Amitabha Buddha

Introduction

In Taiwan, people say 'Amituofo' to greet each other, to say thank you, even to sigh; when a Buddha's name becomes everyday speech, you know how deeply it has spread. Amitabha Buddha, also called the Buddha of Infinite Life, the Buddha of Infinite Light, and the Welcoming Buddha, presides over the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. The Pure Land practice of reciting the Buddha's name teaches that anyone who sincerely believes, vows, and recites 'Namo Amituofo' will be met by the Buddha at the moment of death and guided to rebirth in the Western Pure Land. No deep learning is required, and anyone can say a single Buddha's name, which is exactly why it has become the most widespread Buddhist practice in Taiwan. From seven-day recitation retreats in temples and daily practice to the chanting machine at an elder's bedside, this name is recited day and night across the island. Together with Guanyin and Mahasthamaprapta (Dashizhi) Bodhisattvas, he forms the 'Three Sages of the West,' and he is what many Taiwanese lean on most when facing life and death.

Legend & Origin

The Infinite Life Sutra tells of a king, countless eons ago, who was so shaken by hearing the Dharma that he made an astonishing decision: he gave up his entire kingdom to become a monk, taking the name Dharmakara. Before the Buddha Lokesvararaja he made forty-eight great vows, and the eighteenth is the crucial one, the vow that ten recitations are enough: if any being sincerely believes, joyfully wishes to be born in my land, and recites my name even ten times at the end of life, I will surely come to receive them; if this vow is not fulfilled, I will not become a Buddha.

After countless eons of practice, every one of the forty-eight vows was fulfilled, and Dharmakara became a Buddha named Amitabha. The Western Pure Land created by the power of his vows has ground paved with gold, lotuses blooming in pools of the seven treasures, and mandarava flowers drifting down from the sky, and all suffering is gone. A king gave up a kingdom he could see and in return made a pure land that catches every being. That is why, for over a thousand years, so many people have spoken his name in the last moments of their lives.

Worship Guide

Offerings to Amitabha are kept simple: fresh flowers, fruit, clear water, and incense, and no meat. The heart of the practice is reciting his name, saying 'Namo Amituofo' over and over, aloud or silently, often counting on prayer beads, until the name is woven into daily life. Many Taiwanese Buddhists chant the Amitabha Sutra as part of their daily practice and dedicate the merit to karmic creditors from past lives. To go deeper, you can join a temple's 'Buddha Seven,' seven straight days of intensive recitation aiming for a state of single-minded focus. When an elder in the family passes away, volunteer recitation groups take turns through the night chanting the Buddha's name to see them off, one of the gentlest farewell rituals in Taiwan.

Festivals

The 17th day of the eleventh lunar month is Amitabha Buddha's birthday, when major temples hold 'Buddha Seven' retreats: seven days of intensive recitation aiming for a state of single-minded focus. In addition, the Ullambana services held every seventh lunar month during the Ghost Festival also recite Amitabha's name to help departed souls be reborn in the Pure Land.

Famous Temples

⛩️ Nung Chan Monastery 🔗

Taipei City

Nung Chan Monastery was first founded by Elder Master Dongchu; after Master Sheng Yen took it over, it became the birthplace of Dharma Drum Mountain. Its 'Water-Moon Monastery,' designed by architect Kris Yao and completed in 2012, has more than five thousand characters of the Diamond Sutra carved into its walls, reflected in a pool of water. The monastery regularly holds Buddha Seven retreats (seven days of recitation) and meditation activities.

⛩️ Fo Guang Shan (Buddha's Light Mountain) Details →

Kaohsiung City

Fo Guang Shan was founded by Venerable Master Hsing Yun. The great welcoming Buddha at the mountain's Great Buddha Land is Amitabha, 120 chi (traditional Chinese feet) tall and completed in 1975. Fo Guang Shan spreads the Dharma through the ideal of 'Humanistic Buddhism,' with facilities such as the Buddha Museum and the Tsung Lin University.