Daily life in Pure Land temples tends to revolve around a rhythm of collective devotion that orients the mind toward Amitabha Buddha and the aspiration for rebirth in the Pure Land. Central to this is the recitation of Amitabha’s name—known as nianfo in Chinese and nembutsu in Japanese—using formulas such as “Namo Amituofo” or “Namu Amida Butsu.” This chanting often takes place in formal morning and evening services, where it is woven together with other liturgical elements. These services may include taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, reciting Pure Land scriptures such as the Larger and Smaller Amitabha Sutras and the Contemplation Sutra, and offering verses of praise that extol Amitabha’s vows and qualities.

Alongside name-recitation and sutra chanting, temples commonly perform rituals of offering and repentance. Incense, flowers, lamps or candles, and food such as fruit or tea are placed before Amitabha’s image as symbolic acts of reverence and gratitude. Confession or repentance verses are recited to acknowledge karmic faults and to express reliance on Amitabha’s compassion, often followed by the dedication of merit. This dedication extends the spiritual benefit of the practice to all sentient beings, to deceased relatives, and to the shared aspiration for Pure Land rebirth, thereby linking personal devotion with a broader field of concern.

Many Pure Land temples also cultivate a rich culture of collective chanting and contemplative practice. Group sessions of extended nianfo or nembutsu may be held, sometimes involving walking while chanting or sitting with beads, and are typically concluded with a formal dedication of merit. Hymns and verses in praise of Amitabha—whether in classical forms or vernacular compositions by Pure Land masters—are sung to deepen faith and gratitude. Meditation and visualization practices, drawing on imagery of Amitabha and the Pure Land, may be included, though they generally remain secondary to the recitation of the Buddha’s name.

Regular temple life often incorporates memorial and ancestral services that apply these same practices in a focused way. Chanting Amitabha’s name, making offerings, and transferring merit are directed specifically toward deceased practitioners and supporters, with the wish that they attain a peaceful rebirth in the Pure Land. Dharma talks centered on Pure Land teachings may accompany or follow these liturgies, reinforcing the doctrinal basis of the rituals. Through this daily pattern of recitation, offering, repentance, and dedication, the temple environment continually nurtures faith, devotion, and the resolve to be born in Amitabha’s realm.