Kṣitigarbha Hall
The Kṣitigarbha Hall is a building in East Asian Buddhist temples dedicated to Kṣitigarbha, who revered for his vow to deliver beings from the suffering of the six realms, particularly hell. As a key auxiliary structure in East Asian Buddhist temples, it embodies the fusion of doctrinal teachings, cultural narratives, and artistic traditions. This hall serves as a focal point for rituals addressing death, ancestor veneration, and moral redemption. In Chinese Buddhist temples, they are usually termed the Dizang dian or Dizang Hall. In Japanese Buddhist temples, they are usually termed the Jizōdō or Jizō-den. In Korean Buddhist temples, they are usually termed the Jijangjeon, In Vietnamese Buddhist temples, they are usually termed the Chùa Địa Tạng.
Origin
Kṣitigarbha is a bodhisattva most closely associated with the salvation and liberation of hell-beings. He features prominently in many Mahayana sūtras, such as the Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Pūrvapraṇidhāna Sūtra..The Daśacakra Kṣitigarbha Sūtra elaborates:
Due to Śākyamuni Buddha's exhortations, Kṣitigarbha has to cultivate all the living creatures in adherence to the Dharma and eliminate all suffering in the period spanning from Śākyamuni Buddha's Parinirvana to Maitreya's final birth. Kṣitigarbha has made the vow:
It is through this gesture of selflessness that he became recognized as "foremost in compassion and vows" and has been worshiped by people since ancient times.
China
The veneration of Kṣitigarbha in China flourished during the Tang dynasty, closely linked to the legend of Kim Gyo-gak, a Korean prince who traveled to Jiuhua Mountain in Anhui for ascetic practice. Regarded as the earthly manifestation of Kṣitigarbha, his preserved body enshrined at Shrine of Living Buddha solidified the site as a premier pilgrimage center. Doctrinally, the Daśacakrakṣitigarbha-sūtra underpins the hall's role in repentance and salvation rituals.In Chinese Buddhism, Kṣitigarbha's image is usually in the form of a Buddhist monk; complete with a robe, shaved head or in a Five Buddha Crown, also known as a Vairocana-crown, which is a crown adorned with images of the Five Tathāgatas. He sits in the lotus posture and wields a khakkhara in his left hand, symbolizing the unification of compassion for all living creations whilst holding strictly to the moral precepts. In his right hand is a ruyi, signifying the fulfillment of the wishes of all living creatures. Some images depict him standing in a triad that includes a father-son duo: Daoming, a bhikshu who stands to his left, and Mingong, a wealthy elderly man on his right. In some larger Buddhist temples, statues of the Ten Yanluo Wangs flank images of Kṣitigarbha.