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'Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva' (Chinese: 虛空藏菩薩 Xūkōngzàng púsà) is one of the eight great bodhisattvas. 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" bodhisattva Ksitigarbha. In Japan he is known as 'Kokūzō'.
Kūkai (Kōbō-Daishi), the founder of Shingon Buddhism, is said to have repeatedly chanted a mantra of Ākāśagarbha as a young Buddhist acolyte. As he chanted the mantra, he experienced a vision whereby Ākāśagarbha told him to seek wisdom in the Mahavairocana Sutra.^[1]

Contents

Mantra

References

External links

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.^[2]

★ '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:' namo ākāśagarbhaya oṃ ārya kamari mauli svāhā.

★ 'Translation:' Homage to the great Space-bearer who holds a flower and wears a garland and a jeweled crown svāhā.^[3]

References

1. Ryuichi Abe: ''The Weaving of Mantra: Kukai and the Construction of Esoteric Buddhist Discourse''. New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 1999 ISBN 0-231-11286-6
2. The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh
3. The Koyasan Shingon-shu Lay Practitioner's Daily Service

External links

★ Japanese Buddhist Statuary: Kokuzo

★ The Koyasan Shingon-shu Lay Practitioner's Daily Service

★ Icons of Akasagarbha Bodhisattva