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Pure Land Buddhism
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Pure Land Buddhism
Pure Land Buddhism or the Pure Land School (Chinese: 淨土宗; pinyin: Jìngtǔzōng) is a broad branch of Mahayana Buddhism focused on achieving rebirth in a Pure Land. It is one of the most widely practiced traditions of Buddhism in East Asia. It is also known as the "Lotus School" (Chinese: 蓮宗; pinyin: Liánzōng) in China or the "Nembutsu school" in Japan. East Asian Pure Land mainly relies on three main Mahayana scriptures: the Sutra of Amitayus, the Contemplation Sutra and the Amitabha Sutra.
The Pure Land tradition is primarily focused on achieving rebirth in a Buddha's "pure land", a superior place to spiritually train for full Buddhahood, where one can meet a Buddha face to face and study under them without any of the distractions or fears of our world. Since it is much easier to attain enlightenment in Pure Land, many Mahayana Buddhists strive to be reborn in one. The most popular one today is Sukhavati ("Land of Bliss"), the Pure Land of Buddha Amitābha, though some Buddhists may also aspire to be reborn in other Pure Lands (such as Maitreya's and Medicine Guru's). Although Buddhas are venerated in Pure Land and are seen as savior-like figures, the tradition clearly distinguishes itself from theistic religions, due to its roots in the classic Mahayana understanding of Buddhahood and bodhisattvas, as well as the Buddhist doctrines of emptiness and mind-only.
The most distinctive feature of East Asian Pure Land traditions is that it offers ordinary people (even the unlearned and the unethical) hope that they may attain the stage of non-retrogression and eventually Buddhahood, no matter how bad their karma may be. In East Asian Pure Land, this is most commonly accomplished through the practice of mindfulness of the Buddha, which is called niànfó (Chinese: 念佛, "Buddha recitation", Japanese: nenbutsu) and entails reciting the name of Amitabha (Chinese: Āmítuófó, Japanese: Amida). However, Pure Land Buddhism may also includes numerous other practices which are done alongside Buddha recitation, such as keeping Buddhist precepts, reciting sutras, visualization, and making offerings.
Pure Land oriented practices and concepts form an important component of the Mahāyāna Buddhist traditions of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, the Himalayas and Inner Asian regions such as Tibet. Some East Asian traditions are exclusively Pure Land oriented, especially the Japanese sects like Jōdo-shū and Jōdo Shinshū. In Tibetan Buddhism, prayers and practices which aim at rebirth in a Buddha-field are also a popular religious orientation, especially among laypersons.
The English term "Pure Land Buddhism" can refer to two religious phenomena. One referent of the term "Pure Land" is a collective term for all practices and teachings having to do with a Buddha's "pure land" or buddha-field (Sanskrit: buddhakṣetra). This usage corresponds with the Chinese term "Pure land Dharma gate" (淨土法門, pinyin: jìngtǔ fǎmén) which refers to a spiritual practice or a specific approach to the (Buddhist) Dharma. Since this is a generic term for all "pure land methods", it technically includes practices in many different Buddhist schools, including Tiantai, Tibetan Buddhism, and so on, and not just to those of "Pure Land schools" or sects.
"Pure Land Buddhism" is also commonly used to refer to various separate Pure Land traditions which take Pure land practice as the central element of their teaching, sometimes exclusively so. In Chinese Buddhism, Pure Land is often thought of as its own zōng (school), like Zen and so forth. Thus, this usage corresponds to the East Asian term "Pure Land school" (Chinese: 淨土宗; pinyin: Jìngtǔzōng; Japanese: 浄土仏教, romanized: Jōdo bukkyō; Korean: 정토종; RR: Jeongto-jong; Vietnamese: Tịnh độ tông). In Japanese Buddhism, the term more commonly refers to specific institutions like Jōdo-shū and Jōdo Shinshū.
Another common name for the Pure Land school in Chinese Buddhism is "Lotus School" (Chinese: 蓮宗; pinyin: Liánzōng), drawing its name from the various Pure land Lotus Societies, the first of which was founded by Huiyuan (334–416). In Japanese Buddhism meanwhile, another name for the Pure Land schools is "Nembutsu school".
When referring to traditions which focus on rebirth in the pure land of Amitabha (Jp: Amida), scholars may also use the term "Amidism". Similarly, traditional sources do sometimes speak of "Amida's Dharma."
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Pure Land Buddhism
Pure Land Buddhism or the Pure Land School (Chinese: 淨土宗; pinyin: Jìngtǔzōng) is a broad branch of Mahayana Buddhism focused on achieving rebirth in a Pure Land. It is one of the most widely practiced traditions of Buddhism in East Asia. It is also known as the "Lotus School" (Chinese: 蓮宗; pinyin: Liánzōng) in China or the "Nembutsu school" in Japan. East Asian Pure Land mainly relies on three main Mahayana scriptures: the Sutra of Amitayus, the Contemplation Sutra and the Amitabha Sutra.
The Pure Land tradition is primarily focused on achieving rebirth in a Buddha's "pure land", a superior place to spiritually train for full Buddhahood, where one can meet a Buddha face to face and study under them without any of the distractions or fears of our world. Since it is much easier to attain enlightenment in Pure Land, many Mahayana Buddhists strive to be reborn in one. The most popular one today is Sukhavati ("Land of Bliss"), the Pure Land of Buddha Amitābha, though some Buddhists may also aspire to be reborn in other Pure Lands (such as Maitreya's and Medicine Guru's). Although Buddhas are venerated in Pure Land and are seen as savior-like figures, the tradition clearly distinguishes itself from theistic religions, due to its roots in the classic Mahayana understanding of Buddhahood and bodhisattvas, as well as the Buddhist doctrines of emptiness and mind-only.
The most distinctive feature of East Asian Pure Land traditions is that it offers ordinary people (even the unlearned and the unethical) hope that they may attain the stage of non-retrogression and eventually Buddhahood, no matter how bad their karma may be. In East Asian Pure Land, this is most commonly accomplished through the practice of mindfulness of the Buddha, which is called niànfó (Chinese: 念佛, "Buddha recitation", Japanese: nenbutsu) and entails reciting the name of Amitabha (Chinese: Āmítuófó, Japanese: Amida). However, Pure Land Buddhism may also includes numerous other practices which are done alongside Buddha recitation, such as keeping Buddhist precepts, reciting sutras, visualization, and making offerings.
Pure Land oriented practices and concepts form an important component of the Mahāyāna Buddhist traditions of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, the Himalayas and Inner Asian regions such as Tibet. Some East Asian traditions are exclusively Pure Land oriented, especially the Japanese sects like Jōdo-shū and Jōdo Shinshū. In Tibetan Buddhism, prayers and practices which aim at rebirth in a Buddha-field are also a popular religious orientation, especially among laypersons.
The English term "Pure Land Buddhism" can refer to two religious phenomena. One referent of the term "Pure Land" is a collective term for all practices and teachings having to do with a Buddha's "pure land" or buddha-field (Sanskrit: buddhakṣetra). This usage corresponds with the Chinese term "Pure land Dharma gate" (淨土法門, pinyin: jìngtǔ fǎmén) which refers to a spiritual practice or a specific approach to the (Buddhist) Dharma. Since this is a generic term for all "pure land methods", it technically includes practices in many different Buddhist schools, including Tiantai, Tibetan Buddhism, and so on, and not just to those of "Pure Land schools" or sects.
"Pure Land Buddhism" is also commonly used to refer to various separate Pure Land traditions which take Pure land practice as the central element of their teaching, sometimes exclusively so. In Chinese Buddhism, Pure Land is often thought of as its own zōng (school), like Zen and so forth. Thus, this usage corresponds to the East Asian term "Pure Land school" (Chinese: 淨土宗; pinyin: Jìngtǔzōng; Japanese: 浄土仏教, romanized: Jōdo bukkyō; Korean: 정토종; RR: Jeongto-jong; Vietnamese: Tịnh độ tông). In Japanese Buddhism, the term more commonly refers to specific institutions like Jōdo-shū and Jōdo Shinshū.
Another common name for the Pure Land school in Chinese Buddhism is "Lotus School" (Chinese: 蓮宗; pinyin: Liánzōng), drawing its name from the various Pure land Lotus Societies, the first of which was founded by Huiyuan (334–416). In Japanese Buddhism meanwhile, another name for the Pure Land schools is "Nembutsu school".
When referring to traditions which focus on rebirth in the pure land of Amitabha (Jp: Amida), scholars may also use the term "Amidism". Similarly, traditional sources do sometimes speak of "Amida's Dharma."
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