Within Jōdo-shū, the recitation of the nembutsu—calling the name of Amida Buddha—is regarded as the central and sufficient practice, while seated meditation such as zazen is placed in a secondary role. Hōnen taught that in the age of mappō, most beings lack the capacity for demanding disciplines like deep meditation, so reliance on Amida’s vow through vocal nembutsu becomes the most direct and reliable path. Nembutsu is thus not merely one practice among many; it is the defining expression of entrusting oneself to Amida’s other-power (tariki). In this sense, zazen does not stand alongside nembutsu as an equal means to liberation.

Meditative or contemplative practices are not rejected outright, but they are understood as auxiliary and supportive. Quiet sitting, visualization of Amida and the Pure Land, or a more concentrated form of recitation may be used to calm the mind, deepen faith (shinjin), and focus attention on Amida. These practices function to strengthen the heart’s orientation toward nembutsu, rather than to establish an independent path based on self-powered realization. Any meditative discipline is thus “relativized”: it has value only insofar as it nurtures sincere recitation and reliance on Amida’s vow.

From this perspective, the relationship between zazen and nembutsu can be seen as one of subordination and, at times, replacement. Nembutsu itself is understood to contain a meditative dimension, since the repeated calling of Amida’s name gathers and concentrates the mind. Some practitioners may sit quietly while reciting, yet the essence of the path lies in the name itself, not in silent sitting or techniques associated with Zen. Unlike Zen, where zazen is the core vehicle of awakening grounded in self-effort (jiriki), Jōdo-shū defines its identity by entrusting everything to other-power through nembutsu, rendering other meditative practices supportive but ultimately unnecessary for salvation.