- Akasagarbha
Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: 虛空藏菩薩 Xūkōngzàng púsà) is one of the eight great
bodhisattva s. His name can be translated as "boundless space treasury" or "void store" as his wisdom is said to be boundless as space itself. He is sometimes known as the twin brother of the "earth store" bodhisattvaKsitigarbha , and is even briefly mentioned in theSutra of The Great Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva . InJapan he is known as Kokūzō.Kūkai (Kōbō-Daishi), the founder ofShingon Buddhism , is said to have repeatedly chanted amantra of Ākāśagarbha as a young Buddhist acolyte. As he chanted the mantra, he experienced a vision whereby Ākāśagarbha told him to go to China to seek understanding of theMahavairocana Sutra . [cite book | last = Abe | first = Ryuichi | title = The Weaving of Mantra: Kukai and the Construction of Esoteric Buddhist Discourse | publisher = Columbia University Press | year = 1999 | isbn = 0231112866 | pages=74]Mantra
The
mantra of Ākāśagarbha is popularly used by Shingon Buddhists and artists. It is believed to give rise to wisdom and creativity and dispel ignorance. [The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching by ThichNhat Hanh ]*Chinese: Na Mo Xu Kong Zang Pu Sa
*Vietnamese: Nam Mo Hu Khong Tang Bo Tat
*Translation: Blessed be Akasagarbha Bodhisattva,A different mantra is used for both Japanese and
Sanskrit :*Japanese: nōbō akyasha kyarabaya on arikya mari bori sowaka.
*Sanskrit: IAST|namo ākāśagarbhaya oṃ ārya kamari mauli svāhā.
*English Translation: Wish the whole universe, "OM", to pray all human beings flourish with all dedication.
*Chinese Translation: 請天地萬物,祝願全人類開花太平盛世!Further information regarding Akashagarbha Bodhisattva, and tantric rituals surrounding him are only given to students initiated in esoteric Buddhist lineages by an approved teacher.
References
External links
* [http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kokuzo.shtml Japanese Buddhist Statuary: Kokuzo]
* [http://www.shingon.org/ritual/daily.html The Koyasan Shingon-shu Lay Practitioner's Daily Service]
* [http://www.geocities.com/directx_user/gallery/akasagarbha.htm Icons of Akasagarbha Bodhisattva]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.