Pure Land Buddhism

Welcome to the English-language website of the Pure Land school.

　　Our aim is to introduce to international audiences the teachings and practices of Pure Land Buddhism according to the lineage of Master Shandao (善導大師, 613-681) of Tang Dynasty China.
　　Master Shandao, long revered in East Asia as an incarnation of Amitabha Buddha, is universally acknowledged as the de facto founder of the Pure Land school of Buddhism. Grounding his teachings in the three Pure Land sutras preached by Shakyamuni Buddha, he urged practitioners to aspire to rebirth in the Land of Bliss by reciting the name of Amitabha Buddha exclusively.
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After the Charter, it is necessary to be familiar with the school’s founder, for the former is based on the teachings of the latter.

　　The founder occupies a preeminent position in the school, unmatched by others. The founder of the Pure Land school was Master Shandao of the Tang Dynasty, widely accepted as an incarnation of Amitabha Buddha. He synthesized and completed the Pure Land teachings and wrote the Five Works in Nine Fascicles, which definitively laid down the thought and practices of the Pure Land tradition.
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By Dharma Master Huijing
English translation by Householder Jingtu

A “charter” outlines the principles characteristic of a Dharma school and sets forth guidelines for practice by its adherents.

　　The Pure Land Charter was drafted by Dharma Master Huijing. It serves as a manifesto for the Pure Land school, summarizing its evolution over more than a millennium, up to the present day. The Charter consists of 18 clauses defining the essential elements of the school and clearly lays out its framework.

Dharma Master Huijing

Master Lianchi stated in his writing: “On Self-Improvement”:

Complaining about fate and blaming others is the greatest detriment to one’s merit and blessings. Each instance reduces the merit of three good deeds......

Dharma Master Jingzong

Question:

In regards to achieving transcendental deliverance for deceased members, is there a difference in effectiveness between if the ritual is conducted in a monastery and at home?......

Master Jingyi’s Passing: a Short Account

Jingyi Fashi (Fashi, a respectable way of addressing a Buddhist master), a bhikkhuni, was born in 1967 and passed away on April 4th, 2023, at the age of fifty-seven.

She became a monastic in 2016. Five years before her ordination, she suffered from an inoperable cerebral hemangioma that she had to live with. This condition is like a ticking time bomb that could go off at any time. She got motion sickness easily and that prevented her from driving and taking long car rides.......

Commentary on the Treatise on Rebirth in the Pure Land

Carry the Buddha with You Wherever You Go

By Master Zhisui

Many people often wonder, “How should I practice Amitabha-recitation?”

The venerable Master Honen once said, ......

Dharma Master Huijing

Dharma Master Jingzong

Master Jingyi’s Passing: a Short Account

Commentary on the Treatise on Rebirth in the Pure Land

Carry the Buddha with You Wherever You Go

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