literally, "School of the Pure Land"; a school of Japanese Buddhism derived from the ideas of the Pure Land School of China which were brought to Japan in the ninth century; it was officially founded by Honen in the twelfth century as a means to open up an "easy path" to liberation by calling out the name of Amida Buddha (Amitabha); in contrast to the Jodo-shin-shu school, its adherents enter the monastic life and understand calling out the name of Amida as an act of gratitude rather than a means to strengthen trust in Amida.