#  Kshitigarbha 

 



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.