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.