Sutra of The Great Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva - Contents

Contents

There are a total of thirteen chapters in the Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Pūrvapraṇidhāna Sūtra, which are divided into three sections. The teaching is presented in the form of a dialogue between the Buddha and Kṣitigarbha, and takes place in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, located on the top of the Sumeru mountain, in front of a vast multitude of buddhas, bodhisattvas, devas and ghosts. Immediately prior to his departure from this world, the Buddha manifested in the Trāyastriṃśa heavens so that he might repay the kindness of his mother, Queen Māyā, who dwelt there, by speaking the Dharma on her behalf.

After the death of Sakyamuni Buddha, there would be no Buddha on Earth until the appearance of the Bodhisattva Maitreya over a few billion years later, who is to become the next Buddha. During this transition period, in the era between the death of Sakyamuni Buddha and the rise of Maitreya Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha assigned and delegated to Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha to act on his behalf, in order to save the sentient beings.

This sutra is fundamentally a teaching concerning karmic retribution, graphically describing the consequences one creates for oneself by committing undesirable actions. This sutra also deals with filial piety – not only that between oneself and one's parents, but also in an ultimate sense of a universal code of duty or responsibility for all living beings.