The image of Roku Kannon was created from the idea that six kinds of Kannon relieve people who have lost their way in six worlds, based on Rokudo (Rokudo Rinne, a belief that every life repeats reincarnation into six types of worlds) as the following combinations show: Jigoku-do (地獄道) - Sho Kannon, Gaki-do (餓鬼道) - Senju Kannon, Chikusho-do (畜生道) - Bato Kannon, Shura-do (修羅道) - Juichimen Kannon, Jin-do (人道) - Jundei Kannon, Ten-do (天道) - Nyoirin Kannon.

Kumano-bikuni, who propagated the Kumano faith in various places, lectured on Rokudo-zu (i.e., paintings of the six paths of existence) are also called the "six realms" of reincarnation or Kumano Mandala (i.e., devotional paintings of the three shrines of Kumano).

It is considered that it follows Shaka-muni Buddha in the Touriten (Trayastrimsa heaven) and senses the capability of living things each morning in Dhyana (meditation), and that it is a Bosatsu that relieves living things who live in the wheel of life of Rikudo (the six realms of Jigoku-do (Naraka realm, or hell realm) (地獄道), Gaki-do (Preta realm, or hungry ghost realm), (餓鬼道), Chikusho-do (Animal realm) (畜生道), Shura-do (Ashura realm, or realm of demigods) (修羅道), Jin-do (Human realm) (人道) and Ten-do (Deva realm, or realm or blissful state) (天道), while there exists no Buddha in this world after Shaka entered nirvana and before Miroku Bosatsu (Maitreya Bodhisattva) appears, 5670 million years later.

This is originated from a theory that six kinds of Jizo Bosatsu relieve each of the six worlds, based on the Buddhist concept of Rokudo-rinne or Rebirth in the Six Worlds (whereby all lives repeat incarnation in the six worlds).

Although Bosatsu is a Buddha ranked at high status next to Nyorai, Jizo Bosatsu stepped down from the status with the determination that ' I won't go back to the Bosatsu world unless my wish to relieve all living things comes true,' and he continued travel to relieve unrelieved living things and the souls of young children who died before their parents, walking on foot through Rokudo.

This is a story that shows the pious acts of Jizo Bosatsu, who is said to pour mercy upon all six worlds without prejudice; accordingly, the Hungry Ghosts' Feeding Festival was established as associated with Jizo Bosatsu.

The above 'Rokujizo' is Jizo-son (statues of Jizo), who guards each of the six worlds, and therefore many statues were placed at funeral homes and graves.

Rokudo

Rokudo is a Buddhist term and it means six posthumous worlds to which the souls of the dead transmigrate.

According to Buddhism, it is believed that stray lives that came in to the world will transmigrate after death to one of six posthumous world depending on the crimes they committed while alive and repeat life and death in each of the Rokudo where they transmigrated (Rokudo-rinne, Rebirth in the Six Worlds).

the second circular ring represents Rokudo (in this picture, heavenly beings, human beings and Ashura occupy the same place),

In connection with Rokudo, the belief of afterlife that souls are saved from the world to which they transmigrated by the guidance of Kannon (Deity of Mercy), called Kannon belief, was generated and it was believed that six different Kannon bear respective roles.

Rokudo

Compared with Rokudo, nirvana can be understood as a more psychological notion.

Historically, the pure land philosophy that is held by Jodo-kyo etc. was established long after the establishment of Rokudo-rinne philosophy.

The pure land is common with Rokudo in the sense of a place where the dead are destined to go, but it is a completely different notion from the world-view under the philosophy of Rokudo-rinne.

The pure land can be defined as the world where Buddha resides and is not limited to one of the Rokudo.

List of Rokudo

Further, Rokudo other than Shura are sometimes collectively called Goshu (literally, five realms).

Therefore, Goshu is deemed as an older notion than Rokudo.