Inori no Mori祈りの杜working title

Read, reflect, pray

Enmei Jizō Wasan

延命地蔵和讃えんめいじぞうわさん

A traditional hymn praising Jizō’s compassion and discussing rebirth, mantra and esoteric Buddhist teachings. This reader follows the forty-line form published by Hōrakuji. It is distinct from the Sai no Kawara hymn and from the Enmei Jizō Sutra. Older characters and kana spellings have been regularized; the source’s 大非 is presented as 大悲, compassion, in keeping with the hymn’s opening. It includes historical depictions of suffering, not predictions about the reader.

English meaning and source text

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English meaning

About this English rendering

This site’s English rendering of the Japanese meaning guide, aligned with this edition. It is separate from the source words for recitation and is not an official liturgy. Sacred sounds are explained where possible, not given speculative literal translations. Historical beliefs, royal authority, illness and protection claims belong to the text; they are not present-day judgments, medical advice or guarantees of results.

This rendering follows the form published by Hōrakuji. It presents the hymn’s teachings about rebirth, suffering and esoteric Buddhism as teachings within the text, not predictions about the reader or promises of a longer life.

Section 1

I take refuge in Jizō and bow in reverence. Remembering the charge entrusted by Shakyamuni,

Jizō appears in realms of suffering and guides living beings out of distress.

Though there are many pure bodhisattvas close to complete awakening,

the hymn praises Jizō Bodhisattva as unsurpassed in the depth of compassion.

Wandering through rebirth since a beginning beyond knowing, when shall we leave the cycle of deluded birth and death?

Our cycling through the six realms resembles a wheel continually turning.

From the first moment of delusion, we enter the darkness of ignorance,

and our sleep in that long night is so deep that even the dream does not awaken us.

The sorrow of heavenly beings declining and leaving their realm, and the sufferings of birth, aging, illness and death,

are like flames in a burning house, like smoke that scorches the heart.

Though one may have family, treasures, a royal position, many attendants and animals,

when the spirit enters the intermediate state after death, none of these accompanies it.

Whom can one turn to then? Who can offer help in that suffering?

I ask this alone: Jizō, guide us out of delusion.

Section 2

The pride and strife of the asura realm, and the harm caused by ignorance in the animal realm,

lie within cause and effect, with no way of escape yet found.

How pitiful and unskilled we are. Had we not known, we might have left things as they were;

knowing this principle, the hymn calls it heedless not to consider the life to come.

Painful is the plight of hungry ghosts, depicted as consuming their children in extreme hunger.

Even crushing brains and drinking blood, they are depicted as finding no satisfaction.

The hymn asks us to consider how great such suffering would be.

All the more, it says, the condition of hell exceeds thought and words.

The names Avīci, Burning Heat and Great Wailing are themselves described as fearsome.

The hymn portrays the sorrow of a spirit going alone toward the flames.

Through the merit of invoking compassionate Jizō's name once in this world,

the singer asks Jizō to guide spirits drawn onward by karma.

Section 3

Beyond merely knowing, the three syllables represented by the character 賀 in Jizō’s mantra

are said to reveal the principle of non-arising in the conditions of the ten unwholesome actions.

If karmic causes have no fixed substance, where could their painful results possess such substance?

Jizō is praised as the buddha of the palace of the syllable A, where both cause and effect are understood as non-arising.

The hymn praises Jizō, the great being of the south, in relation to Ratnasambhava Buddha and Banner Bodhisattva.

It joins the pure aspiration to awakening with the wish-fulfilling jewel, praising the jewel in Jizō's left hand.

Placed on a high banner, it rains diverse treasures and fulfills aspirations both worldly and beyond the world, the hymn says.

It laments that we wander in a poor village yet do not seek this aid.

In the mandalas of the three divisions, it names Kannon, Jihō and Kongōdō,

appearing as a single activity of great compassion that embraces and guides living beings.

The staff is praised as a complete tower of Dharma-nature, embodying the unobstructed six great elements.

Held and shaken in Jizō's hand, it awakens beings from the deep sleep of delusion.

One gateway is the universal gateway; Jizō is also Henjōson, the All-Illuminating One, the hymn says.

It closes by praising the unity of cause and result as the buddha of the nondual Great Vehicle.

Source text and reading aid

Roman letters are provided for every line of this source text.

How to use the Roman letters

Roman letters follow the kana displayed in this site’s Japanese reader; some readings are editorial additions documented on the Japanese page. These are a reading aid, not restored Sanskrit or a recording of a temple’s chanting. Historical spellings (such as wo, wi, we and ha used as a particle) are kept. Double vowels and repeated vowels mark the written kana; rhythm and pronunciation can differ by tradition.

You can simply read the meaning or sit quietly. No recitation is required. For a temple or shrine’s own recitation, follow that tradition’s published guidance.

地蔵尊への礼拝と六趣(じぞうそんへのらいはいとろくしゅ)

帰命頂礼(きみょうちょうらい)地蔵尊(じぞうそん) 釈迦(しゃか)の付属(ふぞく)を憶念(おくねん)し

kimyouchourai jizouson shakano fuzokuwo okunenshi

悪趣(あくしゅ)に出現(しゅつげん)し給(たま)いて 衆生(しゅじょう)の苦患(くげん)を導(みちび)けり

akushuni shutsugenshi tamaite shujouno kugenwo michibikeri

等覚(とうがく)無垢(むく)の大士(だいし)たち その数(かず)あまたましませど

tougaku mukuno daishitachi sono kazuamatamashimasedo

大慈大悲(だいじだいひ)の深(ふか)きこと 地蔵菩薩(じぞうぼさつ)にしくはなし

daijidaihino fukakikoto jizoubosatsunishikuhanashi

無始(むし)より我等(われら)流転(るてん)して いつか生死(しょうじ)を離(はな)るべき

mushiyori warera rutenshite itsuka shoujiwo hanarubeki

六趣輪廻(ろくしゅりんね)のありさまは 車(くるま)のめぐるがごとくなり

rokushurinnenoarisamaha kurumanomegurugagotokunari

一念(いちねん)まよいし始(はじ)めより 無明(むみょう)の暗(くら)き闇(やみ)にいり

ichinenmayoishi hajimeyori mumyouno kuraki yaminiiri

長夜(ちょうや)の眠(ねむ)り深(ふか)ければ 夢(ゆめ)に驚(おどろ)くこともなし

chouyano nemuri fukakereba yumeni odorokukotomonashi

退没五衰(たいもつごすい)の悲(かな)しみも 生老病死(しょうろうびょうし)の苦(くる)しみも

taimotsugosuino kanashimimo shouroubyoushino kurushimimo

皆(みな)これ火宅(かたく)のほのおにて 胸(むね)を焦(こ)がせる煙(けむ)りなり

minakore katakunohonoonite munewo kogaseru kemurinari

妻子珍宝及王位(さいしちんぼうぎゅうおうい) 眷属牛馬(けんぞくぎゅうば)おおけれど

saishichinbougyuuoui kenzokugyuubaookeredo

魂(たましい)中有(ちゅうう)にいりぬれば 一(ひと)つも従(したが)う者(もの)ぞなき

tamashii chuuuniirinureba hitotsumo shitagau monozonaki

この時(とき)誰(たれ)をか頼(たの)むべき その苦(く)を誰(たれ)かは助(たす)くべき

kono toki tarewoka tanomubeki sono kuwo tarekaha tasukubeki

ただ願(ねが)わくば地蔵尊(じぞうそん) 迷(まよ)いを導(みちび)き給(たま)うべし

tada negawakuba jizouson mayoiwo michibiki tamaubeshi

苦しみからの導きを願う(くるしみからのみちびきをねがう)

修羅(しゅら)きょうまん闘諍(とうじょう)も 畜生(ちくしょう)愚知(ぐち)の残害(ざんがい)も

shurakyouman toujoumo chikushou guchino zangaimo

因果(いんが)の道理(どうり)定(さだ)まりて 脱(のが)るるたよりなかりけり

ingano douri sadamarite nogarurutayorinakarikeri

哀(あわ)れつたなき我等(われら)かな 知(し)らずばさてもやみぬべき

awaretsutanaki warerakana shirazubasatemoyaminubeki

すでにこの理(り)をわきまえて 後世(ごせ)を恐(おそ)れぬはかなさよ

sudenikono riwowakimaete gosewo osorenuhakanasayo

飢(う)えに臨(のぞ)みて子(こ)を喰(く)らう 餓鬼(がき)の思(おも)いぞ哀(あわ)れなる

ueni nozomite kowo kurau gakino omoizo awarenaru

脳(のう)を砕(くだ)きて血(ち)を吸(す)えど 心(こころ)に飽(あ)く事(こと)さらになし

nouwo kudakite chiwo suedo kokoroni aku kotosaraninashi

想像(おもいや)るべしそのときの 苦患(くげん)の程(ほど)はいかばかり

omoiyarubeshisonotokino kugenno hodohaikabakari

いわんや地獄(じごく)の有様(ありさま)は 心(こころ)も言葉(ことば)も及(およ)ばれず

iwan'ya jigokuno arisamaha kokoromo kotobamo oyobarezu

無間焦熱大叫喚(むけんしょうねつだいきょうかん) 名(な)を聞(き)くだにも恐(おそ)れあり

mukenshounetsudaikyoukan nawo kikudanimo osoreari

まさしく魂(たましい)ひとりゆき ほのおに入(い)らん悲(かな)しさよ

masashiku tamashiihitoriyuki honooni iran kanashisayo

娑婆(しゃば)にて慈悲(じひ)の名号(みょうごう)を 一度(ひとたび)唱(とな)うる功力(くりき)にて

shabanite jihino myougouwo hitotabi tonauru kurikinite

業(ごう)にひかるる魂魄(こんぱく)を 導(みちび)きたまえ地蔵尊(じぞうそん)

gounihikaruru konpakuwo michibikitamae jizouson

真言と曼荼羅の教え(しんごんとまんだらのおしえ)

知(し)るのみならずかの尊(そん)の 三種(さんじゅ)の賀字(がじ)の真言(しんごん)は

shirunominarazukano sonno sanjuno gajino shingonha

十悪業(じゅうあくごう)のいんねんを 不生(ふしょう)なりとぞ示(しめ)しける

juuakugounoinnenwo fushounaritozo shimeshikeru

因業(いんごう)すでにむなしくば 苦報(くほう)いずくにありぬべき

ingousudenimunashikuba kuhouizukuniarinubeki

因果(いんが)と共(とも)に不生(ふしょう)なる 阿字宮殿(あじくうでん)の仏(ほとけ)なり

ingato tomoni fushounaru ajikuudenno hotokenari

南方大士地蔵尊(なんぽうだいしじぞうそん) 宝生如来(ほうしょうにょらい)幢菩薩(どうぼさつ)

nanpoudaishijizouson houshounyorai doubosatsu

浄菩提心(じょうぼだいしん)如意宝珠(にょいほうじゅ) 左(ひだり)の御手(みて)の宝珠(ほうじゅ)には

joubodaishin nyoihouju hidarino miteno houjuniha

置在高幢雨種々宝(ちざいこうどううしゅじゅほう) 世出世間(せしゅっせけん)の願(がん)をみつ

chizaikoudouushujuhou seshussekenno ganwomitsu

我等(われら)貧里(ひんり)に呻吟(さまよ)いて 願(ねが)わざるこそ悲(かな)しけれ

warera hinrini samayoite negawazarukoso kanashikere

さて又(また)三部(さんぶ)の曼陀(まんだ)には 観音(かんのん)持宝(じほう)金剛幢(こんごうどう)

sate mata sanbuno mandaniha kannon jihou kongoudou

一体(いったい)大悲(だいひ)の門(もん)にいで 衆生(しゅじょう)を摂化(せっけ)し給(たま)えり

ittai daihino monniide shujouwo sekkeshi tamaeri

輪円具足(りんねんぐそく)の法性塔(ほっしょうとう) 六大無碍(ろくだいむげ)の錫杖(しゃくじょう)を

rinnengusokuno hosshoutou rokudaimugeno shakujouwo

執持(しゅうじ)の御手(みて)に打(う)ち振(ふ)りて 深(ふか)き眠(ねむ)りをおどろかす

shuujino miteni uchi furite fukaki nemuriwoodorokasu

一門(いちもん)すなわち普門(ふもん)にて 地蔵(じぞう)すなわち遍照尊(へんじょうそん)

ichimonsunawachi fumonnite jizousunawachi henjouson

因果一如(いんがいちにょ)の法門(ほうもん)は 不二摩訶衍(ふにまかえん)の仏(ほとけ)なり

ingaichinyono houmonha funimakaenno hotokenari

Connected kami and buddhas

These connections include figures addressed, mentioned, or associated by tradition. They do not assign a universal recitation practice.

Sources and edition (1)

English explanations on this page were prepared by Inori no Mori from the cited text and its Japanese explanations. They are not an official translation or a prescribed liturgy.

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