This last one is particularly important, because it marks the Pure Land dharma-gate as a tradition of practice, the central claim of the book. Jones’s search through CBETA illustrates that though there is no significant mention of Pure Land as an independent institution ( jingtu zong 淨土宗), there are other options such as Pure Land dharma-gate ( jingtu famen 淨土法門) and the dharma-gate of nianfo ( nianfo famen 念佛法門).

The chapter is one of the original offerings in the book, and is likely its most important chapter. Milne, in chapter 2, Jones suggests that there is still “a sort of something” about Pure Land in China. Jones pushes back against both these claims, seeking to “define Pure Land as a distinctive and bounded part of Chinese Buddhism” (p. As a result, some scholars have refused to recognize it as a tradition at all, or asserted that it is so diffused within the larger Chinese Buddhist milieu that it is indistinct. Scholars have accordingly “lacked a general orientation” to the Chinese Pure Land tradition (p. As a result, these critiques have led to a distinct lack of interest from Western scholars until very recently (p. An abundance of Buddhist commentarial literature reveals that there was no shortage of critics who argued that Pure Land practices distorted the dharma. Westerners often have trouble understanding these practices as Buddhist Jones points out that they are not alone, as many Buddhists throughout history have as well. The introduction (chapter 1) fittingly begins with practice, particularly the ubiquity of nianfo 念佛 and rosaries throughout Chinese religious communities. The new contributions are woven into the existing scholarship to craft an impressive volume that will force scholars of Chinese Buddhism to re-evaluate how we discuss Pure Land Buddhism in China in our research and classrooms-thankfully, the book is appropriate for both settings. Jones admits in his conclusion that it is difficult to create a cohesive book that is largely comprised of previously published articles, but he achieves this task skilfully (p. Of the seven body chapters, only two have not previously been published elsewhere however, the other five have been revised, and scholars will want to revisit their merits. The book consists of nine chapters including the succinct but essential introduction and conclusion. Single-authored monographs on Pure Land Buddhism in China are incredibly rare, and Jones’s Chinese Pure Land Buddhism: Understanding a Tradition of Practice is a welcome contribution that will change the way scholars of Buddhism and Chinese religion view this tradition.

Pure Land by Charles B. Jones