Obaku Zen and Pure Land Buddhism share a Mahayana foundation and a reverence for Amida (Amitābha) Buddha, yet they orient the practitioner in notably different ways. Obaku stands within the Zen stream, aiming at direct, experiential realization of inherent Buddha-nature, often in this very lifetime. Pure Land, by contrast, directs aspiration toward rebirth in Amida’s Pure Land, understood as a realm especially conducive to eventual enlightenment. Thus, while both traditions speak of liberation, Obaku frames it as immediate awakening through disciplined cultivation, whereas Pure Land emphasizes a more mediated path through rebirth in a purified realm.

These differing aims naturally shape their characteristic practices. Obaku preserves the classical Zen disciplines: seated meditation (zazen), sometimes koan study, moral precepts, and rigorous monastic training, while also incorporating nembutsu and sutra chanting into that framework. Pure Land Buddhism, on the other hand, centers its life of practice on the recitation of Amida’s name, supported by faith and devotion, with other practices playing a secondary role. In Obaku, nembutsu can function as one method among several within a broader meditative regimen, whereas in Pure Land it is typically the principal expression of trust in Amida’s compassionate vow.

A further contrast appears in the balance between self-power and other-power. Obaku, as a Zen school, stresses self-cultivation, discipline, and direct realization, even while it adopts devotional elements. Pure Land Buddhism leans toward reliance on other-power, that is, the salvific grace of Amida Buddha, and holds that sincere recitation of the name is efficacious even for those lacking deep meditative ability or philosophical understanding. This difference in emphasis does not erase devotion from Obaku or personal effort from Pure Land, but it does place the accent in distinct locations for each path.

Institutionally and ritually, the two traditions also diverge. Obaku maintains a strong monastic orientation, with meditation halls, structured training, and a liturgical style marked by Chinese influences, including Chinese-style chanting and ceremonial forms. Pure Land communities, especially in their Japanese expressions, tend to be more oriented toward lay practitioners, with temple life often organized around Amida images, sutra reading, and nembutsu services rather than intensive Zen-style training. In this way, Obaku can be seen as a synthesis that integrates Pure Land devotions into a Zen monastic matrix, while Pure Land Buddhism itself remains more singularly focused on faith in Amida and the aspiration for rebirth in the Pure Land.