Ksitigarbha
The name of the bodhisattva may be translated as “Earth Treasury”, meaning that he has many seeds of benevolence just like the earth. All life is born of the earth, whereas Ksitigarbha is responsible for educating all beings in the six realms of existence (hell (naraka), hungry ghost (preta), animal (tiryag), demi-god (asura), human (manusya) and god (deva)) and releasing the beings in hell from purgatory. Since Ksitigarbha appeared in the time between the nirvana of Gautama Buddha and the arrival of Maitreya, he was given the prestigious status as one of the Four Great Bodhisattvas of Buddhism.
According to legend, Ksitigarbha was in fact Maudgalyayana. In order to save his mother from hell, he pledged that “he would not become a Buddha unless hell is empty”. Meanwhile, some say Ksitigarbha was a prince of Silla. During the Zhengguan reign of Tang Emperor Taizong, Ksitigarbha was reincarnated as Kim Gyo-gak, the Prince of Silla. Disillusioned with worldly life, he was ordained as a Buddhist monk and travelled to Jiuhua Mountain in Anhui Province to practise Buddhist teachings. Jiuhua Mountain is thus known as the place where Ksitigarbha manifested himself.
Function
Expelling ghosts and evil; rewarding good deeds and punishing bad deeds
Festival
Birthday of Ksitigarbha (30th day of 7th lunar month)
Temple
Kwong Fook Tsz, Tai Ping Shan、Shui Yuet Kung, Shan Tung Street、Kwun Yum Temple, Tsz Wan Shan
