” /> —– Earth Store Bodhisattva ——-
地藏菩薩讚稽首本然清淨地 無盡佛藏大慈尊
南方世界湧香雲 香雨花雲及花雨
寶雨寶雲無數種 為祥為瑞遍莊嚴
天人問佛是何因 佛言地藏菩薩至
三世如來同讚歎 十方菩薩共皈依
我今宿植善因緣 稱揚地藏真功德
慈因積善，誓救眾生，
手中金錫，振開地獄之門。
掌上明珠，光攝大千世界。
智慧音裡，吉祥雲中，
為閻浮提苦眾生，作大證明功德主。
大悲大願，大聖大慈，
本尊地藏菩薩摩訶薩。
Introduction:
Like all Bodhisattvas, Earth Store Bodhisattva aspires to deliver
sentient beings wandering astray in the five (or six) paths of
mundane existence; but he specializes in delivering them from hell.
This expresses an extremely profound and esoteric aspect of the
Bodhisattva’s compassionate activity. One of his vows is in favor
of woman who hates womanhood.
地藏菩薩本願經
如來讚歎品 第六
“若有女人，厭女人身，盡心供養地藏菩薩畫像，及土石膠漆
銅鐵等像，如是日日不退，常以華香、飲食、衣服、繒綵、幢旛、
錢、寶物等供養。是善女人，盡此一報女身，百千萬劫，更不生
有女人世界，何況復受。除非慈願力故，要受女身，度脫眾生，
承斯供養地藏力故，及功德力，百千萬劫不受女身。”
Sutra of the Past Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva
(Chapter 6: Tathagata’s Praises)
“If a woman who hates womanhood should apply her mind to
worshipping Bodhisattva Earth Store’s painted picture or his image
made of earth, stone, glue, lacquer, copper or iron, and if she should
often pay homage to it also with such things as flowers, incense, food,
drink, clothing, accessories, curtains, banners, money or jewels-such
a good woman will not ever be reborn into a world having any woman
whatsoever for a duration of hundreds of thousands of myriads of
kalpas after she ends her present retributive life in a woman’s form,
not to mention her having to undergo any further period of womanhood.
Unless she should wish, by virtue of her compassionate vow, to
assume womanhood in order to deliver and liberate sentient beings,
she will not have to assume womanhood for a duration of hundreds of
thousands of myriads of kalpas by virtue of her worship of Bodhisattva
Earth Store and because of the meritorious virtues gained from such
worship.
epath
A Buddhist Journal 