Jizo has a long history. 2500 years ago, he was one of the four principal bodhisattvas – enlightened teachers – in Mahayana Buddhism. Upon his enlightenment, when he could have transcended this life forever, he pledged to remain on earth until every soul was finished suffering. Revered as the protector of children, he can connect us to our inner child. Jizo also protects travelers. Someone once told me that Jizo was “the St. Christopher of Buddhism.”

Chibi and I first crossed paths when I was 14 years old. My family lived in Tokyo where two of my friends were very tiny. We called them “The Chibi-ko Gang,” the gang of little ones.

Several years ago, hiking to a hillside temple in Kyoto, I saw small stone figures scattered along the sides of the road. Captivated, I shot dozens of photographs.

On Miyajima Island, just off Hiroshima, I saw a little stone figure wearing a bib. It was nestled in someone’s backyard. I wanted to go down the alleyway to place my hand on its head.

At one of the gardens in Hiroshima, there was a shrine near a tree that had survived the atomic blast. Inside was a large statue wearing a bib. Our host said it was not a Buddha but Jizo. She said “Jizo protects all people, but mostly we think of him as the protector of children: healthy, sick, unborn, never born.”

I began my search for Jizo. I found a stone statue, worn down from living outdoors for over 250 years. I made a small shrine for him and found comfort as I meditated while embracing the tiny child inside me. One morning, while practicing yoga, a children’s book flowed from me. what i heard & what you said was a conversation between a big Chibi and a little Chibi. I could imagine an adult reading to a child, a teen, their partner and even to their own inner kid. It’s simple: we long to feel seen, heard and understood.

I wanted to illustrate my book and so I began painting. I found the old jagged cookie cutter I had used years ago to paint childlike figures and thus Chibi was born. Then, I painted Jizo. The paintings gave birth to jewelry and toys from a place inside me that had been submerged most of my life.

Sometimes, we feel like babies. At the deepest level, we wish to feel safe. My Jizo now holds Chibi to his chest where he usually holds a pearl or precious stone to light up the darkness. I hope you may find Jizo and Chibi in your own way; as I found Jizo in someone’s backyard on Miyajima Island.

Valerie S. Johns
Los Angeles, 2009