This artwork brings the compassionate spirit of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva to life through vibrant, expressive illustrations by Blue Cedar. Inspired by Kṣitigarbha’s vow to protect all beings, the artwork reflects themes of kindness, generosity, and our connection with the Earth.
Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha (Shee-tee-gar-bah) is a kind and caring one—a great Bodhisattva who helps others and brings peace to the world. His name means Earth Treasury. He made a big promise: “I won’t become a Buddha until every person and every tiny creature is safe, happy, and at peace.”
Because of that promise, the Buddha gave him a special job—the protector of the Earth!
A wise teacher, Venerable Master Hsüan Hua, said that Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha is like the great Earth—strong, steady, and giving, never asking for anything in return.
This book is based on that idea and shares ten ways this Bodhisattva is like the Earth we live on.
Dana Green is the pen name of a Buddhist nun. Dana means “giving” in Sanskrit and Green refers to a green earth. Dana writes books that focus on helping children connect to their spiritual nature and also wrote a series on kindness to animals and respect for the earth. Her latest books are Giant Turtle’s Long Nap and Prince Siddhartha and the Bully. She lives at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, where she enjoys growing herbs and pollinator gardens.
Terri is a teacher and writer. She is one of the founders of Instilling Goodness School in Ukiah, California, and holds a BA in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is co-author of Guan Yin, the Buddha’s Helper and Amitabha’s Happy Land. She continues to teach and lives in Ukiah.
Blue Cedar is now a Buddhist nun and lives at the City of Dharma Realm near Sacramento, where she is a teacher. She holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Davis. Her artwork appears in many publications by the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association, expressing her visions in radiant watercolors and lately, in simple, elegant line drawings
Instilling Goodness Books
Instilling Goodness Books offers beautifully illustrated books to share the teachings of the Buddha with children, in languages they understand. The growing collection includes a series of delightful books on kindness to animals and respect for the earth.
The authors, illustrators, and designers of our books are inspired by the Buddha’s teaching and by the guidance and wisdom of the late Venerable Master Hsuan Hua.
Headquarters are at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in Ukiah, California, home of Dharma Realm Buddhist University and Instilling Goodness Elementary and Developing Virtue Secondary Schools.
Please visit the Instilling Goodness Books websites:
Come Back, O Tiger!
Amitabha’s Happy Land
Guan Yin: The Buddha’s Helper
The Kind Monk, Biography of Master Hsuan Hua
Dharma Bells, Coloring Book of Buddhist Symbols
No Words-Teachings of the Buddha
Giant Turtle’s Long Nap
Under the Bodhi Tree
