| It is said that Jizo Bodhisattva is supposed to be in this world saving suffering people until Miroku Bodhisattva appears 5,670,000,000 years after the death of Sakyamuni Gautama. He is worshipped as a deity of land, as is shown by his name Jizo, which literally means "deity stored in land." He is also said to save small children and those people who are destined to go down to the hell because of their wrongdoings before death. In this ritual, two images of Jizo Bodhisattva are enshrined, along with Buddhist images, on which the words for "the well-being, health and longevity of a family" are inscribed. worshippers praise good works of Jizo, praying good health for the worshippers themselves. From the evening on this day, the temple precincts are crowed with parishioners and visitors coming to pray to Jizo. |
