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Pure Land Buddhism ( , Jìngtǔzōng; 浄土宗, Jōdoshū; Korean: , jeongtojong; Vietnamese: 浄土宗, Tịnh Độ Tông), also sometimes referred to as Amidism , is a broad branch of Mahāyāna Buddhism and currently one of the most popular schools of Buddhism in East Asia, along with Chán. In Chinese Buddhism, most monks practise it, some combining it with Chan (Zen). It is a devotional or "faith"-oriented branch of Buddhism focused on Amitābha Buddha.
Pure Land Buddhism is often found within Mahāyāna Buddhist practices such as the Chinese Tiantai school, or Japanese Shingon Buddhism. However, Pure Land Buddhism is also an independent school as seen in the Japanese Jōdo Shū and Jōdo Shinshū schools. There is not one "school" of Pure Land Buddhism per se, but rather it is a large subset of the Mahāyāna branch of Buddhism.
The main idea behind Pure Land Buddhism is the East Asian world view that the Buddhist world was in decline and that Nirvana had become increasingly difficult to obtain for the common people. Instead of meditative work toward enlightenment, Pure Land Buddhism teaches that through devotion to just Amitābha, one will be reborn in the Pure Land in which enlightenment is guaranteed. Pure Land Buddhism was popular among commoners and monastics as it provided a straightforward way of expressing faith as a Buddhist. In medieval Japan it was also popular among those on the outskirts of society, such as prostitutes and social outcasts, who were often denied spiritual services by society but could still find some form of religious practice through worshipping Buddha Amitābha.






