Jizoo

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Stone Jizoo 石地蔵 and Sai no Kawara

Jizoo Bosatsu (Kshitigarbha) 地蔵菩薩





getting older -
even the gods
need glasses

年を取る　神様さえかける　眼鏡かな

aelter werden -
selbst die Goetter
tragen Brille

This little Jizoo is quite special with his glasses. I saw him at Oshima Island in the Seto Inland Sea at an amazing Stone Gallery, Sekiraku.

ストーンギャラリー　 石楽
http://www.ehime-iinet.or.jp/miyakubo/main/shop/stone/syou.htm
http://www.ehime-iinet.or.jp/miyakubo/main/shop/stone/gaiyou.htm

http://www.ehime-iinet.or.jp/sren/08miyakubo/jpg/sekira5.jpg
http://www.ehime-iinet.or.jp/sren/08miyakubo/jpg/sekira1.jpg
http://www.ehime-iinet.or.jp/sren/08miyakubo/jpg/sekira2.jpg


................................... Issa has this to say:

地蔵さへとしよるやうに木の葉哉
jizô sae toshiyoru yô ni konoha kana

even holy Jizo
is looking older...
fallen leaves

Tr. David Lanoue

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temple in autumn -
your smile helps me
on the way



I will add more pictures of this temple later.

This Jizoo has a smile like the little son of my best Japanese friend. Amazing!

ten takashi akaboo Jizoo no egao kana
天高し赤帽 地蔵の　笑顔かな

Bright Autum sky!
Jizoo with his red hood
Smiling peacefully.

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pilgrim's path -
a stone to remember
but what ?

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azaleas in full bloom
Jizoo's smile
unmoved

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stone lantern with moss -
six Jizoo teaching
in great silence

.. .. .. .. .. a roof of stone
.. .. .. .. .. is all you need
.. .. .. .. .. is all I need
。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。

Ishi-jizoo 　Zukin no yabureshi 　Kan modori

Little Stone Buddha -
Your hood all torn
And the cold coming back!

Fuyu no bochi. Booshi ni koke no Jizoosama!

Graveyard in winter.
For a hood you have moss,
Little Stone Buddha.


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cherry blossoms -
on the way to the temple
I think of you



More cherry pictures of 2005, Tanjo-Ji temple in Okayama.
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/gabigreve2000/album?.dir=/83f5


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The Jizoo Wheel, Jizooguruma 地蔵車

There is a Japanese Buddhist variant of the Hyakudo Mairi Shinto tradition that involves the beloved Jizo Bosatsu. It is called the 地蔵車. This translates as the Jizo Wheel (which includes the afterlife wheel, goshooguruma 後生車, ごしょうぐるま) and the Bosatsu wheel (bodaiguruma 菩提車, ぼだいぐるま).
Found in front of many temples. When you say your wish while turning the wheel downward, a wish for the afterlife will be granted. When you turn the wheel upward, a wish for your present life will be granted.


Eifuku-Ji, Nr. 54, Shikoku, May 2005

Jizoo Wheel -
a mother places flowers
on the grave

Read more about this Jizoo Wheel at Mark Schumacher's pages:
http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/other-stones-jizo-hyakudo.html


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Jizoo figures heavily in the Haiku of Issa.
David Lanoue has a profound essay on this subject.
Issa and Jizo Haiku

Safety copy is here:
groups.yahoo.com/group/Haiku-Essays/

Read this haiku of Issa

suzume no ko jizoo no sode ni kakure keri (1814)

baby sparrow
safe in Saint Jizoo's
sleeve

And now learn more about the Sleeve of Jizoo's robe

In Shinto mythology
the story goes that between life and death there flows a river. This river is called Sai no Kawara (translated it means Sai [Childrens Limbo; Limbo means a region on the border of hell or heaven, serving as the abode after death of unbaptized infants.] Kawara [riverside].
According to Shinto belief, children do not go to heaven or hell, but the souls of the dead babies play on the banks of this river, Sai no Kawara. And one of the things they have to do as their Duty (penance) there, is to stack up pebbles, and build little towers.

However, while doing so, a naughty, horrible devil usually appears who disturbs their playing, breaks their towers up, and scares them. And, it is here where the long sleeves of Jizos robe comes in handy.

Because Jizo is the god who protects children, and he does not fail to protect them there on the banks of the Sai no Kawara. So when scared by this devil, they all jump into the sleeve of Jizos robe, where they hide and feel safe and warm. It is said that in the old days, some of the Jizo statues were covered in pebbles from people
who stacked the pebbles in front of the Jizo, because it is believed, that for every tower of pebbles you build on earth, you help the souls of the dead children to perform their duty there on the Sai no Kawara.
http://www.aosara.com/articles/jizo.htm


Read my extensive article about Sai no Kawara.



. . . . . My article about Sai no Kawara 賽の河原!

List of Sai-no-Kawara Sites in Japan


Read more about Jizoo Bosatsu Buddhastatues:
... www.onmarkproductions.com/html/jizo


Jizo Bosatsu
Daruma Museum


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... yahoo.com/group/happyhaiku/


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