“His Sanskrit name is Kṣitigarbha, “Earth Store.” There are ten aspects of the earth: it is wide and extensive; it supports all living beings; it is impartial; it receives the great rain; it produces grasses and trees; it holds all planted seeds; it holds many treasures; it produces medicines; it is not moved by the blowing wind; and it does not tremble at the lion’s roar.” (SPV20-21)

“You could say that Earth Store Bodhisattva is the dumbest of the Bodhisattvas, and also the most intelligent. Why is he dumb? It is because he does things no one else wants to do. He can bear what others can’t bear and yield when others can’t yield. When his parents were extremely mean to him, it didn’t make any difference; he was filial just the same. That is why within Buddhism Earth Store Bodhisattva is known as the Bodhisattva of great filiality and also as the Bodhisattva of great vows.

He said, ‘Until the hells are empty I will never become a Buddha.’ Until every single living being is taken across, he doesn’t want to attain proper and equal enlightenment. Take a look at that kind of vow-power: Doesn’t it seem kind of dumb?

On the other hand, we can also say he is the most intelligent Bodhisattva. That is because he stands out above everyone else. He transcends all his peers. Someone asks, ‘Is he trying to be special?’ No. He does what others don’t want to do and are not able to do. And so we can say that he is the most intelligent Bodhisattva. In short, it can be said of Earth Store Bodhisattva that he has great vows, great conduct, great wisdom, and great compassion.

Jiuhua Mountain [in Anhui Province in China] is the sacred Way-place devoted to Earth Store Bodhisattva.” (SPV 136)

地藏菩薩 [dì zàng pú sà] ; Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva