Pure Land Buddhism is the most popular form of Buddhist practice. It is relatively unknown in the United States, although it is the practice of the majority of immigrant Asians and has a growing number of American adherents. This short book is an excellent introduction to the Japanese Pure Land tradition known as Shin Buddhism.

Honen and Shinran developed this tradition in Japan in the thirteenth century. The genius of these two men was that they discovered the way to bring Buddhist truth alive in the midst of the householder’s life. In Shinran’s words:

All people—men, women, high or low station,
In saying the name of Amida are not restricted
To walking, standing, or reclining,
Nor to time, place, or condition.

Whereas Zen was Buddhism for the monastics and, especially in Japan, became the form of Buddhism for the aristocracy, the Pure Land tradition is fundamentally Buddhism for the laity—and for the most ordinary of lay people. It makes no difference whether one is male or female, rich or poor, educated or unlettered. One ought take no pride in anything one possesses or has achieved. In Taitetsu Unno’s words, “In the Path of the Sages one perfects wisdom and attains enlightenment; in the Path of Pure Land one returns to the foolish self to be saved by Amida.” This sense of foolishness recalls the words of Jesus: “Thank you, Father, for you have hidden these things from the wise and clever and revealed them to the merest children.”

Many of the stories that Professor Unno recounts are tales of the most common of persons who gained a deep realization simply by giving themselves to this Pure Land practice. The stories are poignant, funny, and at times sad—just like life. Christians will find many similarities to traditions that have been handed down in their own churches and families.

The author has provided an exposition of Shin Buddhism that is intellectual by necessity but still so ordinary that anyone can grasp it. The tradition is easy to practice but gutsy in the need to persevere, common in manner but deeply contemplative. Taitetsu Unno opens the eyes of the person of any faith to the wonderful possibilities of one’s own religion while making the faith of the ordinary Buddhist understandable.