浄土(じょうど)

じょうど
noun
Pure Land (Buddhism)
academic
1. Pure Land, Buddhist paradise
In Buddhism, a purified realm presided over by a buddha, free from suffering and defilement. Most commonly refers to the Western Pure Land of Amida Buddha, the central concept of Pure Land Buddhism, one of the most widespread Buddhist traditions in Japan.
浄土(じょうど)に往生(おうじょう)する。
To be reborn in the Pure Land.
浄土(じょうど)宗(しゅう)は日本(にほん)の主要(しゅよう)な仏教(ぶっきょう)宗派(しゅうは)のひとつだ。
The Pure Land school is one of the major Buddhist denominations in Japan.
法然(ほうねん)は念仏(ねんぶつ)を唱(とな)えれば誰(だれ)でも浄土(じょうど)に生(う)まれ変(か)われると説(と)いた。
Honen taught that anyone who chants the nenbutsu can be reborn in the Pure Land.

Usage

浄土(じょうど) is a central concept in Japanese Buddhism. The two main Pure Land schools are 浄土(じょうど)宗(しゅう) (Jodo-shu, founded by 法然(ほうねん)) and 浄土(じょうど)真宗(しんしゅう) (Jodo Shinshu, founded by 親鸞(しんらん)). Together they account for the largest number of Buddhist temples in Japan.

The opposite concept is 穢土(えど) (the defiled world, i.e., this world of suffering), though this term is less commonly encountered.

Common collocations

  • 浄土(じょうど)宗(しゅう): Jodo-shu (Pure Land school)
  • 浄土(じょうど)真宗(しんしゅう): Jodo Shinshu (True Pure Land school)
  • 浄土(じょうど)に往生(おうじょう)する: to be reborn in the Pure Land
  • 西方(さいほう)浄土(じょうど): the Western Pure Land

Related Words

Compare: 極楽(ごくらく) (paradise)
Compare: 冥土(めいど) (the underworld)
Related: 阿弥陀仏(あみだぶつ) (Amitabha Buddha)
general
Added 2026.2.24 21:47 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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