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Sukhāvatī ("Land of Bliss") is a major setting discussed in the "Three Pure Land Sutras": Sutra of Amitayus, the Contemplation Sutra and the Amitabha Sutra.The Pratyutpanna-samādhi-sūtra is also an important source, particularly for early Chinese Pure Land.
Pure Land Buddhism or the Pure Land School (Chinese: 淨土宗; pinyin: Jìngtǔzōng) is a broad branch of Mahayana Buddhism focused on achieving rebirth in a Pure Land. It is one of the most widely practiced traditions of Buddhism in East Asia. The Pure Land Buddhist school is also known as the "Nembutsu school" or the "Lotus School".
A Japanese scroll of the Taima Mandala (c. 14th century) depicting the scenery of the Sutra of the Contemplation of Amitayus. Buddha contemplation (Chinese: guānfo 觀佛), is a central Buddhist meditation practice in East Asian Buddhism, especially popular in Pure Land Buddhism, but also found in other traditions such as East Asian Yogācāra, Tiantai and Huayan.
The 7th century Pure Land patriarch Shandao commented on the sutra in his Fashizan 法事讚 (Praise for Dharma Rites), which focuses on the rites associated with the recitation of the sutra. [2] It was also commented on by Sengzhao (384–414), Zhiyi (538–597 CE), Wohnyo , Huijing (578-645 CE) and Kuiji (632-682 CE).
The Transformed Land of compassionate means (方便化土, Hōben Kedo) - the Saṃbhogakāya pure land which is described in the sutras as having various features (trees, jeweled ponds, etc) and is the land that is created by the power of Amitabha Buddha's past vows.
The sutra became a very influential text in East Asian Pure Land Buddhism. It was taken up by Shandao 善導 (613–681), a key Pure Land author, who wrote an important commentary on the sutra called Commentary on the Sūtra of Contemplation of the Buddha of Infinite Life 觀無量壽佛經疏 (T 1753). [7]
The sutra goes on to explain that Amitābha, after accumulating great merit over countless lives, finally achieved buddhahood and created a pure land called Sukhāvatī (Sanskrit: "possessing happiness"). Sukhāvatī is situated in the uttermost west, beyond the bounds of our own world.
The Dilun scholar Jingying Huiyuan (淨影慧遠, J. Jōyō Eon) wrote the earliest extant Chinese commentary to the Sutra of Immeasurable Life. [9] Jizang (549-623) of the Sanlun school, also wrote an early commentary on this sutra. [9] In Japan, the 12th-century Pure Land scholar Hōnen wrote four separate commentaries on the sutra. [8]