Buddhist Parables (Chapter 1.): Migawari-jizō And The Great Compassion

In Japan there are folktales of Migawari-jizō [身代わり地蔵] which usually tells about a Jizō (Kṣitigarbha) or other Bodhisattva idols saving people by taking their place when facing an eminent doom. There's a folktale of Migawari-jizō from Ueda City [上田市] (Nagano Prefecture) as follows:

"Once upon a time, there was a wealthy man with many caretakers, both male and female, working under him. Amongst one of them was a young lady who had deep devotion towards Jizō and whenever she went to the rice field to work she left a ball of rice in front of the idol that stood at the roadside. Then rumors began to crop up accusing her of carrying food to the male workers. Despite of rejecting the act, the wealthy man tried forcing her to confess by burning her face using a twig with its tip torched. Miraculously, however, the fire didn't leave a single mark on her face. This was because the face of Jizō idol which she always offered food burned instead of her. In the end, the wealthy man lost all his fortune while the young lady lived peacefully ever after."

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To put it simply, the morale of this tale is that Bodhisattva saves people who're faithful, but why and what is this tale actually trying to convey us? The answer lies in the Great Compassion of Buddha and the rest of Bodhisattva. The Buddhist terminology for "compassion" which is Jihi [慈悲] in Japanese is comprise of two separate Sanskrit converted into Kanji character added together: maitrī or "friendship" as "ji" [慈] referring to "deep affectionateness" and karunā or "sympathy" as "hi" [悲] referring to "deep compassionateness". Thus, becoming Jihi. Though by adding an extra Kanji character "dai" [大] or "great/greater" to the term, it now becomes Daijihi [大慈悲] which invokes a slightly aggrandized nuance referring to the "great and boundless compassion of Buddha". Then what makes this characteristics of Daijihi so "special"?

In "Yakusōyu-hon (Chapter 5)" [薬草喩品第五] of Lotus Sūtra there's the following verse when Buddha bestowed his prajñā to one of his disciples named Kāśyapa: 

「迦葉。譬 如三千大千世界。山川谿谷土地。所生卉木 叢林。及諸薬草。種類若干。名色各異。密雲弥 布。遍覆三千大千世界。一時等注。其澤普洽。 卉木叢林。及諸薬草。小根小莖。小枝小葉。中 根中莖。中枝中葉。大根大莖。大枝大葉。諸樹 大小。随上中下。各有所受。一雲所雨。稱 其種性。而得生長。華菓敷實。雖一地所生。 一雨所潤。而諸草木。各有差別。」

Like this verse stated, the Great Compassion of Buddha and other Bodhisattva spans throughout the Universe of all infinite realms like a rain cloud covering the sky and they bestow their affection to all of us equally according to the way each individual understands the best like rain rehydrating all sorts of plants by pouring on top of them indiscriminately. Like how that Jizō saved the young lady, anyone who embraces the Dharma shall, one day, obtain Buddhahood. 

Alas, the tale of Migawari-jizō is one of the many Hōben [方便] (or Upaya). 

Namu-nichiren-daiseijin 📿🙏
Namu-myōhō-rengekyō 📿🙏
Sankai-banrei-shikkai-jōbutsu 📿🙏

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