Akasagarbha

thumb|200px|right|Akasagarbha statue in Jingoji, 9th cen.
Ākāśagarbha Bodhisattva (, Japanese: Kokūzō Bosatsu) is one of the eight great bodhisattvas. His name can be translated as "boundless space treasury" or "void store" as his wisdom is said to be boundless as space itself. He is sometimes known as the twin brother of the "earth store" bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, and is even briefly mentioned in the Sutra of The Great Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
Kūkai (Kōbō-Daishi), the founder of Shingon Buddhism, is said to have repeatedly chanted a mantra of Ākāśagarbha as a young Buddhist acolyte. As he chanted the mantra, he experienced a vision whereby Ākāśagarbha told him to go to China to seek understanding of the Mahavairocana Sutra.
==Mantra==
The mantra of Ākāśagarbha is popularly used by Shingon Buddhists and artists. It is believed to give rise to wisdom and creativity and dispel ignorance.The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh
*Chinese: Na Mo Xu Kong Zang Pu Sa
*Vietnamese: Nam Mo Hu Khong Tang Bo Tat 
*Translation: Blessed be Akasagarbha Bodhisattva,
A different mantra is used for both Japanese and Sanskrit:
*Japanese: nōbō akyasha kyarabaya on arikya mari bori sowaka.
*Sanskrit: namo ākāśagarbhaya oṃ ārya kamari mauli svāhā.
*English Translation: Wish the whole universe, "OM", to pray all human beings flourish with all dedication. 
*Chinese Translation: 　阿袮，逻阇鞞。钤浮娑阇鞞。 耶婆奈阇鞞。博厕，娑迷。 波吒逻阇鞞。他奈婆逻鞞。 萨多逻伽逻泥。休磨休磨。 摩诃，伽楼尼迦。娑婆诃
Further information regarding Akashagarbha Bodhisattva, and tantric rituals surrounding him are only given to students initiated in esoteric Buddhist lineages by an approved teacher.
== References ==
Korean: Namu Heogongjang Bosal
==External links==
*Japanese Buddhist Statuary: Kokuzo
*The Koyasan Shingon-shu Lay Practitioner's Daily Service
*Icons of Akasagarbha Bodhisattva
Category:Bodhisattvas
Category:Buddhist tantras
Category:Buddhist_mantras
bo:ནམ་མཁའི་སྙིང་པོ།
cs:Akášagarbha
de:Akashagarbha
fr:Akasagarbha
it:Akasagarbha
nl:Akasagarbha
ja:虚空蔵菩薩
ta:ஆகாயகர்பர்
zh:虚空藏菩萨