Reciting or chanting the name of Amitabha Buddha, nianfo, stands at the heart of Pure Land practice as the primary means of entrusting oneself to Amitabha’s compassionate vows. Through this simple yet profound act, practitioners rely on Amitabha’s salvific power rather than on their own limited capacities, responding especially to the promise associated with the great vow that assures rebirth in the Pure Land to those who call upon his name with sincerity. In this sense, each recitation functions as a karmic cause that forges a living connection with Amitabha, opening the way toward rebirth in a realm free from suffering and favorable to the realization of enlightenment. Nianfo thus becomes an accessible path, available to all regardless of learning or circumstance, and is regarded as particularly suited to times when more demanding practices are difficult to sustain.

At the same time, the repeated invocation of Amitabha’s name serves as a powerful discipline of mind and heart. The steady rhythm of recitation gathers scattered thoughts, fostering one-pointed concentration and mental clarity, and gradually displacing negative emotions and unwholesome tendencies. In this focused remembrance, faith, aspiration for rebirth, and concrete practice converge: each utterance of the Name expresses devotion, deepens trust, and strengthens the resolve to be born in the Pure Land. Because the Name is understood to embody Amitabha’s merit and compassion, reciting it is said to purify negative karma, generate vast merit, and provide supportive conditions both for present well-being and for the ultimate goal of liberation.

Over time, this continuous mindfulness of Amitabha transforms the inner landscape of the practitioner. By keeping the Buddha constantly in mind, the qualities associated with Amitabha—serenity, compassion, and clarity—are gradually reflected in one’s own conduct and perception. The practice becomes not only a call for assistance at the moment of death, but also an ongoing cultivation of Buddha-mindfulness in the midst of ordinary life. In this way, nianfo functions as both the path to rebirth in the Pure Land and a means of aligning one’s mind with the awakened qualities that Pure Land symbolizes, allowing devotion, trust, and concentration to mature together.