Di Xian is the 43rd founder of Tiantai and is praised as the one who led to resurgence of Tiantai Teaching and Meditation in Minguo era (the era after Qing dynasty). His main contribution for modern Tiantai school is to establish the Guanzong Research Society, a pioneer of modern Sangha education. Quotations of Master Di Xian is a collection of his writings besides his specialized commentaries. At the beginning of this book is master Bao Jing‟s A Supplementary Biography of Elder Master Di Xian; and the main text collects types of 395 writings classified in 16 sorts. This research is to trace Di Xian‟s buddhānusmṛti (Buddha recitation) method of Pure Land thought. There are three parts of explanation for how this convenient, simple, complete and immediate method changed with the requirement of time and fit the basic religious capacity of all living things in the Dharma-ending Age. The starting part is a saying following by Ouyi Zhixu: The three provisions of attaining Pure Land are faith, aspiration and upholding recitation of Buddha‟s Name. The Quotations repeatedly cited Essential Annotation on the Amitābha Sūtra, “Whether or not one obtains rebirth in Pure Land depends completely on the presence or absence of faith and aspiration. Whether the grade of one‟s rebirth is high or low depends completely on the depth or shallowness of upholding recitation for Amitābha’s name.” Although there are many people who recite Buddha‟s Dharma, among these countless only one or two may be able to obtain rebirth in Pure Land; and the cause of it is that the faith is not certain enough, the aspiration not clear enough and not being wholehearted on the recitation of Amitābha’s name. Therefore practicing Buddha‟s Dharma is nothing special but mainly the deep faith, clear aspiration and diligent practice. Next part is the Interpretation of „Buddha recitation method‟, which listed in the Di Xian‟s Quotations as: contemplating the characteristics of Amitābha, contemplating the image of Amitābha, reciting the name of Amitābha, and concentrating upon the real marks of Amitābha and understanding what they really are. Among these four methods, only faith, aspiration and upholding recitation of Buddha‟s Name as described in Amitābha Sūtra is the most convenient and excellent method in phenomenal level and noumenal level. To attain the samādhi of Buddha recitation, there are three styles used while reciting: contemplating single-mindedly into the nature of everything, contemplating all qualities of Amitābha, and interacting limitlessly throughout one‟s mind, Amitābha and everything; and the contemplating all qualities of Amitābha is considered the most reliable style. The final part, “convergence of Pure Land and Tiantai”, explains how Di Xian adopted Tiantai Teaching and Meditation on Buddha recitation method, grouped Tiantai Teaching and Meditation through Buddha recitation method, and then led them back to Pure Land, it is so-called “Learning from Lotus Sūtra while practicing Amitābha’s method.” What worth modern people to reflect is that the Pure Land method of Chinese Buddhism in the last hundreds of years stressed on how to obtain rebirth in Pure Land. In another word, they emphasize on ending birth and death in another world. So thos
