PURE LAND BUDDHISM

Nirvana is no longer practical or possible to attain in our present day.  This is the central teaching of Pure Land Buddhism.  Because of this, a person should focus on devotion to Amitabha (Amida in Japanese), one of the Five Wisdom Buddhas, and his Pure Land paradise called Sukhavati.  Devotion to Amida will gain a person enough karmic merit to go to the Pure Land.  The Pure Land is not an eternal destination, but a pleasant place in which all karma disappears and nirvana is simple to attain.

Most Pure Land Buddhists focus on chanting or repeating a mantra of devotion to Amida.  This mantra is usually "namu Amida butsu," which is to be repeated as often as possible.  This reinforces a proper and sincere state of mind, gaining a person admission to the Pure Land at death.  This simple form of religious practice has contributed greatly to its popularity, in Japan especially.

Jodo is the oldest school of Pure Land Buddhism in Japan.  Its founder was Honen (1133-1212), a Tendai monk who converted to Pure Land teachings at the age of 43.  Honen taught that anyone can be reborn in Amida's Pure Land simply by reciting the nembutsu mantra.  He insisted that Pure Land be considered a separate sect of Japanese Buddhism.  Honen's followers included Shinran, who founded the Jodo Shin-shu school, and Ippen (1239-89), who founded the Ji school.

Jodo Shin-shu ("True Pure Land School"), also known as Shin or Shin-shu Buddhism, is a branch of Pure Land Buddhism which was founded, again, by the monk Shinran (1173-1262).  It was organized by Rennyo (1414-99).  Shin-shu is a lay movement with no monks or monasteries and is based on simple but absolute devotion to Amida.  In Shin-shu, the nembutsu is an act of gratitude, not one of supplication or trust. 

The founder of the Ji-shu sect of Pure Land Buddhism was, once more, the monk Ippen.  He was on a pilgrimage to Kumano when the kami deity enshrined there revealed to him that enlightenment was determined by Amida Buddha and that he should devote himself to preaching the importance of reciting the name of Amida, i.e. the mantra nembutsu.

Ippen and a band of followers then travelled throughout the country proselytizing with their ecstatic nembutsu dance (nembutsu odori), winning a wide following among common people.  Other practices associated with the Ji-shu sect include scheduled sessions of chanting, the handing out of slips of paper with the nembutsu written on them, and keeping a register of the converted.