Performed on the night of the 24th each month
The 24th is the feast day (ennichi) of Kṣitigarbha. At Byodoji, we perform the goma before the image of Jizō from 8:00 PM on the 24th of every month.
Services
Jizō Goma
A goma performed before Jizō on the night of the 24th of every month, the feast day of Jizō.
Looking up to Jizō's great compassion, we entrust your prayers for a child's growth and for mizuko and ancestors to the fire of wisdom. You can also apply online.
Next service
November 24, 2026 at 6:00 AM
Prayer offering 500 yen per wish
Table of Contents
At a Glance
From 8:00 PM
The 24th each month Jizō Goma
Jizō, who saves the beings of the six realms
Kṣitigarbha is the bodhisattva who vowed to save all the lost and suffering beings during the buddha-less age, the time between the passing of Śākyamuni and the coming of Maitreya into the world. He has long been beloved as the one who guides the departed and watches over children.
A goma for relieving suffering and for memorial
Looking up to Jizō's compassion, vast as the earth, we pray that suffering be removed and that the departed be led to a bond with the Buddha.
You can apply online
From home, you can apply with your name and your wish. We read them aloud and pray for you during the service, and you can also take part remotely through the live stream.
Schedule and Information
What the Jizō Goma Is
The Jizō Goma is a goma performed before Jizō. It removes suffering and carries prayers for children's growth, for mizuko, and for ancestors.
The goma is a Shingon rite of prayer in which the fire of wisdom is kindled in the goma hearth and goma sticks are offered into the flames one by one while mantras are recited. We read aloud each petitioner's name and wish as we offer the goma sticks into the flames in prayer.
Kṣitigarbha is the bodhisattva who vowed to save every suffering being without leaving a single one behind. Looking up to his earth-like great compassion, we pray for our children's growth and for the memorial of the departed.
The Honzon, Kṣitigarbha (Jizō)
The Jizō at Byodoji is a bronze seated image, cast around 1750 through the donations of the people of Tsuyama in Okayama. He holds a monk's staff in his right hand and a wish-fulfilling jewel in his left, and sits on a lotus pedestal.
The monthly goma on the 24th is performed before this image of Jizō.
About the Statue
The 24th Is the Feast Day of Jizō
The 24th is the feast day of Kṣitigarbha. It is said to have been his feast day since the Heian period, and the 24th of the first month in particular is called the "first Jizō" (hatsu-jizō). Jizō statues and Jizō halls across Japan hold feast-day observances and services on the 24th of each month.
At Byodoji, in keeping with this feast day of Jizō, we perform the Jizō Goma on the 24th of every month.
The Original Vow of Kṣitigarbha and the Mantra We Chant
Jizō is the bodhisattva who vowed that only after he has finished saving all suffering beings will he himself, last of all, become a buddha.
The root scripture of Kṣitigarbha, the Sutra of the Original Vow of Kṣitigarbha, records the vow that Jizō made before the Buddha in a past life.
Words from the Scripture
- Translation
- I now, to the very end of the future, through incalculable eons, for the sake of these beings of the six realms sunk in sin and suffering, will set up every means and bring them all to liberation. And only then will I myself, last of all, attain the way of buddhahood.
- Original text
我今盡未來際不可計劫、為是罪苦六道眾生、廣設方便、盡令解脫、而我自身方成佛道。
- Source
- Sutra of the Original Vows of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, "Chapter on Spiritual Powers in the Palace of the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven," tr. Śikṣānanda, Taishō No.412
The Working of Jizō
Salvation of the six realms
The original vow to save all beings who wander and suffer in a buddha-less age. He guides the departed toward an affinity with the Buddha.
Memorial for the departed
The Sutra of the Original Vow of Kṣitigarbha teaches that when the bereaved do good for the sake of the departed, the merit reaches both the departed and the living.
Protection of children
He has long been beloved as the one who protects young children and watches over their healthy growth.
The Mantra of Kṣitigarbha
on kakaka bisanmaei sowaka
oṃ ha ha ha vismaye svāhā
A mantra that praises Jizō's great compassion and asks for his saving help. It is based on the Kṣitigarbha mantra handed down in the ritual manuals of the Womb Realm. "Kakaka" is also understood as a cry of joy and praise, and "bisanmaei" is said to mean "how wondrous."
Amulets and talismans for this service
Along with your prayer request, you can receive items matched to the honzon of this service.
Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Ofuda 24cm
Apply for one prayer and one item together.
Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Ofuda 30cm
Apply for one prayer and one item together.
Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Ofuda Sp. 30cm
Apply for one prayer and one item together.
Items are delivered after the prayer service. You can change the wish and quantity on the application screen.
The Flow of the Goma
In the main hall, the Jizō feast-day goma for averting calamity is performed as follows.
STEP 1
Make offerings to Jizō
We make offerings to Jizō through the rite handed down from Kōbō Daishi to Byodoji.
STEP 2
Enter the goma for averting calamity
About thirty to forty minutes after the rite begins, the wisdom-fire (the fire of the Buddha's wisdom) is kindled in the goma hearth. From here the goma for averting calamity (sokusai) begins.
STEP 3
Cast the goma sticks into the flames
When the wisdom-fire has risen to its fullest, we read your name and wish aloud and cast the goma sticks into the flames one by one in prayer.
STEP 4
Dedicate the merit
The merit of the goma is dedicated to memorial for the departed and to the growth of children. Amulets and talismans are also blessed at this time.
The Sutra of the Original Vow of Kṣitigarbha teaches that the merit of offerings made for the departed reaches both the departed and those who make the offerings.
Wishes You Can Entrust
To the Jizō Goma you may entrust many kinds of prayers, prayers that think of your children and of the departed.
A child's growth and well-being
For those who wish for the health and healthy growth of their children and grandchildren.
Mizuko memorial
For those who wish to entrust to Jizō a child who could not be born, and to hold a memorial for them.
Ancestral memorial and merit transfer
For those who pray for the peace of their ancestors and of loved ones who have passed away.
Safe childbirth and conceiving a child
For those who wish for the safety of a new life and for the blessing of a child.
The mizuko memorial is a form of memorial handed down in Japan that extends to small children and the unborn the heart of the Sutra of the Original Vow: to make offerings for the departed and free them from suffering.
How to Apply
You can apply at the sutra office or online. Even when you apply online, we read your name and wish aloud and offer the prayer at Byodoji, and you can join the service through the stream.
Jizō Goma
The 24th each month, 8:00 PM / Now accepting
Performed on the night of the Jizō feast day, before the image of Jizō, who saves the beings of the six realms.
On the application form you can select "Jizō Goma." You may also apply for multiple goma or for prayers over a set period (half a year or a year).
Year-long Prayer (annual prayer)
We also accept an annual prayer, in which your name and wish are read aloud at the Jizō Goma on the 24th of every month for a year. On the application form, select "12" months for the period.
Choose a Goma by your wish
Compare Byodoji's five monthly Goma rites by wish, including prayers for healing, protection from misfortune, work, and memorial services.
Choose from five Goma rites by your wishLearn More About Kṣitigarbha
Frequently Asked Questions
We answer the questions we are often asked about applying for the Jizō Goma.
Can I apply regardless of my sect or denomination?
Yes. Anyone may apply, regardless of sect or denomination.
Can I also request a mizuko memorial?
Yes. Jizō is revered as the one who watches over children who died young, and has long been connected with the mizuko memorial. Please note this in your wish.
Can I also hold a memorial for deceased family or ancestors?
Yes. If you write the names of the departed, we will read them aloud in the goma and offer memorial prayers. The Sutra of the Original Vow of Kṣitigarbha teaches that the memorial offerings of the bereaved benefit the departed.
Can I request it every month, continuously?
Yes. We accept an annual prayer, in which your name and wish are read aloud at the goma on the 24th of every month for a year. Please select the period on the application form.
Can I join the goma through the live stream?
Yes. We stream it live from 8:00 PM on the 24th of each month. From home, you can join your palms before the fire of wisdom and take part.
On the 24th each month, on the feast day of Jizō.
Jizō stands beside those who suffer, guides the departed, and watches over young children. In the goma on the 24th of each month, we kindle the fire of wisdom and look up to the working of his great compassion.
If you wish for a child's growth or for memorials for mizuko or your ancestors, please join the goma on the 24th of each month. Besides visiting the temple, you can apply online and take part through the live stream.