Examining the Tale of Heike

Understanding the transformative approaches to meditation in Japanese Buddhism

The true meaning of the Name of Amitabha

Theravada monk BD Dipananda embraces the Buddhist delights of Japan

Exploring Japanese “Otsu-e” folk painting

Exploring the Shinto tradition

The role of Bodhichitta in Pure Land practice   Referring to Amitabha’s Fundamental Vow, Master Shandao identified Name-recitation to be the karma of assurance of rebirth.

Printed multiple images of Jizo. Japan, Muromachi period (1333–1574), ink on paper. Image courtesy of Sam Fogg, London.   The Buddhist deity Kshitigarbha, or “He who encompasses the

The origins of “Pure Land Buddhism,” or more precisely, “the Buddhism of Pure Lands,” can be traced to the developmental stages of the Mahayana tradition. It bears both Indian

The so-called sectarianism of Buddhism in Japan has enabled Pure Land Buddhism to develop as a quasi-independent tradition within Buddhism. One of the central figures of Pure Land Buddhist thought and

A glimpse of the sacred intent and presence of Amitabha

Visitors to Japan’s shrines and temples cannot miss the hundreds of wooden votive plaques hanging on stands in a reserved area outside on the shrine grounds. On one side of the plaques are prayers ins

In the main hall of an elegant Pure Land Buddhist temple called Joruri-ji near the city of Nara in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, a row of nine gilded wood figures of the Buddha Amida (Skt. Amitabha) have s

The title of my article was posed as a question in the Commentary of the Contemplation Sutra, written by Master Shandao, the de facto founder of the Pure Land school in China. The answer is stated as