Kim Gyo-gak

Kim Gyo-gak
Hangul 김교각
Hanja 金喬覺
Revised Romanization Kim Gyo-gak
McCune–Reischauer Kim Kyo-gak

Kim Gyo-gak (김교각, 金喬覺, 696-794) was the Ksitigarbha at Mount Jiuhua, one of the four sacred mountains of Chinese Buddhism, located in Anhui province, China.

Kim Gyo-gak was a Silla prince, who became interested in buddhism when visiting the Tang China. He became so obsessed that he turned himself into a monk after returning to Silla. In 719, he returned to China to cultivate himself at Mount Jiuhua. He died in 794 in Mount Jiuhua, at the age of 99. The monks there believed that Ksitigarbha was reincarnated in him.[1] Mount Jiuhua thereafter became the sacred site of Ksitigarbha and one of the four sacred mountains of Chinese Buddhism. [2]

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