Who is the King of Hell in Buddhism ?
Summary
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, a revered figure in Buddhism is not the King of Hell but a compassionate savior vowing to aid sentient beings, particularly all beings in the hell realms. The “Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s Initial Vows Sutra” , emphasize the law of karma and the importance of filial piety. The sutra vividly details the punishments in various hells, depending on one’s deeds. It also recounts Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s past lives.
Someone may may think that the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is the King of Hell. However, it is not true and in fact there is no King of Hell in Buddhism.
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva vow to save all sentient beings, particularly those suffering in the hell realms. His most famous vow is
“Until the absence of All Hells, I swear not to become the Buddha:
After the finish of sentient beings’ deliverance,
Then it shall be my realization of the Bodhi.”
“Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s Initial Vows Sutra” is one of the most popular Mahayana Buddhist sutras. The sutra emphasizes the law of karma, the idea that one’s actions in this life will determine their fate in the next. It describes the horrible scenes in various hells and details the various punishments in the hells that await those who commit misdeeds and the rewards for those who perform good deeds.
The “Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s Original Vows Sutra” is also called the “Filial Piety Sutra” . This is because the sutra emphasizes the importance of filial piety-the respect and reverence for parents. In the sutra, the many past lives of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva , which show how he saved his parents from hell , are introduced.
In Buddhist traditions, reading or reciting that sutra is considered a form of practice that can accumulate good karma .
You can recite the following passage after you recite the sutra
Transferring Merit (回向偈)
May the merit of my practice
願以此功德
Adorn Buddhas’ Pure Lands,
莊嚴佛淨土
Requite the fourfold kindness from above,
上報四重恩
And relieve the suffering of the three life-paths below.
下濟三途苦
Universally wishing sentient beings,
普願諸眾生
Friends, foes, and karmic creditors,
冤親諸債主
All to activate the bodhi mind,
悉發菩提心
And all to be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.
同生極樂國
You should. dedicate all merits of reciting to your parents and all sentient being . This is beneficial not just for your parents (even if your parents have already dead), but also for yourself. The benefits you received is 7 times that of others.
If you want to get an English version of that Sutra, you can download it freely from The Pure Land Assembly , through that link
“Verses by Forest of Awareness Bodhisattva” can be found in the preface of “Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s Initial Vows Sutra”.
Although, the verses is short, its meaning is profound.
Verses by Forest of Awareness Bodhisattva :
- Just as a painter, distributing various paints and colours
- To superficially apprehend different forms and objects,
- The great elements are no different.
- In the elements, there is no form, And in form, there is no element.
- Yet, not apart from the elements Can forms be grasped.
- In the mind, there is no painting. In the painting, there is no mind.
- Yet, not apart from the mind Can painting be grasped.
- The mind is forever non-abiding. It is immeasurable and miraculous
- It manifests all forms, Without one knowing the other.
- Just as a painter, Who knows not his mind;
- Yet, he paints with his mind. So too is the Nature of all dharma.
- Mind is like a painter, Able to paint all phenomena in the worlds.
- The five aggregates’ arise also from it;
- There is no dharma that it doesn’t create
- As is the mind, so is the Buddha;
- As the Buddha, so are sentient beings.
- One should know that Buddha and mind,
- Their essence and nature are all immeasurable.
- If one knows it is the action of the mind
- That creates all phenomena in the worlds,
- He then sees the Buddha
- And understands the true nature of Buddha.
- Mind does not abide in the body, Nor do the body abide in the mind,
- Yet, being able to perform Buddhist activities
- Free and relax unprecedentedly.
- If people wish to fully understand
- All the Buddhas of the three periods,
- They should contemplate the nature of the dharma-realm:
- Everything is but creation of mind
覺林菩蕯偈
譬如工畫師，分布諸彩色。虛妄取異相，大種無差別。
大種中無色，色中無大種。亦不離大種，而有色可得。
心中無彩畫，彩畫中無心。然不離於心，有彩畫可得。
彼心恒不住，無量難思議。示現一切色，各各不相知。
譬如工畫師，不能知自心。而由心故畫，諸法性如是。
心如工畫師，能畫諸世間。五蘊悉從生，無法而不造。
如心佛亦爾，如佛眾生然。應知佛與心，體性皆無盡。
若人知心行，普造諸世間。是人則見佛，了佛真實性。
心不住於身，身亦不住心。而能作佛事，自在未曾有。
若人欲了知，三世一切佛。應觀法界性，一切唯心造。
There is no definitive “King of Hell” figure in Buddhism. Descriptions of horrific punishments in Buddhist hell realms are not meant to install fear, but to encourage virtuous behavior through the law of karma. Be Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva yourself, helps those in need.
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