Obaku Zen represents a form of Zen that has consciously retained the late Ming Chinese synthesis of Chan and Pure Land, allowing contemplative insight and devotional faith to stand side by side. Within this tradition, the recitation of Amitābha Buddha’s name—known as nembutsu or nianfo—is not a marginal or merely preparatory exercise, but a regular and respected practice. Chanting “Namu Amida Butsu” (or its Chinese equivalent) is carried out aloud and rhythmically, and it is placed alongside zazen and kōan work as a legitimate means of cultivating single-mindedness and spiritual clarity. Rather than seeing such recitation as suitable only for those of lesser capacity, Obaku treats it as a complementary path that can support awakening.

This integration is also visible in the ritual and liturgical life of Obaku monasteries. Daily schedules combine seated meditation with chanting, nembutsu, and ceremonial forms that preserve the rich, musical style of Ming Chinese Buddhism. Pure Land scriptures, including the Amitābha Sūtra and the Larger Sukhāvatīvyūha, are incorporated into regular services together with other Zen texts, and Amitābha-focused dhāraṇī may be recited as part of this rhythm of practice. In this way, the aspiration for rebirth in Amitābha’s Pure Land is acknowledged as a valid spiritual orientation, particularly for lay followers, without displacing the Zen emphasis on direct realization of mind-nature.

Doctrinally, Obaku embodies the view that Chan and Pure Land are mutually supportive rather than rival approaches. Faith in Amitābha and the cultivation of one’s own mind are treated as two aspects of a single path, much like two wings of a bird that must work together for genuine flight. The founder, Ingen, explicitly encouraged nembutsu as a supplementary yet authentic method, teaching that nembutsu and zazen converge toward the same enlightenment. Obaku temples therefore often give Amitābha Buddha a prominent place in their iconography and ritual focus, while still maintaining the core Zen disciplines of meditation and inquiry. The result is a distinctive synthesis in which devotional recitation and contemplative silence are woven into one continuous fabric of practice.