Shuanglin Temple Ksitigarbha Hall: Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and Attendants

CHINA, Shanxi, Jinzhong; Ming dynasty

This statue of Ksitigarbha is flanked by the monk Daoming on the right and by the layman Mingong on the left. Their relationship with the Bodhisattva is explained in the Pure Regulations of Baizhang. Some 1500 years after the Buddha passed into parinirvana, Ksitigarbha traveled to Jiuhuashan in Anhui, where he accepted some offerings from a local named Mingong. When Mingong’s son was ordained under Ksitigarbha, he assumed the monastic name of Daoming.
Ksitigarbha sits in full lotus position on a double lotus throne that is supported on a double Sumeru stand. Warriors support the two levels of the stand and a lion has made his lair between them. The Bodhisattva’s ornate headdress blends with the mandorla, which is decorated with dragons, the eight auspicious symbols, and trellised blossoms. A seated Buddha is located above the crown. Young Daoming carries a monk’s staff, while the smiling Mingong joins his hands in polite greeting.