Obaku Zen presents enlightenment as the realization of inherent Buddha‑nature, yet it does so through a distinctive synthesis of Zen and Pure Land sensibilities. From the Zen side, enlightenment is understood as a sudden awakening, a direct seeing into one’s true nature that cuts through delusion in an immediate and transformative way. This is closely aligned with the classic notion of satori: an insight that does not add anything new, but reveals what has always been present. Practices such as seated meditation and kōan study serve as primary means of cultivating the clarity and stability needed for this direct realization. In this respect, Obaku remains firmly within the broader Zen vision of enlightenment as direct, experiential insight into the nature of mind.

At the same time, Obaku gives a central place to Pure Land elements, especially the recitation of Amitābha Buddha’s name, or nembutsu. This recitation is not treated merely as a plea for postmortem rebirth in a distant Pure Land, but as a living method for realizing Buddha‑nature in this very life. Nembutsu, in this understanding, functions as a meditative and devotional discipline that can calm, focus, and purify the mind, making it transparent to its own awakened ground. Enlightenment is thus not confined to a single technique; it may unfold through traditional Zen meditation, through nembutsu recitation, or through a dynamic interplay of both.

Within this integrated framework, the usual opposition between self‑power and other‑power is softened rather than sharpened. Faith in Amitābha’s vow and the calling of the Buddha’s name are not seen as external crutches but as expressions of the same Buddha‑nature that Zen seeks to realize through introspective inquiry. Amida Buddha is understood as inseparable from one’s own deepest nature, so that devotion and insight converge on a single non‑dual reality. The Pure Land, in turn, is not only a realm beyond this world but can be regarded as the purified field of awareness that appears when delusion falls away. In this way, enlightenment in Obaku Zen is both sudden in its essence and supported by a rich tapestry of practices that prepare, deepen, and express that awakening.