Ksitigarbha

King of the Underworld Vows

Bodhisattva who vows not to become Buddha until hell is empty, lord of the dead’s teaching.

Ksitigarbha, the Bodhisattva of the Earth Store, vowed never to reach Buddhahood until the hells are empty. He descends into the darkness to teach the suffering dead, and his name became the title of the ruler of the underworld in Chinese folk religion. His sacred mountain is Jiuhua in Anhui, where legend says the Korean prince Kim Gakgak practiced until his body remained uncorrupted — the living presence of the vow.