Stepping into Jōdo-shū feels a bit like entering a cozy sanctuary built entirely on a few indispensable writings. Front and center are the Three Pure Land Sutras:

• Larger Sukhāvatīvyūha Sutra (Infinite Life Sutra) – Paints a vivid portrait of Amitābha’s vows, with that legendary 18th vow promising rebirth through wholehearted nembutsu.
• Amitayurdhyana Sutra (Contemplation Sutra) – Reads like a guided meditation, inviting practitioners to visualize the western paradise in rich detail.
• Smaller Sukhāvatīvyūha Sutra – A nimble handbook emphasizing the simple power of calling Amitābha’s name.

These three scriptures offer the narrative, the method, and the promise that underpin Jōdo-shū’s faith-based path. Around a thousand years ago, Hōnen distilled their essence into his own “Big Three” commentaries, which remain just as vital:

• Jōdo Homon Genrushō (Commentary on the Three Sutras): A scholarly tour d’horizon that weaves together doctrine and practice, still referenced by teachers today.
• Senchakushō (Selection of Essentials): Highlights why nembutsu trumps all other rituals, a bit like pointing out the star song on a hit album.
• Sankie Engi (Collected Talks): Conversational sermons that bring Hōnen’s zeal to life, reminding everyone why chanting became the movement’s heartbeat.

More recent voices echo through Rennyo’s letters and modern translations—think lively webinars at overseas Jōdo-shū centers or fresh English editions making these texts sing for a global audience. Together, those six writings form the spiritual backbone: the original sutras granting hope, and Hōnen’s works lighting the way for everyday devotees.