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地藏菩萨(梵语:Ksitigarbha),因其“安忍不动,犹如大地,静虑深密,犹如秘藏”,所以得名。佛典载,地藏菩萨在过去世中,曾经几度救出自己在地狱受苦的母亲;并在久远劫以来就不断发愿要救度一切罪苦众生尤其是地狱众生。所以这位菩萨同时以“大孝”和“大愿”的德业被佛教广为弘传。也因此被普遍尊称为“大愿地藏王菩萨”,并且成为了汉传佛教的四大菩萨之一。唐朝来华求法的地藏比丘被认为是地藏菩萨的化身。这位出身新罗王族的僧人所在的安徽九华山也被视为地藏菩萨的应化道场,并因此成为了中国佛教四大名山之一,千百年来香火鼎盛。
Kshitigarbha, Bodhisattva (Tibetan: 'phags pa sa'i snying po. English: the Essence of the Earth): one of the eight principal Mahayana students, or 'heart sons,' of the Buddha Shakyamuni. The 'Eight Heart Sons,' including such notables as Manjushri and Avalokiteshvara, figure prominently in the various Mahayana Sutras of Northern Buddhism. Kshitigarbha is particularly associated with bringing help and comfort to those in the underworld realm of hell beings. Kshitigarbha is rarely if ever depicted alone in painting or created as a single sculpture. He is almost always included as one of the Eight Great Bodhisattvas typically appearing with the others seated below Amitabha Buddha in the Sukhavati Heaven or with Shakyamuni Buddha.
地藏菩萨最常见的形象是身着菩萨装, 头戴五如来冠,身披袈裟,右手执如意或莲花(如意棒是普贤比较明显的特征, 尤其是在没有象的情况下, 有时法器也会是日轮),骑于六牙白象之上(或者宝座上雕有大象),四只象足分别踩在四朵莲花上。六牙白象是普贤形象最重要的标志,用以体现其功德的“谨慎静重”和佛法的大慈力。
常见的地藏菩萨造像按形象可分为:
深度阅读: 辨识佛像-地藏菩萨
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