ChinaKnowledge.de -
An Encyclopaedia on Chinese History and Literature

Jingtulun 淨土論

Mar 20, 2026 © Ulrich Theobald

There are two books called Jingtulun 淨土論 "Pure Land treatise".

Bodhiruci's Jingtulun 淨土論

The older Jingtulun, full title Wuliangshou jing Youposheti yuansheng ji 無量壽經優婆提舍愿生偈 (Amitayurdhyana Upadeśa gāthā), also known as the "Treatise on Rebirth" (Wangshenglun 往生論), was composed in ancient India by Vasubandhu (Ch. Shiqin 世親, c. 400), with the title Aparimitâyur-sûtra-shâstra, and translated into Chinese by Bodhiruci (Ch. Putiliuzhi 菩提流支, 6th cent.) in a single fascicle or juan.

The treatise comprises 24 quatrains (five-character gāthās, Chinese transcription ji 偈, translated as song 頌), consisting of 96 lines in total. Its primary focus is a eulogy of the Amitābha Buddha (Ch. Emituo Fo 阿彌陀佛) and the embellishment of his Pure Land (Ch. Jingtu 淨土). The verses articulate the vow to be reborn in the "Land of Bliss", praise the splendours and virtues of the Pure Land, and end with a "dedication verse" (Sa. pranidhāna) pointing out the final aim to achieve entrance ("return", huixiang 迴向句) into the Land of Bliss.

The text also explains how to attain rebirth in the Pure Land — the "Five Contemplations" or "Five Recitations" (wunian men 五念門), stating that practising these five contemplations allows one to achieve all merits and advance through the "Five Fruits" or "Five Outcomes" (wuguo 五果) that lead to rebirth in the Land of Bliss.

The "Five Contemplations" include prostration (libai men 禮拜門) and paying homage to the Amitābha Buddha, praise (zantan men 贊嘆門) by extolling the Buddha's virtues, vow (zuoyuan men 作愿門) by making a determination to be reborn in the Pure Land, contemplation (guancha men 觀察門) with reflecting on the Pure Land's qualities, and dedication (huixiang men 迴向門) of the merits of one's practice. The "Five Outcomes" describe successive stages in attaining rebirth in the Pure Land, namely, the Proximate Gate (jinmen 近門), the Assembly Gate (dahuizhong men 大會眾門), the Dwelling Gate (zhaimen 宅門), the House Gate (wumen 屋門), and the Garden and Recreation Gate (yuanlin youxi di men 園林遊戲地門). Together, these outline the sequential order of practice for attaining rebirth in the Pure Land.

The Jingtulun is an important canonical text for the Pure Land School of the Mahāyāna tradition. It has influenced the development of Mahāyāna Buddhism in India, China, and Japan, and serves as one of the doctrinal foundations for devotion to Amitābha Buddha.

The essential commentaries are Tanluan's 曇鸞 (476–542) Wangshenglun zhu 往生論注, Sengrong's 僧熔 (early 7th cent.) Wangshenglun shuyao 往生論述要, Huiran's 慧然 Wangshenglun dayi 往生論大意, Fajie's 法界 Wangshenglun jiangyi 往生論講義 and Yuezhu's 月珠 Wangshenglun suishi 往生論隨釋.

Jiacai's 迦才 Jingtulun 淨土論

The second Jingtulun was composed during the Tang period 唐 (618-907) by Jiacai 迦才 (7th cent.). It consists of three juan and discusses the Amitābha Buddha's Pure Land (Mituo jingtu 彌陀淨土). It was compiled on the basis of an earlier text, Daochuo's 道綽 (562-645) Anleji 安樂集.

The work is structured as a dialogue between a "Gentleman attached to Secular Life" (Zhisu Gongzi 滯俗公子) and a "Gentleman of the Pure Land" (Jingtu Xiansheng 淨土先生), and is divided into nine chapters determining the nature of the Pure Land (Ding tu tixing 定土體性), the type of persons who attain rebirth (Din wangsheng ren 定往生人) and the causes of rebirth (Ding wangsheng yin 定往生因), expounding the doctrinal principles (Chu daoli 出道理), citing sacred teachings as proof (Yin shengjiao wei zheng 引聖教為證) and examples of those who have already attained rebirth and their characteristics (Yin xiande wangsheng ren xiangmao 引現得往生人相貌), comparing the Western Pure Land with the Tuṣita Heaven and evaluating their relative superiority and inferiority (Jiang xifang Doushuai xiangdui jiaoliang you-lie 將西方兜率相對校量優劣), clarifying the proper time for the flourishing of the teaching (Ming jiaoxing shijie 明教興時節) and encouraging people to cultivate aspiration and aversion (toward saṃsāra), and to advance their resolve (Jiao renxin yan quanjin qi xin 教人欣厭勸進其心).

This work is an important text of the Chinese Pure Land school. It is not included in the major Chinese Buddhist canons, but is preserved today in the Japanese supplement Manji zokuzō 卍字續藏 and the Taishō Tripiṭaka 大正藏).

Sources:
Chen Shiqiang 陳士強. 1992. "Anleji 安樂集." In Zhonguo xueshu mingzhu tiyao 中國學術名著提要, vol. Zhexue 哲學卷, edited by Zhou Gucheng 周谷城, 343. Shanghai: Fudan daxue chubanshe.
He Kangyi 何康怡. 1997. "Jingtulun 淨土論." In Zhongguo xueshu mingzhu tiyao 中國學術名著提要, vol. Zongjiao 宗教卷, edited by Zhou Gucheng 周谷城, 138. Shanghai: Fudan daxue chubanshe.
Li Xueqin 李學勤, and Lü Wenyu 呂文郁, eds. 1996. Siku da cidian 四庫大辭典, vol. 2, 2254. Changchun: Jilin daxue chubanshe.
Ren Jiyu 任繼愈, ed. 2002. Fojiao da cidian 佛教大辭典, 565, 781, 818. Nanjing: Jiangsu guji chubanshe.
Su Jun 蘇君. 1993. "Jingtulun 淨土論." In Shijie baike zhuzuo cidian 世界百科著作辭典, edited by Ru Xin 汝信, 140. Beijing: Zhongguo gongren chubanshe.
Ye Luhua 葉露華. 1997. "Anleji 安樂集." In Zhongguo xueshu mingzhu tiyao 中國學術名著提要, vol. Zongjiao 宗教卷, edited by Zhou Gucheng 周谷城, 134. Shanghai: Fudan daxue chubanshe.