What is mizuko Kuyo in Japanese buddhism?
Mizuko Kuyo is a Japanese Buddhist ceremony that focuses on a deceased fetus or stillborn child. This ceremony was originally developed to honor Jizo, a god believed to be responsible for transporting dead fetuses or children to the other world. Mizuko Kuyo is traditionally practiced on three main holidays.
What does Buddha say about miscarriage?
… Most Western and Japanese Buddhists come away believing in the permissibility of abortion, while many other Buddhists believe abortion to be murder. Buddhists believe that life should not be destroyed, but they regard causing death as morally wrong only if the death is caused deliberately or by negligence.
What is mizuko Jizo?
Mizuko Jizo are memorials for still-born, miscarried and aborted children found in numerous Japanese temples. Jizo is a guardian deity of young children. The statues often have red bibs and hats. Mizuko is literally “water child.”
How do you honor an aborted baby?
Miscarriage Memorials: How to Honor a Pregnancy Loss
- Name Your Baby. MachineHeadz.
- Wear or Make Memorial Jewelry. Tim Robberts.
- Write About Your Baby.
- Plant a Memorial Tree or Garden.
- Display an Angel Statuette.
- Order a Memorial Plaque or Crystal.
- Get a Special Teddy Bear or Pillow.
- Donate to a Charitable Organization.
How do you pronounce Mizuko?
Phonetic spelling of Mizuko
- MIY-Zuw-Kow.
- M-izuko.
- mizuko. Mason Rosenbaum.
Who is ksitigarbha?
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva (Jizō Bosatsu, 地蔵菩薩) is an enlightened being revered primarily in East Asian Buddhism. He is mostly depicted as a Buddhist monk. The name means Earth Stone, Earth Treasury, Earth Womb, or Earth Matrix. A bodhisattva’s earthly deeds, needed to achieve enlightenment, are known as a bodhimanda.
What animal represents miscarriage?
“After doing some work around grief and miscarriage, I thought it would assist women if we offered them a keepsake to remember their lost pregnancy and help them to move forward. The butterfly is the universal symbol of pregnancy loss,” Angie Wilson, Antenatal and Gynaecology Ward Midwifery Unit Manager, said.
Should I name my miscarried baby?
4 It’s okay to keep those names unless it feels too painful. Use a word that is meaningful to you even if it isn’t technically a name. The name for your miscarried baby is not likely to be used by anyone except you and your partner, so it’s a decision you can make without seeking others’ input.
Is ksitigarbha a Buddha?
Kṣitigarbha (Sanskrit: meaning “Earth Womb”) is a famous Mahayana Buddhist bodhisattva who is especially popular in Asian countries where he is worshipped as Dizang in China and Jizō in Japan.
What kind of ceremony is Mizuko Kuyo in Japan?
But things are different in Japan, where there is a traditional Buddhist ceremony to grieve miscarriages, stillbirths, and even willful abortions. This ritual is called mizuko kuyō, literally “water child memorial service”, and it is practiced in temples across Japan and also in private in people’s homes.
Why is the Mizuko important in Japanese Buddhism?
The mizuko, or water child, is said to go from the water of the womb to its original liquid state upon its death. Water is important in Japanese Buddhism, as it represents both death and a faithful acknowledgment that the child will be reborn.
Why is Mizuko Kuyo important in the abortion debate?
Mizuko Kuyo is practiced in order to prevent people from feeling that abortion is becoming trivialized and to provide the parents with a therapy for understanding their emotions and dealing with their loss. Green, Ronald. “The Mizuko Kuyo Debate: An Ethical Assessment.”
What is the Japanese ritual of mourning the unborn?
Mourning parents who have lost a child due to miscarriage or abortion, therefore honor Jizo to ensure that their aborted fetus successfully makes it to the other world. Jizo statues are a common sight in temples and graveyards and even the roadside. The stone statues are clothed with tiny children clothing, usually red bibs and red caps.
