Mahayana school originating in China teaching faith in Amitabha Buddha, invoking his name to win rebirth in his Pure Land.

Buddhist sect founded by Honen (1133 - 1212) based on the belief that one can achieve rebirth in the Western Paradise of Amida Buddha by reciting Amida's name right before death. It was a popular sect during the Heian (794 - 1185) and Kamakura (1185 - 1333) periods.

MAHAYANA tradition emphasising methods to be reborn in a PURE REALM. Mostly practiced in relation to AMITABHA BUDDHA

Devotional form of Mahayana Buddhism holding that by faith in the grace of Amida, one will be reborn in the Pure Land realm. The Pure Land is a paradise that is so conducive to enlightenment that one can easily gain nirvana from there. Practice centers on devotion to Amida Buddha and the chanting of his name ( nembutsu). The movement began in India, then spread to China and Japan. It is now the most popular form of Buddhism in Japan.

The form of Buddhism established by the Boddhisattva Amitabha. In China and Japan, this form of Buddhism has the largest following of all the different types of Buddhism. This form of Buddhism is aimed at the average person in its recognition that most people cannot achieve enlightenment and so are doomed forever to stay in samsara. So Amitabha set up a "Pure Land" in the "west"--kind of like a heaven--to which people can go when they die. To gain entrance, people simply have to call on the power of Amitabha. This is done by uttering a phrase such as "Namu Amidha Butsu," which is Japanese for "Praise to Amitabha Buddha."

Emphasized salvationist aspects of Chinese Buddhism; popular among masses of Chinese society. (p. 429)

Pure Land Buddhism (Chinese: , Jìngtǔzōng; Japanese: 浄土宗, Jōdoshū; Korean: , jeongtojong; Vietnamese: 浄土宗, ), also known as Amidism, is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism and currently one of the more popular schools of Buddhism in East Asia, along with Chan. It is a devotional or "faith"-oriented branch of Buddhism focused on Amitabha Buddha. Rebirth into the Pure Land was assured the moment one first had faith in Amitabha.