According to ancient Japanese legend, children who die prematurely are sent to the underworld as punishment for causing great sorrow to their parents. They are sent to Sai no Kawara, the river of souls in purgatory, where they pray for Buddha's compassion by building small stone towers, piling stone upon stone. But underworld demons, answering to the command of the old hag Shozuka no Baba, soon arrive and scatter their stones and beat them with iron clubs mercilessly. Bodhisattva Jizo-Anarcho comes to the rescue by hiding the children in the sleeves of his robe thus defeating the evil attacks of Shozuka no Baba and her malicious demons. The message of Jizo-Anarcho to her as she is forced to flee in frustrated defeat is immortalized in this statue.
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ToyPunkJan
1881 1896 2109
13 years ago
According to ancient Japanese legend, children who die prematurely are sent to the underworld as punishment for causing great sorrow to their parents. They are sent to Sai no Kawara, the river of souls in purgatory, where they pray for Buddha's compassion by building small stone towers, piling stone upon stone. But underworld demons, answering to the command of the old hag Shozuka no Baba, soon arrive and scatter their stones and beat them with iron clubs mercilessly. Bodhisattva Jizo-Anarcho comes to the rescue by hiding the children in the sleeves of his robe thus defeating the evil attacks of Shozuka no Baba and her malicious demons. The message of Jizo-Anarcho to her as she is forced to flee in frustrated defeat is immortalized in this statue.