There are two features of the quotations from Zhuhong 袾宏 in Gizan 義山’s commentary on the Small Sukhāvatīvyūha-sūtra (Amidakyō zuimon kōroku). The first is the adaptation of the concept of Buddhakāya in Huayan Buddhism, while the other is the rejection of the bodhisattva path. The former idea originated from the Chinzei Sect 鎮西派 and the latter was caused by different standpoints between the Sacred-way and the Pure-land-way. That is to say, Zhuhong’s idea emphasized the Chinese Buddhist “mindfulness of the Buddha” as bodhisattva practice, while Gizan emphasized “reciting the Buddha’s name” for ordinary beings.
In the development of the history of Pure-land Buddhism in Japan and China, although the dissimilar cultural backgrounds led to divergences, the process of interchange displayed the perfect harmony of Pure-land Buddhism in the context of the Mahāyāna tradition. “Praising Buddha” was not only the basis of Pure-land teaching, but also the nucleus of Mahāyāna Buddhism.
