The Bozhou sanmei jing （Pratyutpanna-buddha-sammukhavasthita-samadhi-sutra）was transmitted to China and translated in 179 (Guanghe 2) during the reign of emperor Lingdi of the Eastern Han dynasty. One may say it is the earliest scripture of Pure Land Buddhism in China. There has not yet been any research on the process by which the scripture was disseminated nor any field work (Feldforschung). Even though there were few people who actually performed the practice described in this sutra, its circulation was rather wide. In order to fill this research gap, my thesis aims to investigate Bozhou sanmei dharma practice of Buddha name recitation (nianfo) from the aspects of content and the religious practitioner. Before making a thorough inquiry on the practitioners of Bozhou sanmei in Taiwan, it is necessary to analyze and compare the content of the dharma practice of Buddha name recitation as in the Bozhou sanmei jing. Moreover I trace back the dissemination of the Bozhou sanmei among practitioners throughout the history of Chinese Buddhism. The renowned Japanese scholar of Buddhism Mochizuki Shinko (1869-1948) wrote in his work An outline of Pure Land teachings: “Religion does not only need to be discussed about, it must certainly be accompanied by practice.” In The origin of the Pure Land teachings and their development he states: “Buddhism has to believe and hold up its tenets. To realize and put them into practice is its main objective.” Here one can see the importance given to the aspect of Buddhist practice by Mochizuki Shinko. I agree with the above statement stressing practice. Therefore, I apply the methodology of the phenomenology of religion (Religionsphänomenologie) and literary science for my research, in order to deal with tenets and phenomena of Buddhist doctrine. At the same time, I use the anthropological method of experimental proof. Therefore I attach importance to the way practitioners of contemporary Taiwan practice, to their style of practice and their exegesis of the scripture, looking out for possible divergences among them. Furthermore, I want to find out about the transmission and promulgation of the Bozhou sanmei, starting from the time of the historical Buddha until it reached Taiwan. By interviewing several Bozhou sanmei practitioners, light is shed on the history of oral transmission in Taiwan. Besides the interviews, the religious phenomenon of Taiwanese Bozhou sanmei practice in seclusion has to be examined in an observant fashion. For this, questionnaires were also used and their statistical outcome arranged in graphical displays. Moreover an experimental participation in the practice has been chosen in order to deeply experience the religious ritual of communal practice as well as the bodily aspect of the performance of Bozhou sanmei in Taiwan. This thesis begins by dealing with the scripture itself and its transmission by religious persons and finally leads to the investigation of the actual performance of this scripture
