School
Pure Land
Pure Land Buddhism is the Mahayana tradition centred on Amitabha Buddha and the hope of rebirth in his Pure Land through faith and reciting his name.
It developed in China between the fourth and seventh centuries, with teachers such as Tanluan and Shandao, and became a major tradition in Japan through Hōnen and his disciple Shinran in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Shinran, regarded as the founder of Jōdo Shinshū, taught that rebirth comes entirely through Amitabha's other power rather than one's own effort. It is among the most widely practised forms of Buddhism in East Asia. On this site it answers questions on the philosophy of religion (6.1), faith and language.
Thinkers of this school
Guide: Schools of Philosophy: The Main -isms and the Questions They Answer
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Kūkai and Bhartṛhari: when a word is part of what is real rather than a label for it
Last spring I visited Kōyasan, the mountain monastery Kūkai founded, and sat in on the morning chanting. I don't understand Sanskrit and barely understand the Sino-Japanese readings, but it was obvious the monks didn't treat the syllables as labels for something else.…
Started by Rin Matsuda5 replies -
My grandmother’s Jōdo Shinshū, and why “grace” is not quite the word for other-power
My grandmother was a devout Jōdo Shinshū Buddhist. When I was a teenager and got interested in meditation, she told me, kindly but firmly, that trying to become enlightened by my own effort was a subtle kind of pride. For her the…
Started by Rin Matsuda4 replies