Pure Land Buddhism (mainstream East Asian)
Largest Mahayana sub-tradition globally. Devotion to Amitabha Buddha and recitation of the nembutsu / Buddha-name. Mainstream low-control reference point.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
0 — largest Mahayana sub-tradition globally; mainstream low-control reference.
Profile facts
In context
Pure Land Buddhism is the dominant Mahayana tradition across East Asia. Distinctive practice of nembutsu recitation and devotion to Amitabha Buddha (Amida) for rebirth in the Pure Land. Mostly low-control voluntary devotion.
Recovery resources
- ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) — General referral and cult-aware therapist directory.
- INFORM (Information Network on Religious Movements) — LSE-founded UK research-based information service covering new religious movements.
- Freedom of Mind Resource Center — Steven Hassan's organisation; BITE-model resources and family-side exit guidance.
See the full curated list at /resources.
This profile is in progress — history, deeper BITE evidence and survivor voices are still being added. Contributions welcome via GitHub.
Timeline
- 5th c.Pure Land school crystallises in China
Sources
- Charles B. Jones, 'Chinese Pure Land Buddhism: Understanding a Tradition of Practice' (University of Hawaii Press, 2019) search ↗
- Galen Amstutz, 'Interpreting Amida' (SUNY Press, 1997) search ↗
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. Where a source includes its own URL, the open ↗ link opens it directly; otherwise search ↗ runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.
Change history
Substantive edits logged per the score-updates policy.
- 2026-05-29Phase 1 Batch J: per-group recovery resources applied via programmatic palette (closest-fit by category + subCategory + score). Palette: Mainstream-comparator lighter.
- 2026-05-20Score band scheme migrated from 4 bands to 5 (Minimal 0–5 / Low 6–12 / Moderate 13–20 / High 21–30 / Extreme 31–40). No CLCI value changed; the new Minimal band was carved out of the bottom of the previous Low band.
Relevant hubs
Curated entry points on CLCI Hub for situations connected to this group.
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