Within the Pure Land tradition, Amitabha Buddha is revered as a celestial Buddha associated with immeasurable light and immeasurable life, often described as the Buddha of Infinite Light and Infinite Life. Texts portray him as having originally been a bodhisattva or monk named Dharmakara, who formulated great vows—often spoken of as 48 in number—to establish a realm perfectly suited to the awakening of all beings. Through vast eons of practice and the accumulation of merit, these vows are said to have been fulfilled, giving rise to Amitabha’s Pure Land, Sukhavati, a blissful realm in the western direction of the cosmos. This realm is depicted as free from intense suffering and heavy defilement, a field where the Dharma can be heard, remembered, and practiced with extraordinary clarity and ease.

In Pure Land devotion, Amitabha functions as the central salvific presence and the primary object of faith and refuge. The core practice is the recitation of his name—known as nianfo in Chinese and nembutsu in Japanese—using formulas such as “Namo Amitabha Buddha” or “Namu Amida Butsu.” This recitation, when carried out with sincere faith and heartfelt aspiration, is believed to establish a karmic connection that ensures rebirth in Sukhavati, even for ordinary beings burdened by moral imperfections or lacking the capacity for rigorous meditation and study. Amitabha’s vows, especially the one promising rebirth to those who call upon him with trust, are understood as an expression of “other-power,” a compassionate assistance that contrasts with paths relying solely on one’s own effort.

From this perspective, Amitabha is not a creator deity but a consummate spiritual guide and savior figure who embodies boundless compassion. At the moment of death, those who have entrusted themselves to him and recited his name are said to be received and transported to his Pure Land, where life spans are extraordinarily long and conditions are ideally arranged for steady progress toward Buddhahood. There, Amitabha presides as teacher and protector, nurturing beings until they themselves awaken fully. Pure Land practice thus centers on a relationship of deep trust in Amitabha’s vows, seeing rebirth in Sukhavati as a direct and accessible path toward ultimate enlightenment.