolutionary theory proposed this. Their island home and all its inhabitants float in the ocean, which is the source of much of their nutrition. In actual use, the term "mizuko" includes not only fetuses and the newly born, but also infants up to one or two years of age whose hold on life in the human realm is still tenuous. In Japan young children are regarded as "other worldly" and not fully anchored in human life. Fetuses are still referred to as kami no ko or "child of the gods" and also as "Buddha". Before the twentieth century, the probability that a child would survive to age five or seven was often less than 50 percent. Only after that age were they "counted" in a census and could they be "counted upon" to participate in the adult world. Children were thought of as mysterious beings in a liminal world between the realm of humans and gods. Because of this the gods could speak through them. For centuries prepubescent children in Japan have been chosen as chigo, or "divine children", who do divination and function as oracles. Even today children below school age still are allowed a somewhat heavenly existence, indulged and protected without many expectations or pressures. They often sleep in bed with their parents and younger siblings until age seven. School entry and displacement from the parental bed can come as a rude shock. Mizuko Jizo at Hase Dera in Kamakura Also people in America nd Europe have only recently become acquainted with Jizo Bodhisattva, mistaken beliefs among Westerners about Jizo already exist. The Mizuko Jizo, although currently popular, revered, and omnipresent in Japan, is not an ancient Jizo. Nor is it the only form of Jizo, as the list of types of Jizos at the end of last chapter demonstrates. The term "mizuko" does not appear in Buddhist or Shinto scriptures. The mizuko kuyo is not an ancient rite nor was it originally a Buddhist ceremony. Both the Mizuko Jizo and the mizuko ceremony arose in Japan in the 1960s in response to a human need, to relieve the suffering emerging from the experience of a large number of women who had undergone abortions after World War II. <end excerpt from Chozen Roshi's Book, Jizo Bodhisattva> NEW BOOK ON JIZO BODHISATTVA Entitled "Jizo Bodhisattva. Modern Healing & Traditional Buddhist Practice. By Jan Chozen Bays, a Zen master in the lineage of Maezumi Roshi and a member of the White Plum Sangha. She is also the spiritual head of the Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Oregon. Published 2002 by Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 0-8048-3189-0   BELOW TEXT COURTESY: David G. Lanoue, PHD Xavier University, Louisiana, USA www.worldhaikureview.org/3-2/shadesofink.shtml Not Your Ordinary Saint: Jizo in the Haiku of Issa Of the first five thousand haiku of Issa that I have translated for my online archive, only thirteen refer to Jizo, a figure that two of my Japanese/English dictionaries identify as "the guardian deity of children." Statistically, then, it would seem that Jizo is a figure of miniscule importance in Issa's poetic universe, far less prominent than, for example, Buddha, to whom he refers, in this same sample, 214 times. However, though Jizo appears so infrequently, we should not underestimate his significance to Issa. In fact, one could argue that truly important, truly sacred things must not be mentioned too often or too publicly, or else they might lose some of their power to move and inspire. Jizo is precisely this kind of spiritually forceful image in Issa's haiku, and, one assumes, in his life beyond haiku. The dictionary designation of Jizo as, simply, "the guardian deity of children" is confusing for anyone familiar with the fact that Buddhism is not a theistic belief system. Buddhists do not worship a God or gods. How, then, can Jizo, in Buddhist Japan, be a deity? The name Jizo derives from the Sanskrit ksitigarbha, a compound of ksiti and garbha: "earth" + "womb" (Oozuka 359). In ancient India this "Earth-Womb," as the name implies, served as a fertility goddess whose lineage traces back to the earth goddess, Prthivi (Dystra 179). When Buddhism moved into China, monks translated Ksitigarbha with the Chinese cognates, ti ts'ang: "Earth-store," "Earth-treasury," or "Earth-womb" (Soothill 208). Ti Ts'ang Wang ("King Earth-store") underwent a sex-change somewhere en route from India to China, so that Jizo, the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese characters for "earth" and "storehouse," has spent the majority of his/her time in East Asia as a male. In Chinese Buddhism, Jizo came to be known as one of the eight Dhyani-Bodhisattvas, his particular job being that of guardianship over the earth. A bodhisattva is not a god but an enlightened being who heroically helps others on the road to enlightenment. Bodhisattvas roughly parallel the saints of medieval Catholic tradition: they are heavenly VIPs who intercede, when called upon, for their earthly devotees. Of course, key differences pertain between Christian saints and Buddhist bodhisattvas, not the least being the notion that saints have arrived at an eternal state of bliss whereas bodhisattvas have delayed their entry into Nirvana on a compassionate mission to lead other sentient beings to enlightenment. Still, the English word "saint" seems closest to the mark, so in my own translations I usually designate him as "Saint Jizo." In Chinese Buddhist myth Jizo became associated with Yama, the overlord of Hell, most likely because of his (formerly her) ancient association with earth's womb. Nevertheless, in folklore he appears as a savior, not punisher. For example, in one old Chinese tale a son's filial piety moves Jizo to deliver that son's sinful, dead mother out of hell. Similarly, in a Japanese story, he appears in the form of a beautiful young boy and rescues a righteous man from hell by offering to suffer in the man's place (Dykstra 180; 194-95). In Pure Land Buddhism, that branch of Buddhism that relies on Amida Buddha to enable one to be reborn in his Western Paradise, Jizo gained a reputation as one who could assist sinful mortals in their last moments of life, effecting their rebirth in the Pure Land. This is why, in many Japanese temples, statues of Jizo stand on one side of Amida, while Kannon, the bodhisattva of mercy, stands on the other. Jizo's role in Pure Land Buddhism made him widely popular in medieval Japan, where this movement spread far and wide among the masses. Somewhere along the way, he picked up other duties in addition to helping souls reach Amida's Pure Land, such as providing protection for travelers. Even today, stone and wood Jizos can found all over Japan along remote roads, where they watch over those who journey there. (See Dosojin for more on this topic.) Jizo's kind, generous, and selfless nature led Japanese people to revere him additionally as a guardian of children. Yet, as we have seen, he is much more than this thumbnail sketch found in dictionaries. <end excerpt by David G. Lanoue> Below text courtesy of JAANUS Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System You'll need a Japanese font on your PC to read below kanji. www.aisf.or.jp/%7Ejaanus/deta/j/jizou.htm Lit. earth repository (Sk: Ksitigarbha). A bodhisattva (bosatsu 菩薩) believed to have been entrusted with the task of saving sentient beings during the period between the death of Shaka 釈迦 and the advent of the next Buddha Miroku 弥勒 who is traditionally expected to appear 5,670 million years after the demise of Shaka. The cult of Jizou does not appear to have been very wide-spread in India, but in China and especially Japan his popularity came to rival that of Kannon 観音 whose tendancy to manifest himself in many different forms in order to save people from suffering made him immensely popular. In Japan there are records that he was worshipped already in the Nara period 8c, but the earliest extant image of Jizou is that at Kouryuuji 広隆寺 (Kyoto) dating from the early Heian period 9c. Jizou is usually represented either standing or seated in the guise of a monk, with a shaven head and wearing monk's robes. In early examples he holds a wish-fulfilling gem (houju 宝珠) in his left hand while his right hand displays the wish-granting mudra (yogan-in 与願印). Later examples, from about the mid-Heian period (10c) onwards show him holding a gem in his left hand and a staff (shakujou 錫杖) in his right, and this has since become the standard form. Some other variant forms are as follows: Yata Jizou 矢田地蔵 (the prototype for which is found at Kongousenji 金剛山寺, also known as Yatadera 矢田寺, Nara prefecture), holds a gem in his left hand and displays the 'mudra for bestwoing fearlessness' (semui-in 施無畏印) with his right hand; Enmei (Longevity) Jizou 延命地蔵, seated with the left leg pendent; Hadaka (Naked) Jizou 裸地蔵, with the image clothed in real robes and not carved as part of the image; Hibou (Hatted) Jizou 被帽地蔵 with his head covered. Karate (Empty-handed) Jizou 空手地蔵, holding nothing in his hands; Shougun (Victorious) Jizou 勝軍地蔵, shown clad in armour. Reflecting the great popularity of his cult among the general populace, stone images of Jizou are very common in Japan, and will often be seen even along the roadside. Because of his mission to save all sentient beings, there evolved the idea of Six Jizou (Roku Jizou 六地蔵), one responsible for each of the six realms of transmigratory existence (rokudou-e 六道絵). The six realms constitute the life cycle of unenllightened mortals: they are Hell, Hunger, Animality, Anger, Humanity and Heaven. Representations of these six Jizou are common. The denizens of hell were considered to be especially deserving of his help, and thus Jizou has come to be revered in particular as the saviour of those suffering therein. Both in China and Japan he is sometimes depicted in hell surrounded by the Ten Kings (or Judges) of Hell (Juuou 十王); such a depiction is called a "picture of Jizou and the Ten Kings" (Jizou juuou-zu 地蔵十王図). As a result of this compassionate association he was also assimilated into the Pure Land faith (joudokyou 浄土教), and there evolved a version of the Amida triad (Amida sanzon 阿弥陀三尊) with Amida 阿弥陀 flanked by Jizou and Kannon, and an "Amida Pentad" (Amida gobutsu 阿弥陀五仏) consisting of Amida, Kannon, Seishi 勢至, Jizou and Ryuuju 龍樹 (Sk:Nagarjuna). Jizou is also regarded as the protector of children, in which role he is known as Kosodate (child-raising) Jizou 子育地蔵 and may be represented cradling a child, and he figures among the so-called Thirteen Buddhas (juusanbutsu 十三仏), presiding over the memorial service held on the 35th day after a person's death. In Esoteric Buddhism (mikkyou 密教), Jizou appears in the matrix mandala (Taizoukai mandara 胎蔵界曼荼羅) as the central figure in the Jizouin 地蔵院 where he takes the form of a bodhisattva holding a solar disc in his right hand and a lotus surmounted with a banner in his left hand. In the Diamond World Mandala, (Kongoukai mandara 金剛界曼荼羅)  he is identified in Japan with Kongoudou 金剛幢 (Sk: Vajraketu) among the 16 Great Bodhisattvas (juuroku daibosatsu 十六大菩薩). <end quote JAANUS>

Below text and photo
courtesy of Yomiuri Shimbun
Sept. 9, 2003, edition
The gentle, round face of Jizo, the guardian deity of children, can barely be seen amidst the layers of cord tied around the stone statue of the god at Rinsenji Temple in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, which was erected in 1602. The stone statue called "Shibarare (string-bound) Jizo" is said to have been donated to the temple by its founder, Ito Hanbei, in memory of his late parents.

There are other Shibarare Jizo statues in other locations around Tokyo. However, the state at Rinsenji appeared in "Zenigata Heiji," a detective story set in the Edo Era (1603-1868), written by novelist Kodo Nomura (1882-1963).

Local residents originally started tying strings around the statue when offering prayers for the recovery of stolen or missing items. When their prayers were answered, people were supposed to remove the string.

These day, however, many people visit the temple to offer prayers for various other reasons. "At the end of every year, we hold a ceremony to remove all the strings and burn them. But the statue was already covered with new strings in January," said the chief priest at the temple, Shin-jin Eda, 40. <end story by Shinobu Miwa for the Yomiuri Shimbun>

Miso (Bean Paste) Jizo
みそ地蔵 （広島県広島市東山）
At Saizouji Temple (in Higashiyama, Hiroshima), people bring a flat pack of miso (bean paste), put it on the head of a seated Jizo statue, say a prayer, and then put the miso pack on their own head in the hopes their prayers will be answered (e.g., prayers to cure illness, to pass the school exams, to gain intellegence). In this area of Hiroshima, the Miso Jizo is even more popular than Michizane Sugawara, a courtier in the Heian period who was deified after death -- he is considered a Shinto deity and venerated as the patron of scholarship, learning, and calligraphy at Tenjin shrines throughout Japan. Miso means bean paste. It is also short for "noumiso," the latter term meaning "brain." Thus, Miso Jizo is a play on sounds.

Onegai Jizo お願い地蔵. Another similar form of Jizo. Literally the "wish-giving" or "ask-a-favor" Jizo. At many temples, visitors can buy tiny images of Jizo, which they deposit around the main Jizo statue when praying for Jizo's help.

Onegai Jizo at Nihonji Daibutsu
Click images for larger photos.
At Nokogiriyama, Chiba. This location, constructed in the 1780s,
features gigantic statues of Yakushi Nyorai and Kannon
 that are carved into the rock face. Click here for details.

Miso Licking Jizo みそなめ地蔵. In other locations, people worship the so-called "Miso Licking Jizo." According to folklore, people who are granted their wishes are supposed to visit "Miso Licking" temples and smear miso around the mouth of the Jizo statue. In other areas, people spread miso on Jizo statues to cure sickness, tooth aches, and eye diseases. The basic belief is to put miso on the statue in the same location as your ailment -- on Jizo's teeth if you have a tooth ache, on Jizo's eye if you have an eye disease, etc. This symbolism is similar to another manifestation of Jizo called the Migawari Jizo (Substitution Jizo). This latter Jizo "substitutes" himself for the suffering of the people, curing them by taking on their pain. For much more on Miso Jizo, the Miso Licking Jizo, and other unique Japanese manifestations of this beloved deity, please see Gabi Greve's Miso Jizo page.

RUBBING TRADITIONS. In related matters, the rubbing of miso to alleviate ailments may be an extension of Japan's earlier "rubbing" traditions. At many temples, statues of certain deities appear worn near the head, shoulders, and body joints, as passersby believe that rubbing their hands on these deities will somehow bring benefits. Statues of Binzuru (Pindola), the most widely revered of the Arhat in Japan, and Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of Medicine and Healing, are usually well worn, as the faithful rub part of the statue (knees, back, head), then rub the same part of their body, praying for the deity to heal their sickness (e.g., cancer, arthritis, headaches, other ailments). Both are reputed to have the gift of healing. This "rubbing" tradition is also associated with Daikoku (the god of wealth and farmers, and one of Japan's Seven Lucky Gods). People rub Daikoku statues in the hope of gaining good luck and fortune (i.e., they believe good luck will rub off on them).

Asekaki Jizo 汗かき地蔵
Sweating Jizo. Excretes white sweat if good things are about to happen, and black sweat when bad things are foreseen. Click here for many more details about the Sweating Jizo.  

HYAKUDO MAIRI (Mostly a Shinto Tradition)
There is a Japanese Buddhist variant of the Hyakudo Mairi Shinto tradition that involves the beloved Jizo Bosatsu. It is called the 地蔵車. This translates as the Jizo Wheel (which includes the afterlife wheel, 後生車, ごしょうぐるま) and the Bosatsu wheel (菩提車, ぼだいぐるま). Found in front of many temples. When you say your wish while turning the wheel downward, a wish for the afterlife will be granted. When you turn the wheel upward, a wish for your present life will be granted. For details, please see: www.fmkagawa.co.jp/yomu/88/88-56.htm.

Omokaru Jizo At Gokurakuji Temple 2nd Site of Shikoku Pilgrimage Also called: Jizo to hold in your arms Photo courtesy this J-Site

Omokaru Ishi
おもかる石

Omokaru Jizo
 おもかる地蔵尊

Below text courtesy Gabi Greve.
Omokaru-ishi literally means "heavy or light stones." There are numerous variations for these types of stones and statues. Essentially, you make a wish and try to lift the stone (or statue). If you can carry it (karui = light), your wish will be granted. If you cannot carry it (omoi = heavy), then you have to come back another day and try again. Sometimes a statue of Jizo Bosatsu is used instead of a stone. For more details and a list of sites where these stones are located, please see this web page by Gabi Greve.

LEARN MORE ABOUT JIZO

• Photo Tour (Over 50 Images) of Jizo Bosatsu
   
• Six Realms of Existence
  Or visit: campross.crosswinds.net/ShuteiMandala/vedic.html
   
• Koyasu Jizo, the "Child Giving" Jizo
   
• Jizo Pilgrimage to temples in the Kamakura area
   
• Protectors of Children. In Japan, there are certain deities, including Jizo, who are especially worshiped for their ability to save children from disaster and even bring dead children back to life.
   
• Photo Tour, Jizo Bosatsu and the 88 Temples of Shikoku
  Lots of great photos from the Health Center Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University
   
• Manifestations of Jizo Bosatsu in Japan - LIST & LINKS
  http://murodumi-j.hikari-net.ed.jp/linksyu/jizoulink.htm
  Japanese language only; Jizo Bosatsu appears in many different forms, and most are unique to Japan and not found elsewhere in mainland Asia.
   
• Buddhanet
  www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/b_fbodi.htm
   
• Miho Museum (Japan)
  www.miho.jp/booth/html/artcon/00000089e.htm
   
• Stone Jizo, Hakone
  www1.kcn.ne.jp/%7Eyosikatu/hakone.htm
   
• Jizo in Modern Japanese Drawings
  http://www1.kcn.ne.jp/~y-tamaki/html/gal.html (Japanese Only)
   
• Manjushri (outside link)
  A wonderful site that combines strong research with good photos, and provides the Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and Tibetan name of the various Buddha.
   
• Great Vow Zen Monastery (in Clatskanie, Oregon)
  www.greatvow.org -- Zen training center and retreat.
  www.zenworks.org -- Another web site by the same monastery.
  www.zendust.org/jizo/gallery.html#alter -- Same monastery.
  www.jizosforpeace.org -- Jizos for Peace; same monastery
  August 6 and 9, 2005 was the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombing in Japan. In memory of the nearly 300,000 people who died during and after the bombing, we intend to take 280,000 images of Jizo to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We'd like you to participate.
  
  BOOK ON JIZO BODHISATTVA
  Entitled "Jizo Bodhisattva. Modern Healing & Traditional Buddhist Practice. By Jan Chozen Bays, a Zen master in the lineage of Maezumi Roshi and a member of the White Plum Sangha. She is also the spiritual head of the Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Oregon. Published 2002 by Tuttle Publishing.
  ISBN 0-8048-3189-0
  
• Shozuka no Baba. Says the Flammarion Guide: "In Japan, popular belief holds that a hideous creature by the name of Shozuka-no-Baba strips children of their clothing, then encourages them to make piles of stones to build a stairway to paradise. Ksitigarbha consoles the afflicted children and, to save them, hides them in the wide sleeves of his robe. The Japanese in the countryside often attach small pieces of children's clothing to the statues representing Jizo, believing that he can thus clothe the children in his protection."
   
• Amida Nyorai, Kannon Bosatsu, and Jizo Bosatsu (this page) became extremely popular among the common folk during the Kamakura Period, and today remain the bedrock of Buddhism for the masses. Amida for the coming life in paradise, Kannon for salvation in earthly life, and Jizo for salvation from hell. Both Jizo and Kannon are closely associated with Amida mythology.
   

Copyright Mark Schumacher. Email Mark.
All stories and photos, unless specified otherwise, by Mark
www.onmarkproductions.com