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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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.
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.more
Dharma Master Huijing
Master Tanluan was a sincere, dedicated practitioner. In his Song of Praising Amitabha Buddha, one of the verses reads: I have been immersed in the three domains since beginningless time Endlessly tumbling in samsara. The karma created by every single thought in every single moment is enough for me To be firmly bound in the six realms and three domains.more
Dharma Master Jingzong
The “Exposition of [Master Shandao’s] Commentary on the Contemplation Sutra” says, "May I exhort all sentient beings to have a true heart like her.” Here, the person “her” is Lady Vaidehi. Master Shandao's purpose in composing the “Gatha of Entrusting to Amitabha Buddha'' is to urge us to follow Vaidehi’s footsteps [in relying on Amitabh's power] with a genuine heart - a bodhicitta mind: a mind that aspires to be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss and attains Buddhahood.more
The boy recites the name of the Buddha and sits in a vat with his body coated with gold
Fifteen to sixteen years after Brother Zhou's death, his story is still being circulated by the people of this town.more
Forty and Beyond
By Master ZongdaoConfucius had a quote: “[Having] turned forty and being disliked, [one will] also remain like this to the end.” What Confucius was saying is that once a man turns forty and is seen as detestable or disliked by everyone else, this is how he will remain for the rest of his life.more