Audio 0018 English
Amituofo!
Hello everyone. Welcome to Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden in Canada. Right now, you are on the south-east side of Wisdom Lake, in Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Square. By the sparkling lake, there is a thick green forest, and a huge statue of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva.
The Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva statue in the centre has a kasaya robe, taking the form of a Monk, with a tuft of white hair between his eyebrows, two stretched earlobes, and a perfect and elegant appearance. There is a nine-ringed staff in his left hand and a mani jewel in his right hand, held at chest level. He is standing barefoot on a pedestal of raging flames, with a base that consists of six levels, like he is watching over all sentient beings. Stone lighthouses are arranged on both sides, along with 999 miniature statues of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, each one in a different position and form.
Manjushri, Guanyin, Samantabhadra, and Kṣitigarbha are considered to be the Four Great Bodhisattvas of Buddhism. Each one has a unique mount and symbolizes a different aspect of Buddhist teachings. Usually, the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha rides a mythical creature with the head of a lion, known as a diting. Sometimes this creature is referred to as a “unicorn”, and other times as a shanting. The sacred place (bodhimaṇḍa) of the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha is on Jiuhua Shan in China’s Anhui province.
Images of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva in Chinese Buddhist temples have their own distinguishing characteristics. Bodhisattvas are often depicted as celestial beings with jewelled crowns, heavenly garments, and pearl necklaces. In contrast, the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha is most commonly portrayed as a bald-headed Monk, sometimes wearing a Five-Pointed Crown. He holds a staff in one hand, and a lotus flower, banner, or jewel in the other. At Wutai Shan, the statues in Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Square look exactly like this.
What is so special and extraordinary about Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Square at Canada’s Wutai Shan?
Many years ago in October of 2016, Master Huiqing (President of the Jiuhua Shan Buddhist Association of China) donated a 9.9 metre bronze statue of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva to Canada’s Jiuhua Shan. Since then, China’s Putuo Shan, Wutai Shan, and Jiuhua Shan have all respectively donated — a statue of the South China Sea Guanyin, statues of the Bodhisattva Manjushri on the Five Platforms, and statues of the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha — for the purpose of establishing Four Great Buddhist Mountains in Canada. Both the consecrated statues and the incense offerings here come from China’s Jiuhua Shan. They are manifestations of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva in the human realm, and sharing a common origin with Jiuhua Shan, have the same sweet Dharma nectar flowing through their veins. So, we sincerely praise and recite the name of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, to save our deceased relatives from the lower realms.
Amituofo!
Hello everyone. Welcome to Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden in Canada. Right now, you are on the south-east side of Wisdom Lake, in Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Square. By the sparkling lake, there is a thick green forest, and a huge statue of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva.
The Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva statue in the centre has a kasaya robe, taking the form of a Monk, with a tuft of white hair between his eyebrows, two stretched earlobes, and a perfect and elegant appearance. There is a nine-ringed staff in his left hand and a mani jewel in his right hand, held at chest level. He is standing barefoot on a pedestal of raging flames, with a base that consists of six levels, like he is watching over all sentient beings. Stone lighthouses are arranged on both sides, along with 999 miniature statues of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, each one in a different position and form.
Manjushri, Guanyin, Samantabhadra, and Kṣitigarbha are considered to be the Four Great Bodhisattvas of Buddhism. Each one has a unique mount and symbolizes a different aspect of Buddhist teachings. Usually, the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha rides a mythical creature with the head of a lion, known as a diting. Sometimes this creature is referred to as a “unicorn”, and other times as a shanting. The sacred place (bodhimaṇḍa) of the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha is on Jiuhua Shan in China’s Anhui province.
Images of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva in Chinese Buddhist temples have their own distinguishing characteristics. Bodhisattvas are often depicted as celestial beings with jewelled crowns, heavenly garments, and pearl necklaces. In contrast, the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha is most commonly portrayed as a bald-headed Monk, sometimes wearing a Five-Pointed Crown. He holds a staff in one hand, and a lotus flower, banner, or jewel in the other. At Wutai Shan, the statues in Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Square look exactly like this.
What is so special and extraordinary about Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Square at Canada’s Wutai Shan?
Many years ago in October of 2016, Master Huiqing (President of the Jiuhua Shan Buddhist Association of China) donated a 9.9 metre bronze statue of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva to Canada’s Jiuhua Shan. Since then, China’s Putuo Shan, Wutai Shan, and Jiuhua Shan have all respectively donated — a statue of the South China Sea Guanyin, statues of the Bodhisattva Manjushri on the Five Platforms, and statues of the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha — for the purpose of establishing Four Great Buddhist Mountains in Canada. Both the consecrated statues and the incense offerings here come from China’s Jiuhua Shan. They are manifestations of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva in the human realm, and sharing a common origin with Jiuhua Shan, have the same sweet Dharma nectar flowing through their veins. So, we sincerely praise and recite the name of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, to save our deceased relatives from the lower realms.