Kshitigarbha is a bodhisattva who vowed, “So long as hell is not empty, I will not attain Buddhahood.” Usually depicted with a staff with six rings, he has delayed his own enlightenment indefinitely in order to teach those in hell about the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Because of his association with the underworld, East Asian Mahayana Buddhists usually pray for his blessing when celebrating Ullambana, the Buddhist festival especially honoring one’s ancestors.
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